Hey, so I recently decided to get into the Batman comics in the new 52. I was wondering if I needed to read any other books before starting these ones, or can I just dive into the batman comics and understand everything? Keep in mind I am somewhat new to the comic world.

Also, is Batman's origins explained in the new 52 lineup?

@andrewvii: Yes there are some books you should read. They aren't vital for understanding, but they will make reading batman better if you know a bit of his history. Unlike most other heroes, New 52 Batman has retained his stories that took place before the new 52, so you will benefit from reading some of the more important ones to understand everything. The three I'd recommend reading are The Killing Joke, Hush and A Death in the Family. Batman's new 52 origin is different than his pre-new 52 origin though and this is explained in his new 52 series. However, Batman's pre-new 52 origin, told in Year One, is one the best batman stories and if you want to understand the character better you should give that a try.

You can pick up a new 52 batman series and understand everything but if you really want to know some of his history and important events that happened to him and the bat family it would be good to read what I said above.

I would also recommend The Dark Knight Returns.

Skip the loser bat and read spiderman

Batman Year One

A Death in the Family

Batman Knightfall

The Killing Joke

Batman and Son

You need probaly to read the pre crisis Batman Inc. series to understand the post crisis series. If you want to read Batgirl you should read "Black Mirror". The rest is pretty much optional (ans is mostly covered in the new 52 origin storys).

Year One and Knight Fall are good stories, but they are not canon in new 52, Year One was replaced by Zero Year and Knight Fall didn't really happen (Ok Bane broke Batmans Back but since Jean Paul Valley didn't exist in the new 52 the story must be completely different from what happend in the old continuity). "A Death in the Family" also happend in a different way (Shila Haywood doesn't exist in the new 52) is not even a very good story, read it if you like Jason Todd but should also have look in Batman second chances and Under the Red Hood (or watch the movie).

"Batman Year One" is something which is highly recommended to read for new batman readers.

I'm aware they're not canon. I didn't suggest that list based on what was canon, as the OP would only need to read the New 52 in that case, nor did the OP ask for what's canon. I suggested it because he mentioned that he was new to comics, which then implies he's not that versed in Batman lore. Whether they're canon or not, each of those stories is essential to the character's history and will develop a platform that the OP can then use going forward and reasonably be expected to understand anything that happens.

Year One should be obvious.

Death in the Family is one of the most important Jason Todd stories to date and the same applies to The Killing Joke in terms of Barbara Gordon. Batman and Son then introduced Damian Wayne. Finally, Knightfall, is then just an amazing event, that anyone getting into Batman, at any point in the character's history, should read as it features Batman doing what he does best. I also was attempting to keep the list as brief as possible. Read all of those and you can go into the New 52 and be just fine.

Thank you all for the help. I will definitely be picking out some of these titles. However, I have yet another question; is there any other book(s) canon to the New 52 that describe the different Robins and and why the next Robin replaced them? Also, I assume that "Batman and Son" is canon to the new 52?

The new 52 origin of the different robins can be found in the #0 issue of each of their series (Dick Grayson in "Nightwing", Jason Todd "Red Hood and the Outlaws", Tim Drake "Teen Titans" and Damian Wayne "Batman and Robin"), and in a series called Secret Origins.

Batman and Son is mostly canon, but you should that this story just introduced Damian, it is not the story about him becoming Robin (that happened several story lines later).

@nathaniel_christopher:

But the question was what Books you have to read before starting with the new 52, and you don't have to read any of this books for this.

Death in Family is an important story but not a very good one, and the most important consequences are covered in Jasons new 52 origin story.

The Killing Joke is a good story, but it is more Joker story than a Barbara Gordon story, since Barbara is hardly in that comic (and her part is again covered in her origin storys). It had severe consequences for Barbara in the pre new 52, but since she is now Batgirl again and the Jokers got a new origin in Zero Year it is not essential any more.

lol the question was what books would any of us personally suggest he read, and that's the list I gave, again based off the fact that the OP isn't well versed in comic book, and presumably Batman and he also wondered if he could just "dive in and understand everything". If you read nothing before the New 52 and you're not a big comic book fan, you won't possibly understand everything. You won't even know who everyone is right away. The stories I suggested are easy to find and then serve the purpose of presenting Batman's original origin, whereas the new one isn't covered in the New 52 for quite a bit, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, and two extremely important Batman events, both of which show what the character is all about. Once more, creating a platform that a person can easily use to transition into the New 52.

So again, the list being canon or not is irrelevant.

You'd be better served just giving your suggestions and moving on, rather than attempting to critique mine.

@andrewvii You're welcome. As aahz said Batman and Son is canon to some extent, as is Knightfall, Death in the Family, Killing Joke, Under the Hood, and a few other stories/events, in that the main plot line from each happened, but the various little details either changed, haven't been revealed, or couldn't have possibly happened due to the new timeline.

@nathaniel_christopher:

no the question was

And Year One and Knight Fall are not needed to understand the new 52 Batman books.

And really needed to understand the new 52 is only the stuff that is connected to Damian Wayne and Batman Inc. since that is the only story line that survived the reboot (and is already hard to understand when you read it completely).

lol the question was what books would any of us personally suggest he read, and that's the list I gave, again based off the fact that the OP isn't well versed in comic book, and presumably Batman and he also wondered if he could just "dive in and understand everything".

That's a reworded version of the OP's question, so it doesn't change anything I said previously.

Also you forgot this bit

Keep in mind I am somewhat new to the comic world.

And no, seeing as every single member of the Bat family plays a part in the New 52, to understand it i'd say you need to understand who they are, and the works I reccommended again show that, though I do admit I forgot about Batman Inc, so i'd throw that in there as well. Beyond that, i've already explained why I suggested the list I did. If you don't agree that's one thing, but to argue over it like its a fact is somewhat silly.

Not really, so just jump right in.

@andrewvii: I'm late, but the real answer is none.

The new52 is a reboot. So you can start here.

But if you like Batman there are lots of pre-new52 stories that are awsome to read.