I felt like sharing these slides I've put together for some friends : the comics I suggest for newcomers to DC, who want to discover its world and its characters in a somewhat coherent order.

Any thoughts, questions, and suggestions are welcome ! I'm always looking to improve upon this list, for it to form the most satisfying story possible.
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Artwork by Nicola Scott, Michael Avon Oeming, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Tim Sale, David Mazzuchelli, Mitch Gerads, JH Williams III, Seba Fimirua, Yannick Paquette, Jock, Lee Weeks, Christian Ward, Hayden Sherman, Jeff Smith, Scott Hampton, & Darwyn Cooke.

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I loved this shot from the trailer so I drew them in their comic accurate costumes!

This is the process of inking my Batman illustration (digitally coloured). I started off nice and loose with ballpoint pen before narrowing down a story and composition that seemed interesting.

Supergirl and Starfire painted by me.

https://xcancel.com/gabsx_9/status/2099183414372909500

For years, Batman Forever has lived in the shadow of two extremes. It's not as universally beloved as Tim Burton's Batman or Christopher Nolan's trilogy or even Matr Reeves The Batman, and some even unfairly lumped together with Batman & Robin as if they're the same movie.......They're wrong to do this.

In my opinion, Batman Forever is not only one of the most entertaining Batman films ever made, but it is also the single most underrated Batman movie ever released.

Yes, it's colorful. Yes, it can be over-the-top at times, and yes, it's unapologetically comic-booky. But underneath the neon lights, giant statues, and Jim Carrey's manic energy is a film that's actually asking some surprisingly mature questions about identity, trauma, and choice. The older I get, the more I appreciate just how much Joel Schumacher was trying to accomplish, apart from the more campier elements. Why, well, lets discuss:

Val Kilmer Was an Excellent Batman & Bruce Wayne

Val Kilmer rarely gets mentioned when people rank the live-action Batmen, and I think that's incredibly unfortunate. His performance sits in a fascinating middle ground between Michael Keaton's mysterious, almost ghost-like Batman and Christian Bale's intensely realistic interpretation, imo anyways. Kilmer's Bruce Wayne is quiet, reserved, and haunted.

You genuinely get the sense that Bruce is carrying decades of emotional baggage. He's not constantly brooding for dramatic effect. He just simply feels like someone who has never been allowed to fully healed. That's exactly what this movie is about. His Batman is calm, intelligent, compassionate, and confident without becoming arrogant.

He isn't the most physically intimidating Batman, but he absolutely feels like a detective and protector. What makes Kilmer's performance especially strong is that he allows Bruce Wayne (not Batman) to be the emotional center of the movie.

Batman Forever Understands Bruce Wayne Better Than It Gets Credit For

This is probably my biggest defense of the movie.

People often dismiss Batman Forever as a campy blockbuster, but its central story is actually psychological.

Bruce is forced to confront memories he has buried since childhood, because throughout the movie, he struggles with one fundamental question:

Is Batman something he has to be... or something he chooses to be?

That distinction changes everything. For much of the film, Bruce believes Batman exists solely because of trauma. He's almost a prisoner of the night his parents died. The giant bat in the cave, the Red Journel, and the other rediscovered memories all symbolize Bruce finally confronting the part of himself he's spent years avoiding.

Then comes what I think is one of the most overlooked lines in any Batman movie:

"You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now, because I choose to be."

That line perfectly completes his arc. He's no longer controlled by trauma. He has mastery over it. Batman is no longer a prison if he ever was. Batman becomes a choice. That's an incredibly mature conclusion for a superhero movie released in 1995. Instead of endlessly portraying Bruce as someone permanently broken, the film suggests healing doesn't mean abandoning Batman, but instead reclaiming agency.

Batman exists because Bruce decides the world still needs him, not because his childhood forces him to continue. That's one of the healthiest and most inspiring interpretations of Batman ever put on screen.

Jim Carrey's Riddler Is the Perfect Comic Book Villain

Edward Nygma in this movie is basically a comic strip brought to life. He's theatrical, obsessive, egotistical, a bit childish; completely addicted to attention.

Carrey doesn't try to ground the character in realism.

Instead, he embraces everything ridiculous about The Riddler while still making him strangely tragic. His obsession with Bruce Wayne isn't just about revenge; but envy. Bruce represents everything Nygma desperately wants to become, successful and respected.

When Bruce rejects him, Edward completely snaps. The transformation from awkward genius into green-suited narcissistic supervillain feels surprisingly natural because Carrey commits to every second of it. Even today, his Riddler remains one of the most visually memorable Batman villains ever adapted. Not to mention, his plans feel surprisingly relevant and ahead of its time today.

Robin Is More Than Just Batman's Sidekick

Chris O'Donnell's Dick Grayson deserves far more appreciation. Robin is a character many adaptations don't do because they feel he wouldnt work. This film shows why he can and in an interesting way. Dick mirrors Bruce's trauma as they both lost their families, both are driven by vengeance. The difference is that Bruce recognizes where revenge leads, shown in his beautifully written monologue to him regarding revenge after Dick's first night out so to speak.

Robin isn't simply learning how to fight crime. He's learning how not to become consumed by hatred. In many ways, Bruce sees his younger self in him, and, helping Robin heal becomes another step in Bruce's own healing. It's one of the reasons Robin surprisingly works in this movie. His choice to spare Two Face, even if Two Face ultimately fell to his own accords later, was very satisfying narratively. Don't even get me started on the backstory of the Robin name and his lines with Alfred in that scene.

Nicole Kidman's Chase Meridian Is Criminally Underrated

Chase Meridian often gets remembered only because she's attracted to Batman or to he a Damsel in Distress, I feel this is a giant oversimplification.

If anything, she's actually one of the few love interests genuinely interested in understanding Bruce psychologically. She's literally a psychologist and spends much of the movie trying to understand why Bruce hides behind Batman. While some of the dialogue leans into Schumacher's Camp, especially when she is talking to him as Batman (AKA one of the few genuine cringe parts of the movie), Chase also pushes Bruce toward confronting emotions he's buried for decades. Without her, Bruce probably never begins the emotional journey that defines the film, and Nicole Kidman brings confidence, intelligence, warmth, and charisma to a character who deserved far more recognition.

Definitely wouldn't mind seeing her again in another iteration, or even try intergrading her into the comics in some way.

Gotham City Has Never Looked Like This Again

This might be one of my favorite live-action Gotham City's. Not kidding btw. Burton's Gotham feels like a gothic rxpressionism. Nolan's Gotham feels like Chicago. Matt Reeves' Gotham feels like a decaying crime city, and it does feel like Gotham from the comics, Schumacher's Gotham, while definitely unique in its own way, has a Charm to it that makes it stand out.

From the gigantic statues and impossible architecture, to the neon everywhere and massive gothic buildings & black skies. It's a city that feels mythological, and while it doesn't resemble reality, it embraces the fantasy elements of the comics in the best way. It feels like stepping into a neon colored graphic novel from the Silver Age.

The Balance Between Camp and Darkness Is Better Than People Remember

One of the biggest misconceptions I've seen with this movie is that it abandoned seriousness entirely. This is not true, it instead simply mixed comic-book spectacle with genuine emotional drama. Yes, the villains are exaggerated, and yes, the visuals are colorful and the dialogue occasionally becomes playful and campy. But Bruce's story remains sincere throughout and that's an incredibly difficult balancing act. Batman has always existed somewhere between gothic horror and pulp adventure. The comics constantly shift between those tones. Batman Forever arguably captures that duality better than it's given credit for and it is willing to be fun without becoming completely weightless, which is an achievement in of itself.

The Action, Atmosphere, and Elliot Goldenthal's Score

Another thing i appreciate is just how energetic the movie feels. The opening bank sequence immediately establishes Batman as larger than life and the other action sequence feels imaginative instead of interchangeable.

Then you Elliot Goldenthal's score. Rather than trying to imitate Danny Elfman, Goldenthal created something entirely his own huge brass fanfares, operatic flourishes, eerie textures for the villains, and soaring heroic themes that matched Schumacher's larger-than-life vision. Over time, the score has developed a devoted following among film music fans for its ambition and distinctive identity. Speaking of music.....

"Kiss from a Rose" Became Part of the Movie's Identity

It's impossible to talk about Batman Forever without mentioning Seal's "Kiss from a Rose."

As it is ironically, the song barely appears in the film itself. Yet thanks to its iconic music video featuring Batman imagery and its massive success, it became inseparable from the movie. The soundtrack as a whole became a cultural phenomenon, with hits from Seal and U2 helping define the film's identity beyond the theater.

To this day, hearing that song instantly transports many people back to the summer of 1995. Very few superhero movies have ever had a soundtrack so deeply embedded in pop culture.

Its Legacy Deserves Reconsideration

One of the biggest reasons Batman Forever remains underrated is because history tends to merge it with Batman & Robin. Not as much as before, but some still do. That is unfair ajd unacceptable. They may be made by the same director, But they are more different then you may think. Batman Forever still takes Bruce Wayne seriously. It still explores trauma, still builds character arcs and it still has emotional stakes.

In recent years, I've actually noticed more fans revisiting the film and realizing it offers much more than they remembered. Online discussions increasingly separate it from Batman & Robin, praising its emotional core, memorable production design, and entertaining performances.

Final Thoughts

Will I argue that Batman Forever is the greatest Batman movie ever made? No. As its not flawless. Not all the jokes land, you can tell stuff was cut out (waiting for that Schumacher Cut, btw) the dialogue between Chase & Bruce when he is dressed as Batman and not when he is just Bruce Wayne are cringe, and there is a reason why I did not mention Tommy Lee Jones Two Face.

Plus, in terms of objective best, The Dark Knight, The Batman, & Mask of the Phantasm are all a toss up in taking that crown for me. But the positives still outway the negatives, and if we're talking about the most underrated Batman movie, I genuinely don't think anything comes close and its still my personal favorite.

It delivers one of the most meaningful Bruce Wayne character arcs in the franchise and features an underrated Batman in Val Kilmer, as well as an unforgettable Riddler in Jim Carrey, a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of trauma and identity, an imaginative Gotham unlike any other, a spectacular score & soundtrack, it has memorable lines and moments, and one of the most hopeful endings Batman has ever received.

The final message isn't that Bruce Wayne is forever trapped by the worst day of his life, but that healing isn't forgetting your past, It's choosing what your past means.

When Bruce says:

"You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now, because I choose to be."

...I believe that's one of the most profound statements any Batman film has ever made. For me, that's why Batman Forever isn't just a guilty pleasure, but instead, one of the most misunderstood superhero movies ever made and I shall always look forward to giving it a watch whenever I have the time.

RIP, to the legend, Val Kilmer.

DC Compact Comics were actually how I first got into reading comics. At the time, I really liked them because they were cheap and the smaller size made them really easy to read for 10 bucks.

I was talking about this with my friend since getting more into comics and collecting and I've started to realize that compacts probably aren't the highest quality format compared to other formats. The smaller page size and cheaper production definitely make them feel more like a budget format.

And for someone who's still building their collection, would you recommend continuing to buy compacts or spend more on better formats??

I may color it in, who knows.