MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Thanks to the phenomenal success of The Batman movie (now on HBO and iTunes), fans can’t seem to get enough of the dark knight. There are so many Batman titles out there, it makes it hard for new readers to find a good jumping point. Here’s a list of the quality Batman comic books released this year that won’t require readers to know a ton of back-story:
- Batman: The Knight (Writer: Chip Zdarsky. Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico.)
Before he became Batman but after the crime that cost him his parents, Bruce Wayne wandered the world to learn how to become the hero we all know. The creative team takes you on a gripping journey through the Bat’s formative years, revealing a naïve yet determined Bruce Wayne willing to do whatever it takes so no one else suffers the same tragedy he did.
2. Batman: Killing Time (W: Tom King. A: David Marquez.)
This title has some parallels to latest Batman movie; it takes place during Batman’s early years and involves the principal supporting cast including Catwoman, the Riddler, and the Penguin. However, the story is completely different – it has Catwoman and Riddler stealing something very valuable from Bruce Wayne! King and Marquez have created an elaborate crime thriller that would fit in with movie classics like Pulp Fiction and Heat.
3. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest (W: Mark Waid. A: Dan Mora.)
The umpteenth volume of this classic DC title sticks to featuring team-up tales of the legendary icons. The difference here is that the stories are set in the so-called Silver Age not in contemporary times as previous Superman/Batman comic have been. Yet the storytelling feels very modern and fast paced. Waid makes it a point to provide newbies with enough background on characters while telling a thrilling story.
4. Batman (W: Chip Zdarsky. A: Jorge Jimenez.) and Detective Comics (W: Ram V. A: Rafael Albuquerque.)
This July, the two main Batman series get A-list creative teams. Zdarsky made a name for himself as a Marvel writer with critically acclaimed runs in Daredevil and Spider-Man. Jimenez and Albuquerque are long-time DC top artists who have drawn Batman before. And Ram V’s scripts on Swamp Thing and Justice League Dark have garnered him a fan following. It’s going to be exciting to see what they have in store for the Caped Crusader.
