Here are a list of "suggestions" in the best order I can think of so you can see the hidden messages in Grant Morrison's Batman story. Some books you may have to reread more then once, since they have a lot of depth and other clues in other books are needed to understand what is happening. Understanding Grant Morrison's Batman is not going to be easy if you want to reach those deeper levels.
This list is here to give a guideline.
The original story, a story where it all began.
Morrison weaves Batman history into his run. The more you know the better you are off.
Morrison weaves Batman history into his run. The more you know the better you are off.
I placed this at #4 because like Grant Morrison's Invisibles, the 4th Book works like an introduction to Magick. The Black Casebook is very important if you want to catch the subtle nods to Batman's history from The First Batman to Chief Man-of-Bats and possible nods that have not been written yet.
The Birth of Damien
Intro to Damien
The Ra's Al Ghul connection
The Black Glove organization.
The key book of R.I.P.
"Death" of Bruce.
Only the trades Grant Morrison wrote
Only the issues Grant Morrison wrote.
Reconting history. Grant Morrison is adding depth into the mythos by making more things canon.
The bottleneck between the arc where Bruce is gone to Batman Inc.
The new ongoing
Released a week before Batman Inc #3, this issues explored the "Oroboros". It is interesting that Batman Inc #3 as well would explore the same concept.
The first time Batman went all digital. Grant Morrison would homage this comic in issue #8 of Batman Inc.
Batman's ties to Japan, which Grant Morrison would later tie-into the first arc of Batman Inc.
All the Invisibles trades I highly recommend. The Invisibles is the Bible to Grant Morrison's Cryptic narration. If you can understand the Invisibles, you have a better chance of understanding his Batman.
Right after Grant Morrison wrote The Invisibles, he worked on New X-Men. In New X-Men he was applying the metaphysical lessons he taught in The Invisibles. What better place to talk about living in holograms then a series with the Danger Room? What better place to talk about evolution then the most popular steps in Evolution in comics?
This is book 2 of Morrison's run.
This is book 3 of Morrison's run.
This is book 4 of Morrison's run.
This is book 5 of Morrison's run.
This is book 6 of Morrison's run.
*Note: Morrison has a connection to the concept of Planet X. Planet X wouldbe connected to Batman issue #113 by name. Batman #113 is where The Batman of Zur-Eh-Arrh is introduced.
This is book 7 of Morrison's run.
Morrison's visual essay on the definition of the 4th dimension.
A page I created where I am slowly, but surely trying to give you all information into the Occult.
Another page I am working on where I try to explain Crowley's vision of Magick. This view of magic influences writers like Grant Morrison and Alan Moore. It is also a mode of thought I use to decipher those two writers.
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