The Dark Knight Returns! After a hiatus following the end of theChristopher Nolan-helmed “Dark Knight Trilogy”, Bruce Wayne promises to return to the big screen portrayed by none other thanBen Affleck. Portraying an older, more battle-hardened Batman inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the all too mortal hero will come to blows with the Last Son of Krypton, Superman, in a knock down brawl that will take several cues from one of the stories on our list. In all the previous incarnations of the Caped Crusader, he’s been a mortal man holding up against the tide of villainy in the world, but Affleck will be bringing Bats into a world of superheroes which we’ve never seen him encounter in live action. If you’re looking to read the best of the best when it comes to comics of Gotham’s protector, see below a list of our picks for essential reading when it comes to the Dark Knight.
The Long Halloween
Arguably my favorite Batman story to date,The Long Halloweenhas it all. Not only does it bring into play nearly every single villain and supporting character to be found in Gotham City, it also brings out every aspect of what makes the Dark Knight so special. At its heart,The Long Halloweenis a detective story in that a killer is on the loose and claiming victims on each holiday of the year, hence the killer being granted the name “Holiday”. Batman is still early in his career and the story not only explores the Caped Crusader attempting to stop a gang war from ripping apart the streets, it explores the psychology of Batman appearing and giving way to “the freaks”, as the mobsters call them. Nolan’s filmThe Dark Knightdelved into this topic using the Joker and Two Face as prime examples, butLong Halloweentakes it one step further by adding over a dozen villains into its repertoire. Each issue of this miniseries is a different month/holiday with a new clue being revealed, a new victim’s life being taken, and a new super villain for Batman to wrestle with.
WriterJeph Loeb, now a top big wig within Marvel’s television department, and artistTim Salebring you an epic story that is essential Batman reading. The end of the story gives readers their “Holiday” but the anonymity of who the killer may be is actually somewhat left to interpretation, which makes you feel like the detective.The Long Halloweenis a massive undertaking which set the stage for many Batman stories moving forward, such as its own sequel entitled “Dark Victory” and Halloween had laid the groundwork for the epic “Hush” story-arc. This series is striking in both writing and artwork and is a definite must read for those looking to get a primer on all things Gotham beforeBatman v Supermandrops.
The Killing Joke
There are some top Batman stories that are simply staples and must be included on each of the lists, withThe Killing Jokebeing one of them. Written by legendary comic scribeAlan Mooreand illustrated byBrian Bolland,The Killing Jokeis the quintessential Joker story, exploring whatmaybe the Clown Prince of Crime’s origin story. I say “may be” as the Joker himself states that this is simply one recollection he remembers for how he came to be and he is not necessarily the most reliable of narrators. The story finds the Joker taking things one step further, crashing into Commissioner Gordon’s room, shooting his daughter Barbara (secretly Batgirl) through the spine, and kidnapping Jim to attempt to drive him to madness to prove that everyone can be like Joker if given the right “motivation”.
Throughout the story, we’re given flashbacks to the Joker’s origin as a failed standup comedian attempting to get by with his wife and unborn child. With bills piling up, the soon to be Joker agrees to let some crooks into his former place of employment, Axis Chemicals, under his guidance for some extra cash, only to discover that his wife and child died in a household mishap. Batman eventually intervenes and inadvertently creates his greatest foe by knocking him into the chemicals that create Joker. Eventually, the timeless enemies meet in the present and, after an epic fight, share a joke and an understanding before starting they dance all over again.The Killing Jokeis beautiful all the way around, and there’s evenan animated moviecoming down the pike this year with potentiallyMark Hamill’s swansong on the character. If you want a story that encapsulates the relationship between Batman and the Joker to a tee,Killing Jokeis for you.
Batman: The Black Mirror
With these “best of” lists, I want to make sure that readers get a good representation of both timeless stories and more modern takes of characters to reach a broad spectrum of what makes the comics tick.The Black Mirroris the most recent story on the list and it’s a masterful sprawling detective story that is a.) one step away from being a horror tale and b.) doesn’t even actually have Bruce Wayne as Batman! That’s right, at this point in the comics, Wayne was considered dead and his onetime sidekick Dick Grayson had taken over the cowl. WriterScott SnyderandartistsJockandFrancesco Francavillatell the story of Grayson attempting to solve a mystery involving an underground cult, a mutating virus, and Gotham City’s latest psychopath, Commissioner Gordon’s son!
The Black Mirroris a must-read to get a look into the modern mind set of Gotham City, as well as seeing Batman’s effect on the city at large, even if it’s not the Batman most readers are used to. As is the case with most of the stories on this list, this story asks its reader many questions that you may need some time to answer, such as “nature versus nurture” and “does evil truly exist”? It’s a deeply unsettling story that doesn’t wrap up on a happy note, but gives you a full understanding of Gotham City and its inhabitants.
The Dark Knight Returns
Well at this point, I would think that everyone reading has at least heard ofThe Dark Knight Returns. No story is more influential to what we know of Batman today thanFrank Miller’s look into the life of Bruce Wayne far into the future. WithThe Dark Knight Returns, the tone and pace of Gotham City and the Batman was chiseled in stone. Here, we see a Gotham City where the Batman no longer exists, with Bruce Wayne deciding to hang up the mask and live out his remaining days in retirement. His retirement, however, is short-lived with Gotham’s need for Batman being a never ending one, first being brought back to handle an unruly new gang dubbed “the Mutants”, then to fight his old enemy the Joker in what promised to be their final tete-a-tete. The story ends with the U.S. government attempting to put an end to Batman’s vigilantism through the use of the ultimate boy scout, none other than Superman.
If there’s one story thatBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceseemingly takes the most cues from, it’s this one. You can see that Batman’s “super armor” that he uses to combat the Man of Tomorrow is ripped straight from the pages of Frank Miller’s epic.The Dark Knight Returnsis timeless and captures the essence of Batman while setting the stage for all Batman stories taking place thereafter. There’s a reason thatThe Dark Knight Returnsalways makes these lists and will continue to moving down the line, it’s the story that sums up the triumph and tragedy of being Batman and how Bruce Wayne also died on the night his parents had.
Arkham Asylum
Not referring to the video games on this one (though those are a blast) rather I’m referring to the one shot comic book issue from writerGrant Morrisonand artistDave McKean.Arkham Asylumlooks at Batman and his villains through the eyes of psychology while also coming across as a sort of horrific fever dream. The entire proceeding is surreal and otherworldly, with story beats that sometimes seem beyond strange, but the story sticks with you and earns its title as one of the best Batman stories around.Arkham Asylumsees the inmates of the failed experiment take over and hold hostage everyone who works at the titular instituation. Batman is forced to give himself up to the Asylum’s inhabitants, running a dangerous gauntlet to hopefully put to bed the horrors that have arisen while also fighting the metaphorical ghosts of the sanitarium’s past.
What setsArkham Asylumapart from so many other stories isn’t just its staggering oddities, but rather its approach of putting Batman under the same microscope that his villains are under. Is there really a difference between Batman and the criminals he fights, or are they all just inmates of the Asylum with different afflictions? The originality found in these pages is staggering, especially with ideas such as the Joker having something of a “super personality” adopting to whatever time/environment the Clown Prince of Crime finds himself in. Morrison takes the approach that the Joker changes from a bank robbing jokester to homicidal psychopath in order to survive, essentially, and it’s fascinating stuff. Other neat story beats include attempting to “cure” Two Face by giving him objects to replace his coin with ever expanding options (which backfires by essentially making him unable to make any decisions) and individual pages of each Gotham villain’s journal displayed at the tail end. If you’re looking for something outside of the box,Arkham Asylumis for you.
Other Batman Stories to Read
-Death In The Family
-Gotham Central
-Death Of The Family
-Court of Owls
-Dark Victory
-Batman: Year One
-Batman: RIP
