Batman debuted in 1939 and set the standard for the costumed vigilante in the years since. Over the years, he’s been one of the easiest sells of any superhero; fans loved him from the beginning and that has been pretty much the reality of the character for most of his existence. Even when Batman fans are mad about the character for some reason, he’s still one of the biggest money makers out there. Batman has a legion of casual fans; these fans love the character and will consume his media without making it their entire life. Honestly, they’re one of the most important parts of his fandom; they’re the impulse buyers the ones who see Batman looking cool and give it a shot.
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It is very difficult to be a casual fan of any DC Comics character. The publisher has rebooted their universe multiple times and while these changes don’t always have an effect on Bats, they can make reading some of his stories rather complicated. A casual fan doesn’t want decades of continuity paid off, they want a cool story and that isn’t always easy to find. However, there are a lot of Batman stories out there that are perfect for a fan who just wants a cool story from the Dark Knight. These five Batman stories are perfect for casual fans, stories that define what the hero and his tales can be at their best.
5) The Batman: Red Rain Trilogy
Evil Batmen are an important part of his mythos. These stories can be a lot of fun and one of the best of them is perfect for casual fans. Batman: Red Rain, by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones, pit the Caped Crusader against Dracula and led to him realizing that if you can’t beat them, join them. The Dark Knight becomes a vampire and ends up killing the vampire lord. This story was so awesome that fans wanted even more from this version of the character, leading to two sequels – Batman: Bloodstorm and Batman: Crimson Mist.
These books dealt with Batman as a vampire, him trying to control his bloodlust until it becomes too much for him, leading to an alliance to destroy him in the final part. Alternate universe stories are perfect for more casual fans, because they don’t need to know years of continuity to make them work. They also give these fans a chance to see the character in a way they normally wouldn’t. The Red Rain trilogy is perfect for a fan who wants to see the darkest side of the Bat, pitch-perfect superhero that will have you begging for more.
4) Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman: The Long Halloween, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, is a gem of ’90s Batman. Loeb and Sale had begun their time with Batman with the Halloween-themed Batman: Legend of the Dark KnightHalloween Special #1-3, showing fans that they had the goods with the Caped Crusader and holidays. This would lead into this fantastic 12-issue series. It takes place in the early days of his mission in Gotham, working with Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Dent. The Holiday Killer strikes, targeting the Falcone family, leading the three of them to try and figure out who is killing Gotham’s mob leaders.
Each issue takes place in a different month, with a different classic Bat-villain appearing in each one. It’s a detective story of the highest caliber; it kept fans guessing til the end. This story is classic Batman goodness – a cool mystery with some of the best villains in comics. Loeb is really good at detective stories like this, able to keep the mystery going long term, constantly adding new wrinkles to keep you guessing. Sale’s art is extremely stylized, but it fits the tone of the story to a tee. Batman: The Long Halloween earned its reputation and it’s perfect for more casual fans.
3) The Dark Knight Returns
The Dark Knight Returns helped change comics forever. This story from Frank Miller, with Klaus Janson on inks and Lynn Varley on colors, took readers to an alternate future where Batman retired and Gotham City has gone to Hell in a handbasket. This led to him putting the cape and cowl back on, facing off against some of this greatest foes, all while angering the powers that be enough to send in Superman. This is one of those books that everyone recommends to casual readers because it’s perfect for them.
While the book’s reputation (it didn’t make Batman dark, it brought back the dark Batman of ’70s stories from Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams, Steve Englehart, Marshell Rogers, and the like) and the problems (everyone says this is “fascist Batman”) are bother overblown, it’s still one of those stories that will hook you from the beginning. Miller is a master of the comic medium and this story shows that off, giving readers a groundbreaking story that has lasted the test of time.
2) “Year One”
Frank Miller proved he was perfect for Batman with The Dark Knight Returns and would get a chance to reboot his origin thanks to Crisis on Infinite Earths. Miller teamed up with his Daredevilcollaborator David Mazzucchelli for “Year One”, which told the tale of Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham after years of training and beginning his war to clean up the city. Meanwhile, Lt. Jim Gordon is learning the ropes of the GCPD, seeing the department for what it really is, leading him to make an alliance that will change his life forever.
“Year One” became the default Batman origin (except during the New 52, although you could probably argue that it fits somewhere in that last continuity) because it really is that good. Miller is perfect at crime stories like this, with Mazzucchelli picking up everything he’s laying down and making it sing. “Year One” isn’t just an amazing Bat-story, it’s a perfect example of everything that comics do well.
1) “Hush”
Hush has gotten a bad rep over the years, but his first story is perfect for casual fans of the Dark Knight. “Hush” is a 12-issue series from Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee pitting the Caped Crusader against an all-new villain. Much like The Long Halloween and its sequel Dark Victory, the story presents a mystery where it could be any of Batman’s villain under the tape (although, to be honest, if you can’t figure it out before the end, I don’t know what to tell you), all while presenting the greatest Batman villains. Superman even shows up.
As far as it goes “Hush” isn’t nearly as good a mystery of Loeb’s other 12-issue Batman stories. However, I think it works so well for casual fans because it’s basically a Batman greatest hits album, the platonic ideal of what a story starring the character can be. That said, the best part about the book is the art from Lee. Lee is one of the greatest pencilers ever and his art in this book always impresses. It’s some of the greatest Bat-art ever and it’s helped people see past the weaknesses of the story since it dropped all those years ago.
What Bat-story do you think if perfect for casuals? Is “Hush” the right number one? Sound off in the comments below.
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