I guess since I didn’t read Joker War I think I’ll skip reading the infinite frontier book and slog through this story taking everything at face value
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True, if you never make it to the war you are in a way stopping it.
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I think I’m going to put down my thoughts on each issue as I read them:
I Am Batman #0
This is an…okay issue. I feel like for me the art is what ultimately brings this down a bit for me, which is odd because I’ve loved Travel Foreman’s art on previous books like Animal Man, but here it looks so…plain and uninteresting. There was a bit of this in the Second Son digital first series, but at least that had the excuse of being a weekly series. I do wonder how much of it is the coloring, though.
The set-up for Future State is kind of minimal, but it does put in some interesting stuff for Jace and his family. I honestly feel like that’s the stuff Ridley really wants to write about and he’s fitting stuff into Future State more out of obligation.
Catwoman #34
My immediate thought after reading this issue was “DAMN I need to read the rest of Ram V’s run on this book.” This is silly because after reading his previous work I should have recognized that by now. But hey, at least I know.
Similar to I Am Batman, the stuff leading directly into Fear State is minimal, but I guess it does give you a good idea at where everyone is before the event. While it felt like a climax to this whole arc, I think Ram gave just enough info where someone just picking up his run, like me, can figure out what’s going on quickly enough. Selina’s final battle with Father Valley was really well done and loved how it related to Selina as a character. And that Bat/Cat interaction was just…chef’s kiss.
Harley Quinn #6
This is a fun team up story – you get a lot of Harley and Ivy stories, but you don’t really get to see a lot of Harley and Selina stories, at least not without Ivy in tow. It was fun seeing Selina be sort of the straight man (even though she’s the complete opposite) in a team-up for once, dealing with Harley’s antics. The way that Harley was constantly fangirling/girlcrushing over Selina was also pretty funny.
I think it also did the best job of leading into Fear State of these issues. I mean, we actually get to see Scarecrow in this. I also really dug his interaction with Hugo Strange – it was a good way to transition from Harley’s previous arc to the next, and it’s fun to see considering those two characters’ past history (as in how Crane killed Hugo back in the day).
That said, I will say that while each book works well enough as set up for Fear State within their own books, reading each issue in order feels a bit jumbled up. Like, I Am Batman has this riot in Alleytown, so you would think that it would be mentioned in Catwoman or Harley Quinn at least in passing. Catwoman’s issue ends with her cop boy toy shot down to save Maggie’s life, something that should undoubtedly affect Selina, but there’s nothing about it in the immediate issue that also features Selina.
Of course, this is all set up for each book’s selective ties to the crossover, and I would imagine that it will feel more connected once we get to the event proper.
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Fear State didn’t interest me, so I passed on 99% of it.
However, I did read the Nightwing tie-in issues which, being that they’re by Tom Taylor and his Nightwing run is Heaven on Earth (and yes, you should listen to the Belinda Carlisle song of the same name as you read it) and therefore makes Nightwing the best Bat-book in all of the Infinite Frontier era thus far and by far, were solid. The interlocking covers were quite schway as well. 
SN: If anyone has an “I 
Miracle Molly” t-shirt (size XXL) available, I’ll take two, please.
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Wow everyone is deep in. I purchased Fear State Alpha the found out it was a cross over event. But now that it’s here I’m going to get into it.
@Razzzcat
Thanks for the check list
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Very interesting thoughts!
I Am Batman feels like a much lesser follow up to the Second Son miniseries, while also feeling like “just the next issue of Second Son”. It’s a weird half-new, half-old feeling, and unfortunately, doesn’t really satisfy me. And as for tying into Fear State…I think it’s really clear Ridley didn’t have a big interest in that actual story, and I think it’s kinda frustrating that huge, huge plot events for the storyline end up in this book, because it feels very inorganic to the story Ridley’s telling and frustratingly leaves plot threads hanging in the main series.
Catwoman - well, YES you should read Ram V’s run! It’s fantastic! I actually think that the Catwoman three issue Fear State arc is pretty crucial to what happens, though I’m not 100% sure where I’d put them if I were constructing a reading order.
Harley Quinn - I like what Phillips is doing with this series a lot, but I don’t really understand where it fits with Catwoman in the overall storyline.
I think there’s very much a need for a chronological order, since some of the books (Catwoman in particular) tell a small chunk of the story that fits between parts of the Batman storyline, while some others are sort of in an alternating pattern (Nightwing and the Batgirls backup in the Batman title).
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I have enjoyed Fear State, it is a natural follow up to Joker War, Bruce’s world view and methods of protecting the City failed during Joker War and his own money was used to fund it. As to Fear State while BM is still reeling he is being hit on several fronts, politically, taking his Allie’s away, hurting his effectiveness, and engaged in a pr war, which he can’t fight. I look forward to see the evolution of this arc.
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Does anyone have a recommended reading order of the full event? I’ve heard that DC’s recommended order is out place. Really looking forward to reading this! I’ve been working to get caught up on all the Bat-books lately.
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Trying to figure out the reading order of the event is definitely tricky! I feel like I need to lay all the issues out on the floor or something. 
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Welcome to DC Community!
Here is a reading order I have found, I will post the link below.
Batman Fear State Reading Order: Issue by Issue
This list is based on the checklist announced by DC and it will be updated weekly as the event progresses (DC announced “I Am Batman” as part of the event, but it’s not clear how for now, so I took the series out of the listing, may change later- and I also took out “Task Force Z” and “Arkham City,” these series are not connected to the event for now).
- Detective Comics #1043-1045 – This story is not coherent with the rest of the event. At one point, it is said that it takes place during Batman #113, but it makes more sense to read it before because it’s not really Fear State-related. You can skip it entirely.
- Catwoman #34
- Harley Quinn #6
- Harley Quinn 2021 Annual
- Harley Quinn #7
- Batman Secret Files: The Gardener #1
- Batman Secret Files: Miracle Molly #1 (origin story of Miracle Molly)
- Batman Fear State – Alpha #1
- Batman #112
- Batman: Urban Legends #8 – Batwoman’s story
- Batman Secret Files: Peacekeeper #1
- Batman #113
- Catwoman #35
- Nightwing #84
- Batman #114
- Batman #115
- Catwoman #36
- Nightwing #85
- Harley Quinn #8
- Batman #116
- Batman: Urban Legends #9 – Batwoman’s story
- Nightwing #86
- Catwoman #37
- Harley Quinn #9
- Batman #117
- Batman: Fear State: Omega #1
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I think that’s just a release order list. The Catwoman and Harley Quinn arcs run in sequence and should be read together - Catwoman first, and then Harley Quinn - but I don’t know where in the framework of the six Batman issues they go. The Nightwing issues alternate with the Batgirls backups in the last three Batman issues, but those six story chapters should be read in order as well, somewhere in the slots of the Batman issues.
Like I said, I think I’d need to lay all the issues on the floor or something. It’s a bit convoluted.
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I don’t know I can really use Heaven is a Place on Earth for Nightwing because I completely associate that song with San Junipero now.
I have liked Nightwing though much like his Son of Kal-El, I feel like the pacing of the book has been a little too lackadaisical and focused more on self-indulgent crossovers. I think it’s starting to pick up a little steam, though.
The interlocking covers are badass, though. I also reread “Cowardly Lot” before getting into Fear State and I do remember liking Miracle Molly there.
I have to imagine this was a weird period for John Ridley. I mean, he was hired on to write the Big Book – BATMAN – for 5G. He was given complete creative freedom to create his own new character to honor the legacy of the universe that spoke to his sensibilities as a creator. Then the next thing he knows, the guy who hired him was fired, the whole initiative was scrapped and repurposed as a tiny two-month event, and he’s asked to instead write a side book in the universe.
Thankfully, after Fear State I will say that his I Am Batman does get better and I think he found a way to make his story and character work in the regular DCU, but this arc I think definitely had some growing pains.
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Your welcome, Hi @lukemalone469.20166! 
Welcome! I’ve seen a lot on this topic, and several various recommendations, but this is the official checklist from DC, and one of those lists (there’s also the link @D4RK5TARZ provided). Hope that helps. 
I’m just going to finish reading it in release order, personally.
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They should have a DC Comic where Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are stealing a magical amulet of the goddess Artumis and Wonder Woman and also Supergirl find them and both try stopping them but because Artumis is angered by those who try to steal her necklace she uses her power and Poison Ivy switches bodies with Wonder Woman, and Supergirl switches bodies with Harley Quinn now they must trie to learn how to adapt to being in the bodies of Poison Ivy and also Harley Quinn and also remember thier own weaknesses thier bodies that Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are in to be able for to switch back and put Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy back in thier bodies and also for Wonder Woman and Supergirl to get thier own bodies back before 24 hours and thier necklace of Artumis powers of Artumis wears off and thier stuck being in the bodies of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn forever being chased by Batman and also Batgirl Barbara Gordon as well also to!
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Lol! Body swapping stories are the best.
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There was a body swapping story in the latest Sensational Wonder Woman Special. I think it came out last week?
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It did! And it reminded me so much of the ice cream comics DC did in 2019, which also featured Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman fighting magic jewel empowered (not quite body snatching, but close) villains!
But anyway - I’m not sure what prompted this excursion into very non-Fear State territory!
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@Jay_Kay I’m unaware of what the correlation between Heaven is a Place on Earth and San Junipero is (fill me in if you like, as I do know of Black Mirror), but Cool Points to @Razzzcat for posting one of Belinda Carlisle’s best songs.
slides bag o’ Cool Points down the table to RC
As for Taylor’s Nightwing, the crowning moment of it so far is when Babs and Dick got pizza (I forget which issue that happened in offhand, but it should be among those in our library).
Proof positive that in superhero comics, the best moments aren’t always bombastic action.
Rather, they can be the quiet, sweet moments between our favorite characters that remind us why we fell in love with them in the first place.
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Basically, the song is a key part to the episode, which is about two women falling in love with each other in the 1980s…sort of. Won’t say anything more other than that.
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