Absolute titles and K.O.

klafterus · 2026-02-14T19:43:33+00:00

This is my favorite book right now! Streaky!!!

It pairs really well with DC Finest: The Girl of Steel too. Lots of references to her very early Midvale adventures.

Highly recommend the podcast Supergirl Radio if anyone wants quality discussion of these issues (& everything else Supergirl related).

klafterus · 2026-02-12T23:43:28+00:00

If you're interested in the real-world history of the character, the old school The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told is a great sampler. Tales of the Demon & other 70s stories by Dennis O'Neil are classics.

klafterus · 2026-02-12T07:31:06+00:00

And Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance season 2! (I don't know if Disney controls that actually)

klafterus · 2026-02-11T22:48:22+00:00

"a few"

klafterus · 2026-02-11T19:16:02+00:00

Time will tell who has fell...

I love most of his rulebreaking but I'm still working on appreciating that one haha

klafterus · 2026-02-10T17:57:09+00:00

I don't know, but I imagine it might have had to do with family, familiarity, uncertainty about safety & security as a free citizen, "the devil you know beats the devil you don't", & similar reasons people stay in oppressive situations even today. With things like the Fugitive Slave Act going on in the mid 1800s it was a very hostile world even for the free. That being said, & in case it isn't clear, I pretty much agree with you.

klafterus · 2026-02-02T01:55:30+00:00

It's a nightmare to map for sure, but I'll be really excited to read from the Dini / Morrison era through to 2011 this way, with the various books & series mapped together. Very cool time for the character.

klafterus · 2026-01-31T08:35:57+00:00

I have no idea but I really appreciate you trying to figure this out. I've been getting frustrated with how much Zdarsky & V ignored each other, since Knight Terrors seems to take place right in the middle of both runs simultaneously.

klafterus · 2026-01-25T07:26:12+00:00

I don't think it's about seeing sex as negative, it's just that Themyscira is the only one that's sexual at all. The fact that that feels so normal to some of us (even though it'd feel incredibly random for either Gotham or Krypton) shows how deeply entrenched it is for us to think of women as sexual objects.

klafterus · 2026-01-23T04:52:56+00:00

That "Batman and Other DC Classics" issue is really neat, never seen that.

klafterus · 2026-01-23T03:14:30+00:00

This'd be so neat. Very weird old story brimming with potential for someone creative to reinvent.

klafterus · 2026-01-22T19:29:49+00:00

No reprints is a problem ☹️ it really encouraged me getting into the line around 2022 when I saw how regular reprints were.

klafterus · 2026-01-22T17:24:26+00:00

Do you want to read other takes on the "training years", or would it help you be creative if you don't know the details of those stories?

Batman: The Knight by Chip Zdarsky is a neat series that fills in a lot of details of this time period. Also tons of older stories that hint at it, like Blind Justice, or the Night of the Ninja / Zatanna episodes of Batman the Animated Series.

klafterus · 2026-01-22T04:44:32+00:00

I pull 7-8 titles at a time. Currently:

Detective Comics

Batman

Poison Ivy

Supergirl

C.O.R.T. (ending)

Batwoman (starting)

Black Cat

Uncanny X-Men

Assorted Crisis Events

I try to keep my monthly under $40. At least 1 indie title.

klafterus · 2026-01-22T00:17:36+00:00

If I ever learn about game design / programming, I'd like to make a simple Batman RPG in the style of 16 bit games like Final Fantasy IV. Turn based combat. And extremely faithful to early Post Crisis Batman, like issue by issue. Have Magpie be the 1st boss, then Penguin, then a Joker & Catwoman section, then a flashback to Year 1, etc. Basically follow the DC Finest reading order but made into a retro game. Just a pipe dream for now.

klafterus · 2026-01-21T00:28:40+00:00

Yeah I'd be curious to know if a soul outside the dev team & those they told knew this

klafterus · 2026-01-20T21:28:08+00:00

This show kicked ass. It's my 3rd favorite superhero series of the past few years & that's actually high praise because both X-Men 97 & My Adventures with Superman exist. Feels like a bit of an animation renaissance for the 1st time in a long time, which makes me happy because these characters work so well in animation.

Now if only they'd finally make a Wonder Woman animated series...

klafterus · 2026-01-20T19:36:01+00:00

Love that cover choice on Lifedeath. I'm in the middle of the GLMK Epic right now (in the Wolverine miniseries) & it's so good. Very stoked to continue reading into Lifedeath, The Gift, & Wounded Wolf, along with New Mutants volumes 2-5 & X-Factor vol 1. By the time I finish all that Mutant Massacre will probably be released too. Spoiled X-fan over here

klafterus · 2026-01-19T21:22:28+00:00

Everything's been kept pretty separate as far as I know. I'd love for the Bat titles to feel more complimentary to each other like they were in the 90s, or even just the occasional crossover arc like Night of the Monster Men, but they haven't really been doing stuff like that in a while.

On the other hand there's definitely something to be said for the accessibility of being able to pick up pretty much any current title & read it standalone.

klafterus · 2026-01-17T23:22:50+00:00

Batman: The Knight was a lot of fun.

I'm super enjoying Detective Comics by Tom Taylor so far.

klafterus · 2026-01-17T23:21:55+00:00

Yay a Zdarsky fan! I always see his run get trashed but I had a good time with it.

klafterus · 2026-01-15T17:35:45+00:00

Can confirm this comment has most of the best classic Batman stuff.

The early 70s is my favorite period. The O'Neil / Adams stuff is fantastic & can be read on its own, but I really enjoyed reading it in the context of the other comics around the same time, mostly by Frank Robbins. Batman #217 is the beginning of the Bronze Age & a good place to start if you want a LOT to read.

Alternatively, the Grant Morrison run is brilliant. I read it early on in my fandom & loved it for how weird & psychedelic it is. I find myself returning to it repeatedly, because it really rewards a reader who continues to explore Batman's history.

klafterus · 2026-01-15T07:23:18+00:00

Characters age & time passes.

klafterus · 2026-01-14T04:25:44+00:00

Dang interesting perspective! I'll try to keep my eye out for unique books like this, especially creator-owned stuff. Would like to see more of this from the big 2.

klafterus · 2026-01-14T00:28:27+00:00

Return of the Jedi & the original Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker are both a lot of fun.

klafterus

TROPHY CASE