Hey just picked up comics again since I was a kid. I used to read a lot of Marvel but now I'm starting with the DC Universe. I need help finding out comics with Batman's first encounters with any villains or their backstorys. Any info will help. Ive already read year one, hush, long halloween, dark victory, haunted knight, the man who laughs, LOTDK(shaman, prey, gothic, venom, snow), a few of the early golden age batman comics. Also I really didn't like four of a kind so if there are any alternate backstorys to the riddler or scarecrow I would love to read those instead. thanks guys.

@tguk911:

Batman confidential: Lovers and Madman a very good Joker origin story different for any before.

Not out yet but Penguin: Pain and Prejudice is an origin for penguin.

Batman year 2

as a first encounter with the reaper.

Batman Monsters

has some good stories highlighted by a first encounter with Clayface 2

Not batman but Lex Luthor: Man of steel is a great villain study I loved it and really do not like superman

thanks gonna check out lovers and madmen and monsters out

Conspicuous by its absence is definitely Knightfall, the debut of Bane. I'm not sure of an actual origin story of Scarecrow, as it seems to be addressed repeatedly at different intervals. The only other suggestion I have off the top of my head is the graphic novel, Joker.