Hi!

New(ish) to the forum, but I've been reading comics my whole life, and have always been a huge Bat-fan. I'm really enjoying the New 52 at the moment, but have been re-reading some older story-arcs too lately. In the past I've always avoided Grant Morrison's work on Batman, I could never get in to it, but I'd like to give it another try, especially as he wrote such an important chapter in the Batman saga.

I own the TPB's of The Black Glove and RIP, and would like to read the entire RIP/BFTC/Final Crisis arc from start to finish. Can anyone advise what books/issues I'd need to read pre-Black Glove and post-RIP to get the full story? Or indeed just point me in the direction of a reading list or something that would cover the whole thing?

Many thanks in advance, cheers!

You can find list of the comics that belong to the different storylines for example in the dc wikia. Here are links for. RIP/BFTC/Final Crisis

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Crisis

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Batman_R.I.P.

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_for_the_Cowl

Other relevant storylines are probably Return of Bruce Wayne and Batman: Reborn.

And to really get everything you have probably to read every Batfamily title that was published during this time (and is not on one of these lists) too.

Full breakdown here (midway down) Intro to Batman comics; Top 75 collected editions; modern era Release Order

DO NOT read The Return of Bruce Wayne. It's a waste of time, and will make you dislike an otherwise incredible run. My reading order advice :)

1- Batman: Birth of The Demon (make sure to get trade including Son of the Demon, Bride of the Demon and Birth of the Demon. It's not written by Grant Morrison, but you can't really appreciate the Al Ghul's without reading their history.)

2- Batman and Son

3- Batman RIP

4- Batman: Time and the Batman

*4.5 Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (*also not written by Morrison, but this is good for reading order, if you want to pick it up, eventually. Great story.)

5- Final Crisis

6- Battle for the Cowl (Vol. 1 and 2)

7- Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn

8- Batman and Robin: Batman Vs. Robin

9- Batman and Robin: Robin Must Die!

10- Batman: The Black Mirror

Feel free to ignore my suggestions, but I hope this was helpful! :) I found this is an order that allows you to fully appreciate what Morrison was trying to do, without having to do endure some of his lesser works.

You should at the "The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul" to the List, it is not completly written by Morrison but it is also a part of the Damian Story Line.

@aahz: yeah, that's a good one too :) I just didn't think it was necessarily essential/it has more mixed reviews