The 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels

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Though the ending is known and the story feels a little old fashioned, A Death in the Family is still powerful decades later. This is how the second Robin met his end at the hand of the Joker.

Jason Todd was a jerk. Let's get that out there right now. Anyone who read stories with him dressed in red and yellow knows he was not a great Robin. But his death feels undeserved. It seems wrong, even though the ending to this story never changes. And maybe that's what makes it remain memorable, more than 20 years later. The image of a lifeless Robin cradled in Batman's arms still gives me goose bumps.

A year into his crime-fighting career, Batman has only faced mobsters, thugs, and a few crazies. Monster Men is Batman's first encounter with anything super-human. Hugo Strange is creating monstrous creatures, stronger than the Dark Knight and with a mindless thirst for blood. Now, Batman must adapt to a new kind of villain. This is the moment where Batman goes from street legend onto the path of superhero.

The best Batman books push the Caped Crusader to his limits. This story is about Bruce Wayne learning he has limits.

Dick Grayson and Jason Todd became Robin out of circumstance. They didn't really choose the role, it was chosen for them. Tim Drake is different. He takes an active role in becoming the third Robin. A Lonely Place of Dying isn't just an origin tale of Robin #3, it's the best response to the question: "Why does Batman need Robin?"

The answer, it turns out, isn't to keep Batman from the dark side or as some subconscious way of restoring Bruce Wayne's lost youth. When Batman has to consider the safety of a young sidekick, he's more likely to think things through. He'll take more precautions. He'll be safer. Robin, just by virtue of being at his side, keeps Batman alive a little longer. Now, if that doesn't make you want to read the only worthwhile Robin origin, you just don't like Batman stories.

If you haven't read Strange Apparitions, chances are you've never heard of Bruce Wayne's best love interest, Silver St. Cloud. She's smart enough to deduce Batman's true identity and strong enough to break the Batman's heart. And that's just part of the mix in this great tale from the late '70s featuring underappreciated lunatic Hugo Strange (back from the dead) and the Joker (creating more dead). Plus, as a bonus, you get to see Hugo Strange dressed as Batman.

Batman: Year One gets a little too much credit for "reinventing Batman." The truth is that there were great Batman stories before Year One. This is the best you'll find from the pre-Year One era that's been collected in a TPB. And it serves as a worthwhile introduction to Hugo Strange.

Where did Bruce Wayne go to school? We know about Wayne's training to become the Batman, but in Gothic, we get a glimpse into Bruce Wayne's life before his parents were murdered. This ties into a series of grisly murders in Batman's early days in the cape and cowl.

Gothic is a detective story, a horror story, and a thriller that teams Morrison with the great Klaus Janson. Religion and Batman aren't married in comics as often as they should be. Morrison plays it perfectly. For those a little worried about a "Morrison head-trip," relax. Nothing in these pages will damage your brain… too much.

[Editor’s Note: For the purposes of this list, Knightfall is referring to all three parts of the “KnightSaga” -- Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightEnd. Yes, we are including three graphic novels in one entry. Give us a break on this one!]

Knightfall is an example of a story that overcomes the shortcomings of its art and writing, which were flawed if only because of several change-ups over its publication. The story is so essential to Batman’s character that it was the main inspiration for The Dark Knight Rises movie, further expanding its popularity and cementing it as a classic.

In Knightfall, Bane breaks out all of Arkham Asylum’s criminals to exhaust Batman, and then once he’s worn out, he breaks his back over his knee. Ouch. What follows next is why the story made this list. Batman hands over the mantle to Jean-Paul Valley aka Azreal, who soon loses his mind and starts killing criminals. Batman must train and rebuild himself from the ground up with help from Lady Shiva, and then he returns to Gotham to reclaim his mantle from Azreal.

The story shows why Bruce Wayne’s morality makes him the ideal Batman. He is uniquely suited to be the kind of hero that Gotham needs, which is made plain by juxtaposing him with the murderous Azreal.

Two stories solidified the notion that Batman can kick anyone's ass. The first was Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, where Batman outwits and outduels Superman, the other is Mark Waid's excellent JLA story, Tower of Babel.

Batman, we discover, has a plan for everything. That includes what to do if any of his allies in the Justice League go rogue. He's prepared to take down any of his friends when necessary. And when an enemy unlocks those secret plans and uses them against the JLA, we get to see Batman's obsessive planning come to fruition.

Here's a novel concept: Take the best writers and artists in comics, give them only a handful of pages to work with, and ask them to create complete and compelling stories about the Dark Knight. The result is the fascinating, varied, and sometimes hilarious Batman: Black & White. If Batman's legend were a diamond, this book would show you every facet.

Some of the stories in B&W are larks, some are very serious. Each shows a slightly different side of the Batman. My personal favorite is the Neil Gaiman/Simon Bisley romp "A Black & White World" which imagines Joker and Batman as actors playing out parts within the pages of a comic book.

Grant Morrison’s Batman epic has come to a close, and we feel strongly that the material collected in Batman and Son best encapsulates his best and most lasting addition to the Batman mythos: Damian Wayne. He is the lovechild of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul, genetically engineered to be perfect and trained by the League of Assassins to one day replace his father. He treats Alfred like an indentured servant, kills crooks instead of arresting them, and wants to kill Tim Drake to take his place as Robin.

Who knew that one of Batman’s greatest challenges would be attempting to raise a spoiled, violent child he didn’t even know existed? It would be a silly PG-rated movie if it weren’t so darkly told by Grant Morrison. Damian makes an excellent source of antagonism throughout the story, but in dealing with his son’s extreme behavior, Batman shows a personal side to him rarely glimpsed while also reinforcing Batman’s code of ethics.

Set in the Victorian era, the origin of Batman hasn't changed much in Gotham By Gaslight. Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered, he travelled abroad to train so that he could return to Gotham as its protector. Only catch is that while Bruce was in London, a madman was on the loose cutting up prostitutes. And when Bruce returns home to Gotham, the murders follow him. If you're going to suspect someone of slashing up ladies with a scalpel, why not the eccentric son of a doctor? After all, can Bruce Wayne explain his nocturnal habits?

Gotham By Gaslight is a tightly woven mystery that never tries to do too much. Sometimes Elseworlds tales throw in every bit of Batman lore and the Cray computers to boot. Wisely, Augustyn sticks to what makes sense for the story and pulls off one of the better tales in Batman's long history.

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