So i saw the monumental issue 1000 of detective comics on the dc universe this morning and was wondering which ones should i read? The original '37 series, the 2011 series, or the current rebirth 2016 series. I get they are all connected (wait are they?) but like one of the three has to be the best right? Also what are your favorite issues between the three here, obviously i cant read over 1000 issues, that would be ridiculous. So im also wondering which ones are 100% worth reading.
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Well, the thing is that the ‘37 series ran for a ridiculously long time and covered a lot of different eras of DC’s history, and the quality varied wildly between different writers’ runs. So don’t necessarily expect it to be one continuous story other than mostly involving Batman.
I haven’t really heard anything good about the 2011 series. My favorite runs (Denny O’Neil and Steve Englehart in the '70s, Chuck Dixon in the '90s, and Paul Dini in the '00s) are from the 1937 series, but the 2016 series has been decent as well, particularly the initial run by James Tynion IV.
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A couple runs that come to mind:
The aforementioned Paul Dini and James Tynion runs are great. The Batwoman run of the book by Greg Rucka is spectacular, as is Black Mirror, Scott Snyder’s first Batman story.
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okay thanks for the feedback!!!
Detective Comics
27 to 37 Killer Batman
38 Introduces Robin and a different tone
395 Secret of the Waiting Graves First ONeil Adams
400 Challenge of the Man-Bat,
439 Night of the Stalker
No dialogue
457 There Is No Hope in Crime Alley
471 to 476 Steve Engleheart and Marshall Rogers
500 To Kill a Legend
2016 Rebirth by Tynion
Non.Batman
1973, 437 to 443, Manhunter by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson
2009 854 to 860 Batwoman Elegy by Rucka and Williams
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I would go with the ‘37 series of Detective Comics. Just from the sheer number of issues in there, you’re bound to find SOMETHING you like in there. Personally when I’m diving through that series, I tend to stay within the late 60’s-early 80’s range, but that’s just me.
I will try to respond later when I have a chance to hunt down my favorite runs in all of the Detective Comics pieces.
My favorite run in Detective Comics is the short-lived Barr/Davis run from 1987, but I’m also partial to the Strange Apparitions arc by Englehart/Rogers and the Outsider arc that essentially began at the start of the New Look era with 'Tec #328 by Bill Finger and continued on intermittently until its conclusion in 'Tec 356 by Gardner Fox.
Oh, my goodness, thank you so much for linking Strange Apparitions! I’ve been wanting to read the Englehart run so badly, but it’s hard for me to figure it out.
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Okay, here we go!
Denny O’Neil - I’m not actually the biggest fan of his main Batman run, but his Detective Comics Annual #1 is a masterpiece.
As my profile pic attests, I’m a huge Stephanie Brown fan, so I would be amiss for not posting her first appearance in Dixon’s Detective Comics run. Other great issues from that run are 711 (which is a joke on the way the book plays out, too) and 726, a great little Joker story. (Stephanie Brown sidenote - she didn’t appear again in Detective Comics until she was Robin, in issue 796, and then again in Detective Comics 1000!)
Greg Rucka has two great runs on Detective, first the New Gotham collection leading into Bruce Wayne, Murderer (one of my first stories ever), and then his Batwoman run, including the little-known Cutter story arc. Don’t forget to check out the Rucka-written Question backup feature in this run!
Paul Dini’s run on Detective Comics, though sometimes only every other issue, is full of little gems and great art.
Scott Snyder’s Black Mirror run is unsurpassed by any of his later work.
Not the biggest fan of the n52 Detective Comics runs, but Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato did some very nice art for their run.
And, of course, I adore James Tynion’s run on the title in Rebirth.
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Batman The Heart of Hush Written By Paul Dini "Tec #846 -850, a Hush story I would say a real good competitor to Hush. One of my first Detective comics stories I read very good. Scott Snyder’s Black Mirror, my favorite Snyder Batman story hands down. And love Tynion’s Rebirth run.
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