The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to... Batman: Part 1

After witnessing the death of his parents at the hands of a petty crook, Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to avenging them. Deciding that Gotham City needs someone who can work outside the law to bring wrongdoers to justice, Bruce trains his mind and body to peak performance and adopts the bat as a symbol to strike fear in the hearts of criminals.

He is vengeance. He is the night. He is Batman!

Given that Batman is one of DC Comic’s most published heroes, this particular guide covers some classic Batman stories, young Batman, the new 52, and DC rebirth. See Part 2 for more Batman series, or read the full guide!

Updated September 24, 2024
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Wellington City LibrariesYouth team at Wellington City Libraries
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Batman : year one
Miller, Frank
Paper Book
The classic story by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli is released in an all-new deluxe hardcover edition! A young Bruce Wayne spent his adolescence and early adulthood traveling the world so he could hone his body and mind into the perfect fighting and investigative machine. But now as he returns...
Batman, zero year
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
Discover the New 52 origin of the Dark Knight in BATMAN- ZERO YEAR! Witness the twists and turns as Bruce Wayne takes the final steps toward his destiny and confronts the dangers of Gotham City at this point in time. New York Times bestselling author Scott Snyder...
Batman : the Knight
Zdarsky, Chip
Paper Book
The origin of Batman and his never-ending fight against crime in Gotham City is modern mythology, but what of the story in between? Superstar writer Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil) and acclaimed artist Carmine Di Giandomenico (The Flash) will take Bruce Wayne on a fraught journey, making...
Batman and the Monster Men
Wagner, Matt.
Paper Book
Written by Matt Wagner Art and cover by Wagner Matt Wagner takes the Dark Knight through his sophomore season in this new trade paperback collecting the 6-issue miniseries! Batman has spent his first year fighting organized crime - but nothing thus far in his early career as the Caped Crusader has...
Batman, the Imposter
Tomlin, Mattson
Paper Book
"A unique new vision of Gotham, built to be the logical next step for fans of the 2022 film The Batman! Bruce Waynes mission as the Batman has only been underway for a year or so, but he can tell hes making a difference in this city. Unfortunately, hes made some powerful enemies-and not just among...
Tales of the Batman
Sale, Tim.
Paper Book
Written by James Robinson, Darwyn Cooke, Kelley Puckett and Alan Grant Art by Tim Sale & Jimmy Palmiotti Cover by Tim Sale The collection of award-winning artist Tim Sale's various Batman stories is now presented in trade paperback! Collecting tales from SHOWCASE '94 #3-4, LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT...
Batman. Volume oneKnightfall
Moench, Doug
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller The villainous Bane breaks the Bat in one of the most popular and well-known Batman tales The inmates of Arkham Asylum have broken free and Batman must push himself to the limits to re-apprehend the Joker, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Killer Croc and more....
Hush
Loeb, Jeph.
Paper Book
Gotham City's worst criminals--Joker, Riddler, Ra's al Ghul, Clayface and others--have emerged to throw Batman's life into utter chaos. However, these villains are part of a much more elaborate, sinister scheme to destroy the Dark Knight once and for all, one headed by a mastermind much closer to...
Batman. The black glove
Morrison, Grant.
Paper Book
Written by Grant Morrison Cover by Williams Art by J.H. Williams III, Tony Daniel & Jonathan Glapion Writer Grant Morrison (ALL STAR SUPERMAN, FINAL CRISIS) brings Batman and a group of global heroes to a mysterious island to face a killer in this volume collecting BATMAN #667-669 and 672-675. Then,...
Batman. Time and the Batman
Morrison, Grant.
Paper Book
Written by GRANT MORRISON and FABIAN NICIEZA Art by DAVID FINCH, TONY DANIEL, ANDY KUBERT and FRANK QUITELY Cover by DAVID FINCH and SCOTT WILLIAMS Grant Morrison returns to BATMAN with tales from issues #700-703, illustrated by an all-star roster of artists including Andy Kubert, Tony Daniel and...
Batman : night of the owls
Snyder, Scott.
Paper Book
As evil spreads across Gotham City, Batman's allies, including Red Robin, Batwing, Robin, Batgirl, the Birds of Prey, Nightwing and even Catwoman find themselves in a battle coming from all sides. The Court of Owls have shown their hand, and it's up to the collective effort of these heroes, some...
Batman : universe
Bendis, Brian Michael
Paper Book
In this all-new original story written by Brian Michael Bendis, Batman is pushed to his limit as he sets off in search of an item with the potential to destroy the universe as we know it! Batman isn't the only one looking for this item though. It's a race to the finish line with the fate of the...
Batman. Kings of fear
Peterson, Scott
Paper Book
What is Batman's greatest fears? When the Scarecrow orchestrates a riot at Arkham Asylum to conceal an escape, the chase will take the Dark Knight on a journey into the depths of his own mind. Batman has faced Jonathan Crane's fear gas before, but a dose of the...
Batman, the Dark Knight returns
Miller, Frank
Paper Book
Writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in this saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, 10 years after the Dark Knight's retirement. Forced to take action, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of fury, taking on a whole new generation of criminals and matching their...
Batman. Whatever happened to the Caped Crusader?
Gaiman, Neil
Paper Book
Written by Neil Gaiman Art by Andy Kubert & Scott Williams, Mark Buckingham, Bernie Mireault & Matt Wagner and Simon Bisley Cover by Andy Kubert & Scott Williams Best-selling author Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN) joins a murderer's row of talented artists in lending his unique touch to the Batman mythos...
Batman : last knight on Earth
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
Powerhouse creative team Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo (Batman- The Court of Owls, Dark Nights- Metal) conclude a decade-long partnership with the Caped Crusader in Batman- Last Knight on Earth. Twenty years in the future, Bruce Wayne wakes up in Arkham...
Batman beyond. Vol. 1, Escaping the grave
Jurgens, Dan
Paper Book
Writer Dan Jurgens (Action Comics), artist Bernard Chang (Green Lantern Corps) and colorist Marcelo Maiolo (Green Lantern Corps) bring Terry McGinnis' Batman back to the future in Batman Beyond Volume 1: Escaping the Grave as a part of DC Rebirth!    As the...
Batman : under the cowl
Morrison, Grant.
Paper Book
Whenever Bruce Wayne has been out of action, others rise to take his place as Batman. This new collection features a tale of Darmian Wayne, the Batman of a nightmarish, near-future Gotham City, an ordinary citizen of Gotham City who's mistaken for Batman, a futuristic tale based on the...
Batman. Volume 3, Death of the Family
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
The first printing of this new hardcover will feature a special acetate dust jacket showcasing the face of The Joker. A #1 New York Times Bestseller! After having his face sliced off one year ago, the Joker makes his horrifying return to Gotham City!...
Batman. Volume 4, Zero year-secret city
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
ANew York Timesbestseller! Before the era of superheroes began-before the Batman spread his wings to protect the innocent and punish the evil-Gotham City's prodigal son, Bruce Wayne, had been missing for years. But this was exactly the cover of darkness Bruce needed....
Batman. Volume 5, Zero Year - Dark City
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Before the Batcave and Robin, the Joker and the Batmobile ... there was ZERO YEAR. The Riddler has plunged Gotham City into darkness. How will a young Dark Knight bring his beloved hometown from the brink of chaos and madness and back...
Batman. Volume 6, Graveyard shift
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
In the wake of the death of his son Damian, Batman is in danger of losing his humanity. However, the foes of this grief-ridden Dark Knight mean to strike him when he's at his weakest. Has Batman's worst foe become... Bruce Wayne? Plus, three pivotal chapters from the epic ZERO YEAR...
Batman. Volume 7, Endgame
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
Batman's greatest foe has returned for one last gag. But this time, not even the Joker is laughing. In their last encounter, the Dark Knight failed to live up to Joker's grand plans, so now the Joker is deadly serious. The games are over. And everything is on the table. In their most...
Batman. Volume 10, Epilogue
Fawkes, Ray
Paper Book
The conclusion of creative team Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's #1New York Timesbest-selling run! The people of Gotham all know who truly runs their city- GothamisBatman. The fate of their home is time and time again tied to that of the Dark Knight, who would do anything to...
All-star Batman. Vol. 1, My own worst enemy
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
From the #1 NEW YORK TIMES best-selling author of BATMAN, Scott Snyder, comes his newest Dark Knight project as a part of DC Universe Rebirth, ALL-STAR BATMAN VOL. 1- MY OWN WORST ENEMY! Snyder is one of the most critically acclaimed authors in the comics world, with titles that include...
All-star Batman. Vol. 2, Ends of the earth
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES best-selling BATMAN author Scott Snyder's ALL STAR BATMAN continues with a new volume featuring new stories drawn by some of the top artists in all of comics! For more than 75 years, Batman has been one of the most widely-recognized and revered super-heroes in all of...
All-star Batman. Vol. 3, The first ally
Snyder, Scott
Paper Book
New York Times #1 best-selling writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque, the Eisner Award-winning creative team of American Vampire, reunite for All Star Batman Vol. 3: The First Ally--a pulse-pounding thriller striking directly at the heart of the Bat-mythos, now in...
Batman. Vol. 1, I am Gotham
King, Tom
Paper Book
Batman is Gotham City's greatest protector. But now he's not alone. There are two new heroes in town-a pair of masked metahumans with the powers of Superman and a devotion to preserving all that is good about this twisted city. Calling themselves Gotham and Gotham Girl, they've saved Batman's life,...
Batman : night of the monster men
Orlando, Steve (Comic book writer)
Paper Book
Thanks to the machinations of macabre scientist Dr. Hugo Strange, the storm of the century has unleashed a rain of monsters upon Gotham City--and onto Batman, Nightwing and Batwoman. Colossal creatures are stomping through the streets, terrorizing the citizens and challenging the skills of even...
Batman. Vol. 2, I am suicide
King, Tom
Paper Book
Bestselling writer Tom King continues his epic run on the Dark Knight! Still reeling from a cataclysmic battle, Batman finds himself up against some of the biggest (literally) threats he's ever faced within the city limits of Gotham. To save the city he loves, Batman enlists the help of the toughest...
Batman. Vol. 3, I am Bane
King, Tom
Paper Book
Monster Men. New costumed vigilantes. Mad doctors. Each new threat has brought Batman--and Gotham City--to the brink. But it was all a smokescreen for the real threat in the shadows... Bane. The man who has physically tested the Dark Knight like no man before is back to finally...
Batman/The Flash. The Button deluxe edition
Williamson, Joshua.
Paper Book
The road to Doomsday Clock begins here, with the invasion of the Watchmen into the DC Universe! Batman/The Flash: The Button Deluxe Edition is the prelude to this epic story from Geoff Johns and Gark Frank.    During the unforgettable events of DC...
Batman. Vol. 4, The war of jokes and riddles
King, Tom
Paper Book
Zero Year. 12 months in which Gotham City was left without power, without laws, without hope. 365 days in which the Riddler ruled the streets. But once again, Batman was victorious. In the aftermath of Zero Year? War. The Joker vs. The Riddler. They called it the War of Jokes and...
Batman. Vol. 5, The rules of engagement
King, Tom
Paper Book
When Catwoman accepted Batman's marriage proposal, she changed more lives than just Bruce Wayne's and Selina Kyle's. A union between the World's Greatest Detective and one of Gotham City's fiercest criminals is a shake-up that will rattle everyone in the Dark Knight's life--from the young...
Batman. Vol. 6, Bride or burglar?
King, Tom
Paper Book
The path to the altar has never been so dangerous! Not long after Batman announces his engagement to Catwoman, he and Wonder Woman are called to honor an old commitment requiring them to fight for Earth in a distant, magical realm. But time flows strangely in this new land, and...
Batman. Vol. 7, The wedding
King, Tom
Paper Book
Batman and Catwoman are about to have the wedding of the century... or are they? For these star-crossed crime-fighters, nothing ever comes easy. As Bruce and Selina prepare to tie the knot, the time-traveling hero called Booster Gold crashes the party with a dangerous and deadly...
Batman. Vol. 8, Cold days
King, Tom
Paper Book
Author Tom King pens the next epic volume of his critically acclaimed, best-selling Batman series in Batman Vol. 8- Cold Days! Bruce Wayne has been selected for jury duty in a chilling court case involving Mr. Freeze! Freeze claims the charges should be dismissed...
Batman. Vol. 9, The tyrant wing
King, Tom
Paper Book
The Penguin claims Bane, the man who broke the Bat, is the one pulling the strings in Batman's life. But how could that be when Bane is safely locked away in Arkham Asylum--and a broken man himself? He's been in a padded room, in a nearly catatonic state, since his last encounter with the Bat.<...
Batman. Vol. 11, The fall and the fallen
King, Tom
Paper Book
Bruce and Thomas Wayne, THE BATMEN OF TWO WORLDS! Batman has uncovered the mastermind behind his recent (and not-so-recent) troubles- Bane. But Batman's closest allies refuse to believe Bane is active again, and even after battling the villain himself, puzzlingly, there's no...
Batman : City of Bane
King, Tom
Paper Book
The complete collection of Batman- City of Bane from Eisner Award winner Tom King and Mikel Janin! Batman faces his most personal and epic showdowns! The Caped Crusader had a sinking suspicion there was someone lurking in the shadows plotting against him. There has been an...
Batman. Vol. 1, Their dark designs
Tynion, James, IV
Paper Book
Beginning a whole new chapter in the life of the Dark Knight, the epic art team of Tony S. Daniel and Danny Miki are joined by new series writer James Tynion IV! It's a new day in Gotham City, but not the same old Batman. With Bane vanquished and one of his longtime allies gone,...
Batman. Vol. 2 The Joker War
Tynion, James, IV
Paper Book
This is it- the Clown Prince of Crime battles the Dark Knight Detective head-to-head for the last time. And one way or another, this will be the final chapter of their agelong conflict. The Clown Prince of Crime and the Dark Knight Detective go head-to-head for the last time. The...
Batman. Vol. 3, Ghost stories
Tynion, James, IV
Paper Book
A new day dawns in Gotham, and the horrors of "The Joker War" are just being realized. A bold new direction for Batman begins as Bruce Wayne's circumstances are forever changed. How did The Joker's rampage affect the citizens of the city? Bruce Wayne and the city he...
Batman. Vol. 4, The cowardly lot
Tynion, James, IV
Paper Book
Following the tragic events in the Infinite Frontier special, Batman and his new ally Ghost-Maker must reckon with a new gang operating in Gotham City. The bestselling creative team behind last year's epic "The Joker War" returns for a thrill-packed, dangerous story...
Batman. Vol. 5, Fear state
Tynion, James, IV
Paper Book
Gotham City is on the brink of martial law as Batman fights a two-front battle! The Scarecrow is unleashing a devasting attack on the city while the Magistrate have made their move to invade! The BATMAN- THE JOKER WAR creative team of James Tynion IV and Jorge...
Batman. Vol. 1, Failsafe
Zdarsky, Chip
Paper Book
Superstar writer Chip Zdarsky joins red-hot artist Jorge Jimenez to define a new era in Batman with their critically acclaimed and bestselling Failsafe arc! Batman has battled all manner of criminals, monsters, and super-villains, but nothing could have prepared him for what's...
Batman. Vol. 2, The Bat-Man of Gotham
Zdarsky, Chip
Paper Book
Gotham City has never been darker or deadlier. And after Failsafe, there is no Batman to save it. The mean streets of Gotham City have gotten meaner as the likes of Harvey Dent and Killer Croc roam free, brutalizing the population. Where is Batman and why hasn't he responded to...
I Am Batman, Vol. 1
Ridley, John.
Paper Book
The age of a new Dark Knight starts now! Spinning out of the events of The Next Batman- Second Son, Jace Fox thrusts himself into action when the Magistrate's crackdown on Alleytown begins! With his own Bat-Suit, Jace hits the streets to inspire and protect... ...
I Am Batman, Vol. 2 Welcome to New York
Ridley, John.
Paper Book
Jace Fox is moving from Gotham City to the Big Apple...is New York City ready for Batman? Batman's arrival in New York City went even more smoothly than Jace could have hoped. The mayor and law enforcement are trying to cooperate with their new Dark Knight in ways Gotham never...

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