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Batman Graphic Novels |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,393
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Batman Graphic Novels
As a big fan of all the movies, I thought it was time I read the batman graphic novels to earn even more about this fantastic character. I'm not a comic book guy, so when my copy of Batman: Year One arrived I was surprised at the format. Don't get me wrong I expected all the illustrations but thought that most of the writing would be in blocks like a proper novel. Nevertheless i read for about an hour and am into the 2nd half and really enjoying it.
My question is has, or does anyone write longer proper novel versions of these stories? Reason I ask is because there is so much in Year One that could be expanded on, you could easily write a 500 page novel or a movie screenplay from it. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
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There are Batman novels but I'm not sure if any are canonical and I'm not clued up on their quality. A picture/illustration is worth a thousand words. The clue is in the name "graphic" novel...
And graphic novels/comic books are just as "proper" as a traditional novel.The three Batman graphic novels that I first read, in the late 80's, were Year One, which you already have, The Killing Joke and Dark Night Returns. Excellent stuff and well worth checking out. Just don't get bogged down in format issues. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
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my god im a massive Bat Freak fan...he is one of my idols.
The Animated Series got me into the Batman universe and i have never looked back...and with time i have grown to respect the adult nature of that show in particular looking at it from three different perspectives...as a child, as a teen and now as an adult...phenomenal show and well worth checking out! Also check out Mask Of The Phantasm (best film ever....well so close to being my fave film ever!) Subzero and Return Of The Joker: Batman Beyond. And over time i bought so many graphic novels....LOVED the No Mans Land Saga novels, love Hush, The Dark Knight Returns is sublime and so glad that Nolan incorporated elements into his films! The Killing Joke, Year One all brilliant! |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Sep 2006
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Finished year one. I really enjoyed but like I said going in I probably expected more text, it's also a lot shorter than I expected. Great story though and most of it is easy enough to follow, the only problem I had was the bit with the roman and his nephew. Like I said in the op I'm not a comic book guy so I didn't realise that was carmine falcone. Still though I did enjoy it. Some parts are easily recognisable in batman begins.
Just ordered the DVD animated film version (18 certificate ) and also the man who laughs and the long halloween.
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#5 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Batman Begins has references to Batman:Year One and very similar story to it
.Frank Miller is one of the best comic/graphic novel writers there is
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#6 |
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Join Date: May 2003
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If you enjoy Year One and want more, I'd recommend the following Batman titles in order.
Venom Sword of Azrael Knightfall Knightquest Knightsend That should keep you going for a while.
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#7 |
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I'm only echoing other people - but I can't recommend Batman:Year One, The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns enough...
...particularly TDKR - to my mind it's the best graphic novel ever produced. |
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#8 |
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The Long Halloween and Dark Victory are also "must reads".
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#9 |
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Join Date: Dec 2010
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i'll give you a quick list
batman in the 40's, 50's -80's - graphic novels that give you a brief overview of each decade in the batman comics with some of the best stories picked out batman neil adams - batmans best artist collected in three hardback graphic novels dark knight returns, the cult blind justice, gothic, venom the long halloween and dark victory i'd agree with knightfall on one of the lists above but find knightquest and knightsend not as good quality |
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#10 |
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Quote:
i'd agree with knightfall on one of the lists above but find knightquest and knightsend not as good quality
I suggested the Venom and Sword of Azreal, as they give you the background info you need to understand the Knightfall trilogy. |
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#11 |
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Just wanted to touch on the original poster's observation that graphic novels seemed much shorter than prose novels.
There are a number of reasons for this: A single page in a comic must be written, penciled, inked, coloured and lettered before it can be printed. This means that a single page in a comic takes much, much longer to produce than a single page in a prose novel. A good, skilled and efficient comic artist can draw around 22 pages a month, though recently the trend for more detailed/photo-realistic art means it can take longer. Nowadays you may often have a rotating team of artists working on a monthly title, just to keep it on schedule. This is more prevalent at Marvel than at DC. American comics are traditionally around 22 pages long and published monthly. Monthly comics can become very collectible after publication and are rarely reprinted. Key issues featuring first appearances or deaths can sell for hundreds and thousands, so collected volumes also known as trade paperbacks were introduced as a cheap way for new readers to catch up on older stories. These trade paperbacks tend to stay in print indefinitely and would rarely gain any 2nd hand value. A trade paperback collects anywhere from 4 - 10 issues, and would be released around 3-6 months after the original single volumes have been published in monthly format. Most of the so-called graphic-novels out there are actually these collected volumes/trade paperbacks. A graphic novel proper (ie a comic written and drawn specifically for publication as a longer stand-alone volume) can be as long or as short as the author(s) intends. However, a longer 500-page volume might take a writer/artist several years to produce. |
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#12 |
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Um, the obvious reason that there's less prose is because a comic only has the dialogue. Most novels (I say most) would be considerably smaller if you took out all the descriptions. Descriptions which are unnecessary because you can SEE the scene.
Also, comics are about as collectible as beanie babies these days and that market is unlikely to ever recover to what it was. Most of the 80s production of all comics everywhere is sitting in stacks, double-bagged and waiting for the next goldrush that aint gonna happen. |
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And graphic novels/comic books are just as "proper" as a traditional novel.
) and also the man who laughs and the long halloween.
.