Fear State Reading Guide

Overview:

DC’s Fear State is a major Batman event published in 2021, primarily written by James Tynion IV, with notable art contributions from Jorge Jiménez. The story focuses on Gotham City descending into chaos as the Scarecrow initiates a city-wide psychological experiment. The story takes place after the events of Infinite Frontier and continues many of the plotlines established in Tynion’s Batman run.

Batman and his allies face off against the Scarecrow and the Magistrate, a militarized force led by Simon Saint, who seeks to impose authoritarian control over Gotham. As the fear gripping Gotham intensifies, tensions rise between the various factions in the city, including vigilantes and law enforcement. The storyline also features characters like Oracle (Barbara Gordon), Harley Quinn, and the Peacekeeper-01 as significant players.

Fear State was received with mixed to positive reviews. Critics praised the art, especially Jiménez’s dynamic action scenes and attention to detail, while opinions on the story were divided. Some fans enjoyed the complex portrayal of fear and control in Gotham, while others felt the storyline was a bit drawn out, particularly considering the build-up from prior issues. Overall, it remains a notable entry in modern Batman storytelling.

Best Way To Read:

Main Collection

• Batman: Fear State Saga
  • Collects: Batman #112-117; Batman Secret Files: The Gardener #1; Batman Secret Files: Peacekeeper #1; Batman Secret Files: Miracle Molly #1; Batman: Fear State: Alpha #1; Batman: Fear State: Omega #1

Alternate Collections

• Batman Vol. 5: Fear State
  • Collects: Batman (vol. 3) #112-117
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 2: Fear State
  • Collects: Detective Comics #1040-1045, Batman Secret Files: Huntress #1
• Nightwing Vol.2: Fear State
  • Collects: Nightwing (vol. 4) #84-88, Nightwing 2021 Annual
• Catwoman Vol. 6: Fear State
  • Collects: Catwoman (vol. 5) #34-38

For crossover and significant events, I typically only read the main story the first time I encounter it. Trying to read all of the tie-ins with the story tends to make them increasingly convoluted and are not crucial to the main narrative. However, I think they are important to read, as many series-shifting plotlines can happen.

For the tie-in issues, I only read them as they come up in the reading guide that I am working through. This can become problematic because the tie-in issues are not always included in collected editions of the event. So you may need to hunt for them.

Reading Order:

References:

• Wikipedia
• Comic Book Herald
• Comic Book Reading Orders

Feature image from Batman #107 cover art by Jorge Jimenez