I am new to the Batman graphic novela dn comic books but one caught my eye and I had a question about it
Its a graphic novel called Batman Life After Death. I had originally wanted it becuase someone said it had ties to Batman Under the Red Hood but I LOVE the artwork in it.

It's not what I thought. Dick grayson is Batman? Where is Bruce Wayne what happened to him?
(No I just browsed thhrough didn't want to buy it if its not what I want)
And who is Damien as Robin? I've heard different stories of Damien mostly through fanfiction so I don't know what is true the one I've heard mostly is that he is Bruce Wyne's biological son? (If thats true who is the mom?)

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Also can anyone recommend some great Batman Graphic novels (also a robin fan too). I like the ones like Under the Red Hood movie or ones that focus on robin a bit or Batman and Robins' relationship/partnership, can anyone recommend anything?

 

Batman had seemingly died during Final Crisis but got thrown through time by Darkseid's Omega Effect. Dick took over Bruce as Batman and Damien (Bruce's son with Talia Al Ghul) became Robin.

 

There are a lot of good Bat-comics during the period Bruce was presumed dead and Dick Grayson became Batman.

But if you want a story that REALLY ties into Under the Red Hood, check out Red Hood: The Lost Days (link), which is by the same writer as Under the Red Hood and shows Jason's entire journey back after being killed by the Joker, leading into the confrontation in Under the Red Hood.

 

thanks everyone
I'm not just looking for comics with dick grayson as batman (I actually prefer Bruce Wayne) but if anyone can recommend any good graphic novels with Btman and Robin preferalby fdark mayb emore emphasis on Robin

Southtown I will DEFINATELY be checking that one out thanks!

Is this one just the movie or also included in the one mentioned above?
http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Under-Hood-Judd-Winick/dp/1401231454/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

 

The best Batman graphic novel I ever read was "The Killing Joke", but I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for.

 

That is the original comic arc that the 'Under the Red Hood' movie was adapted from. It's a little more complicated than the movie version, but the story is pretty much the same.

The Red Hood: The Lost Days is a separate book that was done later and fills in some blanks and history with the characters. The writer, Winick, who wrote both of the books and the movie, has really made me a fan of the Jason character.

 

I'm thiking about getting the killing joke as I've heard a lot about it

I don't own Final Crisis is it worth getting?? Is it a Justice League or Batman story?
what about Battle fo rhte Cowl which I believe comes after final crisis

 

I never read the comic where Batman supposedly died but gameformer covered the saga. After he died, some of Batman's allies fought over who would be the next Batman in battle for the cowl. That's how I knew Dick Grayson won and became the new Batman.

 

Killing Joke is excellent, and probably the definitive Joker story. Get that for sure.

Final Crisis is a "Whole DCU" story, and a very polarizing one. I'm on the side that really liked it, but if you're a new reader, I'd recommend skipping it. You're just going to be confused. Battle for the Cowl is set after Batman's "death" in Final Crisis, and shows Dick Grayson becoming Batman and Damien becoming Robin. It's not phenomenal, but it's certainly not the worst comic ever written.

If you're looking for good "Bruce as Batman" stories, I'd recommend taking a look at Batman: The Court of Owls and Batman and Robin: Born to Kill (the latter of which has some good focus on Damian as Robin). Both are hardcovers that collect the first issues of their respective titles from when they were relaunched last year. They're very solid stories, and a good jumping-on point if you're interested in reading more.

I'd also second the recommendation of Grant Morrison's Batman run. Start with Batman and Son and Batman: The Black Glove. Those should give you a good sense of his writing style, and if you like those, you can move on from there.

 

thanks everyone and please keep the recommendations coming I have a guy that gets me 30% off the cover price

 

The Dark Knight is a good Batman story, too. It's like Knightfall except Bane gets beaten at the end. Batman and Son is part of the Black Glove deluxe edition hardcover. I know because I know it so just buy that instead of 2 graphic novels to save money.

 

There's also Batman: R.I.P. which has some great art, but the story I found a little overcomplicated. It ties into what happens before Final Crisis, and this has more than an insignificant impact on the Grant Morrisson "Batman and Robin" series after Grayson takes over the cowl.

 

If you're going to read Batman R.I.P., it is crucial that you read the aforementioned Batman and Son and Batman: The Black Glove first, as they contain all the major elements that you'll need to at least begin to comprehend it.

 

any good Bruce as Batman with Grayson as Robin stories??

 

Yes, the aforementioned Grant Morisson's "Batman and Robin" run, which has been collected into two (three?) volumes.

 

That isn't Bruce as Batman and Dick as Robin. You have to go back much, much further to read an in-continuity 'Dick as Robin' story.

Excepting a few isolated one-shot stories and the 'Robin: Year One' mini (or out-of-continuity stories), you pretty much have to go back to the 1980s to find Dick Grayson as Robin. 1984, to be specific. And even then, by that point, they didn't work together too often.

 

Oh man, I totally misread that last post...

Uh... there's some of the absolutely insane silver age stuff, but your mileage will vary on that. I think the Batman Adventures comics that tied into the Animated series had some good stories in them, maybe check out those?

You could also check out Frank Miller's All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, but unless the idea of Batman and Robin being utterly crazy appeals to you, might not be what you're looking for. Here's a taste of what I mean.

 

I figuered I would have to go back a while but I thoguht someone might know something, I don't know what it is I just don't really like Damien.

 

The problem was that Dick Grayson was Robin basically from the 40s onward. By the time the bronze age (and it's often delightfully ludicrous storytelling) ended in the mid 80s, while Batman comics had started to take a more serious tone more than a decade earlier, the "concept" of Robin was already seen as played out and campy, and that's around when he was transitioned into the Nightwing role. And then, at the same time, they transitioned Jason Todd into the new robin role, only to kill him a few years later and then put Tim Drake in the role a few years after that.

So unfortunately, much of the Grayson/Wayne stories are going to be outside of the normal continuity (side universes, elseworlds, etc.) or from that period during the 40s-80s, where there were plenty of good stories and concepts, but a lot of stuff in between that hasn't aged well. There was some good issues before the television show took off in the 60s drawn by Carmine Infantino, or maybe some of the comics after O'Neil and Adams revamped the character, but I don't think the focus was on the Robin/Batman dynamic much during those times.

You could check out the Batman: Chronicles series or the "Essential Batman" reprintings they did, maybe those would be something you'd enjoy.