My friend is wanting to get into comics, so I made him a reading list to start him off. He's most interested in Batman, but also wants to develop a good understanding of how the DC Universe works. How did I do? :)

1-The Killing Joke

2-Year One

3-Knightfall

(Parts 1, 2, and 3)

4-Batman: The Long

Halloween

5-The Man Who Laughs

6-Flashpoint

7-Blackest Night

8-Superman: Red Son

9-Batman Vol 3: Death of

the Family

10- Batman: Hush

11- Arkham Asylum: A

Serious House on

Serious Earth

12- Crisis On Infinite Earths

13- Infinite Crisis

14- Batman: Birth of the

Demon (collected)

15- Batman and Son

(Newest Edition)

16- Batman: RIP (Newest

Edition)

17- Final Crisis

18-Batman: A Death In the

Family

19- Batman: A Lonely Place

of Dying

20-Whatever Happened to

the Caped Crusader?

21- Battle For the Cowl

Vol. I and II

22- Batman: Reborn

23- Batman: The Black

Mirror

24- Batman Vol. 1: The

Court of Owls

25- Batman Vol. 2: The City

of Owls

26- Batman: Dark Victory

27- Batman: Earth One*

28- Batman: Strange

Apparitions

29- Batman and The

Monster Men

30- Batman: The Cult

31- Batman: Venom

Disclaimer: any criticisms/comments are welcome, but yes, I left out TDKR intentionally.

Why leave out TDKR?

And I'd add the new 52 Batman and Robin series and remove earth one. He's not going to understand RIP completely without reading Morrison's other work. I would add "Time and the Batman" to help with that, which explains what happens after as well as a recap of final crisis which is also important to understanding that story.

@jayc1324: good call! lol, and I just don't like it (TDKR). Considering it's one of the most famous graphic novels of all time, I figured he'll pick it up if he wants to. It's elseworlds though, and imo, reading order is kind of irrelevant to it. As far as RIP is concerned, I read it and found that Morrison's Batman and Son was all the exposition I needed :P (although I had already read Robin Dies at Dawn...) Time and the Batman is also a great addition! Thanks for the response!

Please knock Batman: Hush off that list. It's good for beginners, but then again, it's one of the most contrived stories I've ever read, and it's just a stereotypical Jeph Loeb mystery story. Add Batman Annual #14 - The Eye of the Beholder, and I'll be your best friend forever.

I'd also add in comics such as Batman #251 - The Jokers Five-Way Revenge! and Penguin: Pain and Prejudice #1 - TPB, your friend will be set. Especially with thought provoking tales such as the Killing Joke, Pain & Prejudice, and Eye of the Beholder. If he'd like to see more origins of other villains, then go with this Secret Origins Special #1 - Featuring Gotham City's Vilest Villains!

And thank you for recognizing the great Steve Engleheart run especially with great tales such as Detective Comics #475 - The Laughing Fish!, Detective Comics #473 - The Malay Penguin!, Detective Comics #472 - I Am the Batman!, and Detective Comics #476 - The Sign of the Joker!

Needs more Face the Face.

@perchance2dream: Well to get a good understanding of the univers is not mixing stories like you did but order them chronologicaly or by arcs / super-arcs and separate pre-crisis, post-crisis and post-flasphoint (new52).

To understand well batman, it is missing a huge event that is No Man's Land.

To understant Batman and his relation with the JLA I would add Tower of Babel.

After Crisis on Infinit Earths you have the Legend arc, that introduces the new JLA and the Suicide Squad, as well as the new Darkseid.

To be more up to date Convergence should be on here too.

Here is a timeline you should look at : www.comicvine.com/profile/batshrine/blog/batman-tpb-complete-chronology/79247/