Hello folks,
I am a huge Batman fan. I have collected many Batman items over the years, but I haven’t collected any Batman comics.
Question :
What is the best way to go about collecting Batman comics so that I can get the most comics in a relatively short period of time?
I realize there are many different series out there, so I guess that is also part of my question, which series do I begin with?
Thank you very much for all of your insight and opinions!
Short answer:
Start buying comic books.
But seriously, the first rule of collecting comics is understand that you will not make any money off of them, ever. Buy them to read, save them to reread, but don’t plan on keeping them for profit.
Batman currently has, I think, four “in-continuity” series devoted to him.
Batman – there is a new creative team of Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee which is starting soon (maybe even last week). This is a very big deal, as these are two pretty popular talents. They have a year-long run planned. I’d check it out.
Detective Comics – the original comic featuring Batman as of #27, it’s just published issue #775. It also is starting with a new writer, Ed Brubaker, who was until recently the scribe of “Batman.” I haven’t read a lot of Brubaker’s work, but a lot of folks like his stuff.
Batman: Gotham Knights – Also a new writer, Scott Beatty. I’ve heard a lot of good things about him, but also some folk think he’s a little boring.
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight – Ongoing arcs of a handful of issues each often by rotating creative teams, and usually exploring events of Batman’s past. I’ve only read a handful of issues, but I’d avoid this title until you know a little more about which writers you enjoy.
Also published are Robin (about the Boy Wonder), Nightwing (about Dick Grayson, the original Robin), Birds of Prey (about Oracle, who used to be Batgirl before the Joker put her in a wheelchair, and another heroine, Black Canary), Batgirl (about the current Batgirl, a near-mute girl trained as an assassin), Harley Quinn (about the former Joker sidekick), Catwoman (about the Batman foil and anti-heroine), and the upcoming Gotham Central (about the officers of the Gotham City Police Dept.). Of those, Batgirl is fantastic and Gotham Central looks good. Many of the other books are also undergoing creative team changes in the next month or three. There are also occasional special Batman projects, like the upcoming Batman: Family miniseries.
For more information about comics, check www.newsarama.com which covers the whole industry, not just superheroes.
–Cliffy
Actually, Cliffy, I think your #1 is starting next month (at least I hope so, because I intend on getting it.)
Also: Conventions. You can pick up plenty of new and old stuff being sold by other collectors as well as stores and industry folks themselves.
Clearly, Cliffy knows his stuff re: Batman titles; I won’t even try to go there.
What I will comment on, 172pilot, is the commend I quoted from you above. It depends on what you are trying to collect and how much money you have to spend and potentially waste. I strongly recommend that you go slowly, buy a few things and figure out what you like - this takes time.
If you are only buying new comics, then pick a few titles and buy them every month. There you have it.
If you want to buy collectible issues - Dark Knight or something - then you want to learn more about what is considered collectible, what specific “points” to look for (things that distinguish a collectible issue from a less-collectible issue), how to gauge condition (condition is everything in collecting), stuff like that.
Take you time and consider what you spend on collecting a tuition for the education you get about the item you love to collect.
And collect only what you love - that’s all that matters…
Another suggestion from another recent Batman comic convert:
Trade Paperbacks
If you’re not in it for the money (which you’d better not be), you can get the collected storylines for cheaper by buying them in trades. Especially good for the “world-altering” stuff you may have missed. (Crisis, Knightfall, Officer Down, Killing Joke, No Man’s Land…)
Oops, forgot to mention that my current fave is Gotham Knights. I think Batman is most interesting when forced to play off of his “family”. Gonna miss Devin Grayson’s writing, but I’m following her to Nightwing.
BTW, if you’re starting RIGHT NOW, you’re gonna be in for a bit of a “huh?” unless you pick up the Bruce Wayne: Murderer and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive trade paperbacks.
I used to collect back in the 80s and was a Huge Bat fan. I bought up a few issues from the 70s and 60s but their value is only slightly better than what I paid for them. Collecting for me was about reading the stories not the value of the comics.
I stoped collecting just before the Crisis. My knowledge of the DC Universe is definitely Pre Crisis with a smidgen of Post Crisis Story lines (Death of Superman Knight Fall and a few odds and sods)
If there is something coming out as a collectors edition and you want to make cash forget it. If you you really want to make dough collecting things find the most obscure crappy items that get broken or tossed out and hold them for 20 years. You’ll have a better chance at making a profit than you would in comics, trading cards or any of the other collectable markets.
I have to agree with gonzoron.
Trade paperbacks are a good way to go. They are also available online at discount prices.
Finally, go to the local comics specialty store, & ask about their dicount buyers’ club. Sign up to buy a certain # of comics per month by title, & you get a discount. 10% to 20%, in most cases.
Most stores have em.
Thank you everyone for your replies. Thank you, Cliffy for the specifics regarding the Batman line.
I just want to make it known that I am not going into this for profit. I want to collect this stuff because I like collecting Batman-related stuff.
Isn’t David Arquette auctioning off his collection? Including the Batman and Superman debut issues. A good place to start a collection is at the very beginning, right? 
Brian
Don’t forget to look into the DC Archives series. They’re pricey ($40 and up), but they have the original bat-books fully restored. The first Batman Archives is particularly important, as you get the first issue of Detective, the first Robin story, the first Hugo Strange, and an early Joker story.
…and magical elves. But anyway…
Another suggestion:
Go to eBay. You’ll find lots of comics being auctioned there, both individual issues and collections. You can often pick up back issues for well below their ostensible price guide value.
(Careful, though. Bidding on eBay can be weirdly addictive. Which gets not-so-weirdly expensive.)
/Ed McMahon/
You are incorrect sir!
/Ed McMahon/
That would be Nicolas Cage who is auctioning off his comic book collection. David Arquette is too busy banging the socks off of Courtney Cox.
And I’m using my 1000th post to say what I should have said in my original post in this thread. Now I must go and:smack: myself about the head and shoulders with a wet haddock for once again forgetting to hit the preview button and hitting the submit button instead.
Oh well, it’s not like I was going to make any grand awe-inspiring world changing statement or reveal any deep hideous truths and secrets with my 1000th post.
Huh? Batman…oh yeah.
I think TP’s are the way to go, and there are quite a few out on ol’ Pointy ears and his comerades.
You do have to be careful 'cause you can find yourself like I did spending $128 on TP’s in 2 different comic book shops in the space of about 15 minutes.
I agree with ResIpsaLoquitor about the Archive editions but I’m a bit pissed at DC for not issuing the damn things in TP form. trust me, if they did that I’d gladly fork over $20 for each and every volume.
Tacking onto WSLer’s comments…
You might want to look into the “Batman in the Fifties”, “Sixties,” and “Seventies” paperbacks. They’re nice collections and samplings of classic Batman stories from each of those decades. The stories aren’t necessarily historic, but they do provide a good sampling of the famous Batman artists and writers of those eras.
David Arquette, Nick Cage, it is somone famous who recently got married. Thanks for the correction.
Brian
I’m sure NC is just having quiet dinner conversation with his wife…
Over on the DC message boards we have this conversation with some frequency, and a thorough analysis of the numbers indicates that if they did this, the Archive program would very soon disappear altogether, as it is only the high prices DC can charge for a premium product that justifies the restoration costs given the moderately low sales volume.
–Cliffy
Aside form the Batman Trade paperbacks, for a Batfan, I would also recommend taking a look at the JLA series. There are currently 8 or 9 out there, written by Grant Morrison and/or Mark Waid. These books have some of the cooler Bataction, as well as his interaction with the rest of the Justice League.
It’s good stuff, and I have them all.
I was going to suggest going to funky comic book stores, digging into the Batman boxes and simply browsing and buying back issues. Lots of cheap gems in the bin. Dramatic old covers, etc. and a great way to get an old-school education in Batman comics.
Hey - If you’re going for quantity, and it sounds like you are, get in there and pick out as many cool-looking Batman comics as you can afford. Who cares about which titles? Enjoy them in their original, stinky, pulpy, ad-cluttered form (Sea Monkeys! X-Ray Specs! Sand kicked in skinny guy’s face!)
Make that Comic Book Guy’s day by kicking down a few shekels … Don’t go to Borders and buy some fat “collected works” reprint from last February! (I’m just sayin’…)
Graphic novels are good: the first Dark Knight is definitely a must. The Cult is really good. Killing Joke is overrated, but you’ll be wanting it anyway.
My favorite Batman storyline? The Underworld Olympics, Gotham City '76.
172pilot,
Here’s a website you may want to check out: www.rasalghul.co.uk It’s a database of past Batman comic issues, fairly impressively put together.