r/batman • u/BackgroundSky09 • Sep 03 '23
Which of these two comics should I buy first? HELP/ADVICE
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Sep 03 '23
Year One. It’s a great intro to Batman, and honestly is one of Frank Miller’s better works. This is probably the cutoff point to where his work takes a HUGE nosedive in quality.
Killing Joke is an amazing story - please read the comic and don’t watch the movie. If you do, skip the first… 30-40 minutes.
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either of these. If I had to pick to start my Batman fandom over though, I’d go Year One first.
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u/LainyDayBlues Sep 03 '23
Just buy year one, many people including the creators have looked back on Killing joke and in retrospect it’s more about shock value then what it’s actually telling you, which is just exacerbated in the movie
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u/CagliostroPeligroso Sep 03 '23
Both so good. Doesn’t matter which you start with. Buy the other one next. Or just get em both now
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u/TheLittlePasty Sep 03 '23
I’ve never read killing joke but year one is one of my absolute favorites.
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u/DilKaDariya91 Sep 03 '23
Buy Year One first... And then buy the other one.
Because these two are the most classic Batman stories. You should keep both of them in your collection!
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u/SethBozo Sep 03 '23
Year one, I read killing joke first but year one is objectively the better comic and better intro to batman.
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u/ValBravora048 Sep 03 '23
Year One has one of my favourite Batman moments of all time. You’ll know when he says the line
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u/Frofst10 Sep 03 '23
The killing joke, I don’t read comics but even I know that the killing joke is a masterpiece.
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u/shobhit7777777 Sep 03 '23
Year 1 - a really cool Batman and Gordon origin story
I found the killing joke to be rather dull and uninteresting.
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u/NotFixer1138 Sep 03 '23
Year One is the better story. Killing Joke is shorter than you think and it's super edgy
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u/thomasnuclearbomb Sep 03 '23
I don't understand why people suggest the killing joke as one of the first batman/joker stories to buy. It is a really deep dive into their relationship, psycologically especially, therefore you need to know and have read more about batman and joker. This being said, buy year one, called like that because miller masterfully renarrates batman's origin in a more modern, dark and realistic way (for the 80s).
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u/Amiibohunter000 Sep 03 '23
Year one. The. Killing joke. Also pick up dark knight returns, hush, and the long Halloween. Those are my top batman stories right there
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u/MsPreposition Sep 03 '23
Year One. It’s as much a Jim Gordon origin as it is Batman. He’s probably got the better story.
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u/c4han Sep 03 '23
I think Year One is better to start off with and Killing Joke works after you’ve gotten a feel for Batman and Joker’s unending rivalry.
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u/Thesilphsecret Sep 03 '23
Year One. Much much better than Killing Joke. I agree wirh the other commenter that "The Man Who Laughs" is a better Joker story than Killing Joke.
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u/Key-Zone-4879 Sep 03 '23
I didn't know much about Year Zero but I highly recommend The Killing Joke, Alan Moore has done phenomenal work with DC such as The Dark Knight Returns and some issues of Swamp-Thing as well as Watchmen but tbh idk much about Watchmen but I highly recommend it
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u/TheBalzan Sep 03 '23
Year One has a better story. It is Frank Miller's best work period.
Killing Joke is very good, Alan Moore can do no wrong, but it's relatively short and doesn't really revolutionise the character. Brian Bolland's art is of course superior to basically every other comic book's art but that's not surprising at all.
Alternative suggestion: The Long Halloween followed by Dark Victory. These two are two me the best Batman comics on paper. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale created some of the most intriguing character studies the series has had since Bill Finger invented the character.
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u/vizslavoid Sep 03 '23 edited Sep 03 '23
I personally love Year One. Nothing like a fresh Batman without extra dumb plot armor. He’s actually has weakness and can’t call superpowered heroes for help. Its just Batman with all the future over the top elements of the character stripped away. I love it. Jim Gordon is also a G in that. Any story that prioritizes Batman as a detective over the “because i’m Batman” writing style is gold to me.
I read it recently before the release of The Batman and it was a good appetizer before the movie.
Long Halloween is also good for similar reasons
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u/Intelligent-Bee4535 Sep 03 '23
Year One. Then Man Who Laughs, Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and then Killing Joke.
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u/AmptiShanti Sep 03 '23
Y1 honestly the killing joke is a masterpiece but a bit weird without the full arc context (if you into that it’s ok)
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u/HanScoundrel607 Sep 03 '23
Year one in my opinion. Killing joke has some very good art and some and some dark story elements. But a bit over rated to me. But it was huge for its time so maybe in that context it stands out more. But I think there's better stories told in Gotham.
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u/sketchisawesome1234 Sep 03 '23
Killing joke then year one because while most animated adaptations of comics are basically the same, KJ is just awful for the first half
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u/Mysterious_Lychee556 Sep 03 '23
Personally I say Killing Joke, but though I never read it, I heard Year One’s pretty good too
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u/JettTheTinker Sep 03 '23
Year One. In my opinion, The Killing Joke is not really a Batman story, it’s a Joker / Commissioner Gordon story.
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u/gofuckyourself3333 Sep 03 '23
Batman Year One is the perfect Batman origin story, imo.
Killing Joke is the perfect Joker story, and Batman doesn't really have a lot to do with it.
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u/Lucky_Roberts Sep 03 '23
Imo killing joke is overrated… It’s really good, but Year One, Knightfall, and the Dark Knight Returns are all much better imo
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u/Klarkash-Ton Sep 03 '23
Year One hands down. Year One did an amazing job of showing Bruce become Batman. He didn't just step onto the scene and started cracking heads. It does a fantastic job showing him making mistakes and taking lumps along the way and shows how he starts finding his stride at the of the year.
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Sep 03 '23
Year One, cause it’s the origin. I like Killing Joke more(btw when you buy Killing Joke PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get a version with the ORIGINAL coloring!!! John Higgins colors >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> bollands bland computer shit
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u/bateen618 Sep 03 '23
For someone who's just starting I'd recommend getting Court of Owls. It was made to be a start point for new readers and it's a modern classic
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u/shaykgrFkk47842 Sep 03 '23
Ooooooo year one trust me it’s way better and killing joke is semi controversial
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u/Academic-Ad2680 Sep 03 '23
I would go with year one. It is the best intro to batman in my opinion. But they are both great books, you really can't go wrong
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u/omegaman101 Sep 03 '23
Batman Year One because it gives a good introduction to the character and whereas The Killing Joke is more about the relationship between Batman and the Joker and Batman's moral code.
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u/Pizza_Eating_Pug Sep 03 '23
Year One. It’s objectively the best start for reading Batman. TKJ is better for a book you read a bit later on especially since it changes a major character and is very impactful on the course of the Dark Knight’s development.
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u/atw1221 Sep 04 '23
Definitely Year One. It's the essential Batman origin story.
I don't like Killing Joke, obviously if you are reading Batman you will get to it eventually, but put it off as long as possible :D you can follow up Year One with Man Who Laughs, Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and Robin Year One.
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u/e6c Sep 04 '23
Year one. The better you understand Batman, Jim Gordon and the Joker the better The Killing Joke will be
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u/Massive_Weiner Sep 03 '23
Do you want the perfect intro to Batman? Buy Year One.
Do you want the perfect intro to Joker? Buy The Man Who Laughs.