Getting into comics ain’t easy. First of all, they’re hard to find. These things aren’t sold everywhere and anywhere like video games, novels, music, and movies. If you don’t want to download a comic onto your phone or laptop you’ve got to locate a comic shop. You might not have a comic shop in your town or you find a shop but are then confronted with a dozen different Batman books to choose from! They can’t all be good so which one do you take a chance on? You look at the issue number and you wonder what exactly you’ve missed– you don’t want to buy a book and find out it’s the 7th part of a 12 part story. So yeah, getting into comics can be a pain in the neck. Luckily, this September is Zero Month at DC comics and that means that anyone can hop aboard any Batman comic they like and not be lost. Every single Bat-comic is #0 and it’s going to tell you a tale that takes place in Batman’s past. Each of these books will be totally accessible to new readers and if you don’t have a local comic shop to visit, all of these books will be available online the exact same day at sites like Comixology.com.
I’ve put this little list together breaking down what sort of stories you could purchase if you decide to give comics a shot this month and I hope you do.
DETECTIVE COMICS #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 5
This Wednesday you can see how a young Bruce Wayne learned to wield the martial arts and witness how a major villain was first introduced into Bruce’s life. This is an extra-large issue that also comes with a unique back-up story as well.
BATMAN #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 12
Another extra-large issue, Batman #0 will be one of the most popular books this month because the creative team behind it has been cranking out some of the most entertaining Batman stories for a full year now. When you pick up Batman #0 you’ll get to see a Bruce Wayne who has just returned from his worldwide quest to become the Batman. This issue promises to reveal all the early steps Bruce took to build everything from the cave, to the Batmobile, to the costume, gadgets, and more!
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 26
So what do you think Batman’s first order of business was? Fighting the Joker? Bringing down the mob? Nope. Finding the man who murdered his parents. See how Batman tracked down Joe Chill! If you liked Detective Comics #0, then you’ll probably enjoy this one as well because it’s written by the same author.
BATMAN AND ROBIN #0
SEPTEMBER 12
New readers might not be familiar with the new Robin, Damian Wayne. This issue will show you who Damian is and introduce you to his mother, Talia Al Ghul.
BATGIRL #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 12
Did you know that Barbara Gordon was Batgirl again? You’ve probably heard the story of how she was shot by the Joker and paralyzed from the waist down but in issue #0 out September 12th, you’ll not only see her inspiring drive to recovery, but you’ll also go back to the beginning when she was only a teenager and see exactly how she became Batgirl in the first place! This is a fun series and this issue in particular is one of the most ambitious comics of Zero Month.
BIRDS OF PREY #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 19
If you like Batgirl then this is a good month for you. Birds of Prey #0 is about how she and Black Canary first met and later formed the team known as the Birds of Prey.
BATWOMAN #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 19
New readers will have heard of Batgirl, but did you know that there’s a Batwoman as well? Get to know her in this issue that reveals how Kate Kane became a masked vigilante. This is without a doubt the most visually impressive comic book you’ll find anywhere. Its artist has won countless awards and the book itself has won many awards for being such a strong supporter of the LGBT movement.
NIGHTWING #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 19
Fans of Dick Grayson assemble! The Nightwing series has been a great read for several months running now and this issue is going to show his journey from acrobat to superhero. You’ve seen Batman begin, now see Nightwing begin.
CATWOMAN #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 19
This issue has the worst cover of any of the #0 issues but don’t let that scare you off. This is the origin story of Selina Kyle and the first issue by a new creative team.
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 19
You have likely heard of Jason Todd, the Robin who was murdered by the Joker. Well, he’s back from the dead and this issue explains how he came back to the land of the living to become The Red Hood. If this is a storyline that interests you then I suggest renting the movie Under the Red Hood.
TEEN TITANS #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 26
Everyone has their favorite Robin and if yours is Tim Drake then you’ll want to check this issue out because it might just rewrite history and show us a Tim Drake that never was the Boy Wonder.
BATMAN, INCORPORATED #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 26
Maybe you’ve heard of how Batman started a global initiative to bring down a sinister organization called Leviathan and maybe you haven’t. Either way, this issue will explain what Batman, Incorporated is all about and introduce you to Batman’s top lieutenants. This book is written by one of the most celebrated authors in the business and there hasn’t been a bad issue yet!
BATWING #0
On sale SEPTEMBER 5
And lastly, if you like the idea of Batman Incorporated then you’ll want to read this book about one of Batman’s top soldiers, Batwing, the Batman of Africa.
So there you have it. You’re not going to get a better jumping-on point for Batman comics than right now. And if you want to know what stories happened over the past year, I suggest you go out and buy some of the New 52 volume 1 graphic novels that have come out recently. I have reviewed most of them here. And if you want to try out even more comic books, I listed quite a few of the best comics from last month as well as a rating of how new-reader friendly they all are. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of that article for even more suggestions from other enthusiastic readers.
And don’t forget to compete with your fellow Batman fans in the Batman-News NFL Pick ‘em (You choose who you think will win that week’s football games) and/or Eliminator (You choose one team each week that you think will win) groups at ESPN.com. The name of each game’s group is “Batman News”. It’s free to play, takes less than 5 minutes to make your picks, and it’s great for casual and die-hard football fans alike.
So who is going to take a chance on comics this month and what books are you most interested in?
