The 15 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels

I have been fascinated with Batman's character and have read a substantial number of graphic novels and trade paperbacks over the years. This list should not be seen as the only 15 good Batman books around. In fact, this is just a starting point. I hope you'll debate this list, come up with your own and, ultimately, give some books you've never read a chance. None of this is scientific and if you agree with my top 15 books, then you have some seriously good taste.

15. Batman Adventures: Mad Love

Written by: Paul Dini
Art by: Bruce Timm

Most of the characters that appeared in Batman: The Animated Series were taken from Batman's long history in comic books. But one of the most popular, Harley Quinn, was created specifically for the show. So it was something of an event when Dini and Timm decided it was time to bring Harley off of the screen and into print for the first time. The result was Mad Love, which tells how an ambitious young psychiatrist falls in love with the Joker and turns to a life of crime. The story not only tells Harley's origin, but also covers her attempt to eliminate what she thinks is the one obstacle to a long and happy life with "Mistah J" by killing the Batman.

I have to admit that I prefer Harley in her original TV form to seeing her in the comics. The reason, quite simply, is that her bombastic personality and high energy persona can never come across to their fullest extent in a series of static images and word balloons. Does that mean that Mad Love is a failure? Not hardly. The essence of both Harley and the Joker are on full display here and Batman is the third leg of their not-quite-romantic triangle. Dini and Timm spent years on BTAS proving that they understand the Batman mythos as well as anyone and better than most and that knowledge is put to good use here with spot-on characterizations and a story that balances humor with tension, and never fails to entertain.

In addition to Mad Love, there are a number of other stories culled from the Batman Adventures comic. One highlight is Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas which shows Harvey Bullock undercover as a department store Santa Claus. It's a classic comedy that also spotlights the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl. The other standout is Two of a Kind. Two Face is cured of his deformity by a beautiful plastic surgeon and is released from Arkham. He plans to marry his doctor and live happily ever after but you just know it won't be that easy for him, but I won't give away any of the major plot developments from there. Suffice to say that it's a well done short story with plenty of pathos at the end.  

14. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight 

Written by: Brian Augustyn
Art by: Mike Mignola

Elseworlds have a habit of falling apart towards the end as the writer tries to jam epic events into the final few pages. Gotham by Gaslight does not suffer from this weakness. In fact, Gaslight is as taut and well-conceived a graphic novel as you can fine -- Elseworlds or otherwise.

Taking place in Victorian-era Gotham City, Gaslight imagines that Bruce Wayne has just returned from England, having studied abroad to prepare for his role as dark avenger. No sooner does the Batman appear than a rash of grisly slayings hit Gotham City. The murders are identical to those of England's own Jack the Ripper. The most likely suspect? Bruce Wayne, a man whose travels fit the timeline for the Ripper slayings in England and one who cannot account for his whereabouts at night. Quite simply, no other Elseworlds tale has managed such a brilliant concept nor executed it so perfectly.

13. Batman: Knightfall Part One - Broken Bat

Written by: Chuck Dixon & Doug Moench
Art by: Jim Aparo, Norm Breyfogle, Graham Nolan and Jim Balent

Knightfall, and the subsequent Knightquest and Knightsend story arcs it spawned marks the first truly *epic* storyline in the Batman comic book titles. This ground-breaking and pivotal series follows Batman as he battles all of Arkham Asylum's inmates, who have been released by the drug-enhanced killer named Bane. Part one culminates with the actual breaking of the Batman, while part two has Batman passing the mantle to his new protege Jean Paul Valley.

The biggest problem with Knightfall is that the actual story begins here, but there are countless back-issues of comics and collected editions that you'll need to pick up to understand how everything got to this point. Who is Bane and what does he have against Batman? Go find 'Vengeance of Bane'. Where'd Jean Paul Valley come from? Read 'Sword of Azreal'. What's the drug called venom? Pick up 'Batman: Venom.' Why's Batman so exhausted? There's no direct answer to that one, but it starts with the death of the second Robin in 'Batman: A Death in the Family'. When did Bane beat up Killer Croc and pump the Riddler with venom? There are two individual back-issues you'll need to read to answer those questions. Even chapter 1 of this book, where Bane destroys Arkham, is not technically a part of the Knightfall saga - Knightfall actually begins with the Mad Hatter story. While it's still possible to enjoy Knightfall without reading all this supplemental history, it's not quite as satisfying without it.
Still, fans of Batman definitely need to read Knightfall. One of the interesting things DC Comics did was give fans the false impression that the changes happening were *permanant*; Batman would really be replaced for the rest of the series. It's interesting to read through this volume from that perspective - is this arc really worthy of being Batman's final adventure? Each chapter follows Batman as he recaptures an inmate, with occasional subplots to keep things interesting (Scarecrow and Joker take the mayor hostage). The writing is excellent, and so is the art (with a few chapters being done by Jim Aparo). Finally, if you haven't ever seen the actual panel where Batman is broken - stop reading. Get up. Buy this book now. Just go.

12. Batman: Tales of the Demon

Written by: Dennis O'Neil
Art by: Bob Brown, Neal Adams, Irv Novick, Michael Golden and Don Newton.

"Tales of the Demon" highlights the issues of the comic in which the infamous villain, Ras Al Ghul, was introduced. Ras Al Ghul is one of the best Batman villains out there. He knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman, he is the leader of powerful assassin groups, and he can be revived from death or serious injury by using his "Lazarus Pit," implying that he may outlive Batman. However, Ras would actually like Batman to replace him and take his beautiful daughter Talia as his wife. So the relationship between the two is very complex.

Batman realizes that in terms of strategy, power, and longevity, Ras may be his greatest challenge. Threatening worldwide destruction, Ras is a villain whose scope of tyranny oustretches even the Joker's. Batman desperately seeks to bring Ras to justice. Not even his affection for Talia can deter him from this single goal. The stories depict two men who conceive justice in extremely different ways. This book chronicles the personal war that wages on between two men who are strikingly similar and yet worlds apart. If you want to read the history of one of the greatest Batman villains, this is for you.

11. Batman: The Cult

Written by: Jim Starlin
Art by: Bernie Wrightson

One of the most overlooked Batman tales is also one of the best. It begins with the Batman in dire straits, held captive beneath Gotham by a group of zealots. Their leader, the charismatic Deacon Blackfire is determined to break Batman's will and brainwash him to becoming a devoted follower. It works. It's shocking, jarring and incredible. The Batman's will is destroyed and even after his escape, the Dark Knight remains on shaky ground.

Outside of A Death in the Family, this is the only trade paperback to feature Jason Todd as Robin (and a likable one at that). He assists Batman in trying to reclaim his own will, but it's not an easy path. The Cult feels (and even looks) a lot like The Dark Knight Returns, but this is no futuristic tale or flight of fancy. This is real and the story is told with callous brutality that makes it all the more powerful.

10. Batman: A Death in the Family

Written by: Jim Starlin
Art by: Jim Aparo

The basic story is after Bruce grounds Jason from active duty as Robin, Jason comes across his birth certificate indicating that his mother who he thought to be dead was in fact not his real mother and that she may still be out there. After some detective work he narrows it down to three women and goes off in search of her. Meanwhile The Joker is up to no good selling a nuke to terrorists in the middle east and Batman is on his trail. By a huge coincidence Bruce and Jason run into each other and end up helping each other with their missions.

Other than the unlikeliness of their journeys intersecting, the rest of the rest of the story plays out rather well with a few surprises as in addition to some good action and dialog. Starlin manages to make Jason's last moments meaningful and character defining. Jim Aparo's artwork is also pitch perfect and works really well in telling the story.

Although the story is not quite as epic as I had expected, it must have been mind blowing when it was first printed. The fact that leading up to his death you never see it coming would have been the best reading experience. It seems like just a simple story of Jason trying to dig deeper into his past and Joker up to his old tricks and then they hit you with a ton of bricks out of nowhere. I'd say that is a pretty hard thing to pull off well and that is why this story sets the stage for the rest of Batman's career.

9. Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying

Written by: Marv Wolfman
Art by: George Perez

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (originally a five-part crossover series in Batman 440-442 and The New Titans 60-61) is a pretty darn important story in the life of Batman. The death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, is still pretty recent, and time is not healing the wounds of that loss - Batman is still going about his business in a reckless manner, letting his fists do all of the thinking and talking. Dick Grayson, the original Robin now going by the name Nightwing, has left his leadership position in The Teen Titans as he continues to try and get Batman to put his head on straight once again. It really doesn't help matters when Two-Face turns up once again; the voice in his radio and the flip of his coin have told him to kill Batman for good. It's just a matter of luring the caped crusader into a trap. Someone else, though, is stalking both Batman and Nightwing - someone who seems to know all of their closely guarded secrets.

A truly impressive series of dots are connected in this storyline. You have Dick Grayson visiting the circus he grew up in just as it is about to be shut down - largely because of some internal sabotage, a veritable tribute for everything Robin stood for and how important it has always been for there to be a Robin fighting by Batman's side, and - of course - you have the introduction of Tim Drake as the third Robin. This Robin's origins are quite different from those of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, but I think the story works quite well, especially with its connections extending all the way back to the death of Dick Grayson's parents under the Bit Top all those years ago. Batman doesn't want another partner ever again - not after Jason's death, so Tim's story has to be different. He has to convince Batman that he needs a Robin again and that he could be that Robin. The first thing the kid does after donning the disguise (on his own initiative, mind you) is to give Two-Face a darn good wallop, but perhaps the best part of the whole story has Alfred himself putting his own life at risk to help the boy. You don't find too many Alfred action scenes in the Batman universe.
The artwork is strikingly different between different parts of the story. Whereas the Batman comic's illustrations are of the traditional, faded-looking variety, the artwork on The New Titans fairly explodes with vibrant color. This is one case, though, where the story definitely takes priority over the artwork. In all the decades Batman has been fighting crime in Gotham City, there have been only three Robins at his side - and it is Robin's "rebirth" in the form of Tim Drake that makes Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying an integral part of Batman's continuing story. It also affords the reader a rather probing psychological perspective on Batman, who would seem to need a Robin by his side in order to keep himself in check and thus be the Batman he is supposed to be.

8. Batman: The Long Halloween

Written by: Jeph Loeb
Art by: Tim Sale

People always ask themselves the question what is it about the Dark Knight that makes him one of the most enduring and popular characters of our time? This wonderfully scripted trade paperback edition of the Long Halloween points to the answer. The book delves deeply into the criminal elemant of Gotham and bring out the best of Batman, who you see very little of when it come to the action scenes, but a lot of in scenes depicting conversation. The mood is very dark in this comic and reminisces the first Batman movie by Tim Burton. Batman sticks to the shadows and you just can't help but feel intimidated when he slowly walks out. The element of fear has always been the Bat's strongest features and this book really shines through when it comes to that. The coloring by Gregory Wright suits the mood so well that yopu feel as if you're that third person looking at things from behind a lens. Tim Sale is without a doubt one of the most promising talents out there. His soft, smooth approach to the characters makes better than the detailed, cartoony features that have become the norm in this day and age. Jeph Loeb scripts one of his best stories in there and you can interact with the characters and understant their expectations and wants. The story is suspenseful, thrilling with action in just the right places. Loeb brings out half of Batman's rogue gallery and portrays them right without them overstaying their welcome through and through.



If you're a fan of Batman, his first movie and the Godfather all put into one, you'll never put this book down (I read it continuously without a break). If you're just a Batman fan, then You'll be seeing the character written at his best.

7. Batman: Year One

Written by: Frank Miller
Art by: Dave Mazzucchelli

I've always considered Batman the greatest super-hero creation of all time. Anyone can create a truth-justice-american-way charcter (and many did), but in Batman Bob Kane gave us a tragedy, and a protagonist that borders on the obsessive. No super-powers, just an aray of martial arts skills and "those wonderful toys". Probably my favorite aspect of the character is how he considers his persona to be Batman and not Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is the mask he wears. Being Batman is simple for him, it's altering his personality and mannerisms that challenges him.

This graphic novel is a trade paperback that originally consisted of four issues published in 1986. It places Bruce Wayne at age twenty-five and before he became "the bat". Returning to Gotham City after years of travelling through Europe and Asia aquiring various skills, Bruce is anxious to begin his great work that he has been focused upon since he was a child. He knows exactly what he must do, but the problem is he doesn't know exactly HOW he must do it.

6. Batman: Son of the Demon

Written by: Mike W. Barr
Art by: Jerry Bingham

The book begins as Batman fights terrorists who have taken hostages. These militants, though, are lackeys for a far greater threat. Indeed, the threat is so great that Batman finds himself becoming the ally of Ras Al Ghul, the Demon's Head. They find themselves aligned against a common threat, a satellite that controls the global weather.

As they join forces, Batman finally gives in and marries Talia. Together, they conceive and Talia becomes pregnant. In addition, Batman trains Ras' men to become better fighters.

I really was surprised by a number of things in this story. It was a departure from things I take for granted in the Batman universe. For instance, Batman does love Talia, but them having a son is really surprising. Batman having a family seems to contradict his image as a lone avenger. One of the ways that people identify with Batman is through the loneliness that he exemplifies.

Also, that Batman would leave Gotham for a few months at a time is shocking to me. He is the guardian of the city, and it would seem that in his mind leaving the city for a few months would be equivalent to abandonment. His obsession with cleaning up Gotham is another of his defining characteristics.

So in some ways this book takes the Batman character in new directions. The plot creates a compelling hypothetical situation that challenges the Batman mythos and stretches it. I was really surprised at some of the ingenuity and creativity. This book takes an interesting turn.

5. Batman: Hush

Written by: Jeph Loeb
Art by: Jim Lee

If you'd told us a decade ago that Jeph Loeb would write some of the best Batman stories ever, we'd have laughed in your face. Who knew Loeb had such great depths and ability for weaving tales of the Dark Knight? The controversial Hush is as "love it or leave it" as they come. The year-long epic didn't just make one or two major changes to the Batman universe, it made more than perhaps any story arc in Batman history. Batman starts dating Catwoman, Two-Face gets his mug and mind repaired, Jason Todd goes missing from his grave and the Riddler finally becomes respectable.

Hush doesn't follow the same cadence as The Long Halloween or Dark Victory. This story has a much more modern feel. There are some truly unforgettable moments, such as when Batman kicks Superman's ass (and is thanked for it) or when the Joker pleads his own innocence and means it. Yes, there are some aspects that are hard to swallow, particularly the identity of Hush and a Clayface trick that was already used in the early '90s. Still, Jim Lee's artwork is unbelievable and whether you love the changes or not, it's tough to deny Hush is impossible to put down.

4. Batman: The Killing Joke

Written by: Alan Moore
Art by: Brian Bolland

Wow... just wow! This short story was recently updated, with Brian Bolland recoloring (and apparently sketching in a few new details) the original comic. This is a Joker-origin story, though as the Joker himself admits, he doesn't remember his own past well. In his words, "Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another... If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" The short summary is that the Joker escapes from Arkham, only to have Batman discover he's missing when he goes to try and offer something resembling a peace treaty. This escape isn't about crime or money... it's about proving a point. One bad day is all it takes to go from being an average person to a maniac or even a masked vigilante. Before the Joker is through, two of Batman's closest friends and allies will have had their lives changed forever.

Like I said before, the story is brief and to the point. Between moments of the story we see flashes of the Joker's past, of what he did to support himself and how he had his first run-in with Batman. Bolland has washed out these flashbacks, leaving shades of red to stand out, tying in nicely with the Joker's first criminal persona. I guess some people thought the ending was ambiguous... it does end with a joke, and I like how the moment was shared between the two of them. I suppose if you were to take away the text in the box, it would look a different way, but I didn't really find it confusing.
There! That's fairly spoiler-free! I did enjoy the Joker's lines about a coffee-table edition... being a librarian myself, I hope to never be in the same situation.

3. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Written by: Grant Morrison       
Art by: Dave McKean

It's hard to believe that Grant Morrison's defining look at Batman is over 15 years old, but even so, Arkham Asylum: Serious House on Serious Earth, is a masterpiece of comic horror. It starts off like one may think a Batman comic would: Bats is called in by Commissioner Gordon because the inmates at Arkham have taken the staff hostage and will release them on one condition: Batman must join them. Featuring the most psychotic of Batman's rogue gallery: the Joker, Two-Face, Black Mask, Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Doctor Destiny, Clayface, and Professor Milo are all here, and they all have plans for the Dark Knight. During the story, the tragic tale of Arkham himself is told as the origin of the construction of the asylum is built, and Morrison's examination of the inner demons of Batman in comparison to that of his villains is simply brilliant. His interpretations of the Joker, Two-Face, and Clayface are unlike anything else done by anyone else with the characters, maybe except for Alan Moore's use of the Joker in the Killing Joke. Add to this the haunting and visceral artwork of Sandman cover artist and frequent Neil Gaiman collaborator Dave McKean, and you get one of the greatest, and most chilling, Batman stories ever told. There's a nice assortment of extras thrown in as well, including Morrison's complete original script with new notes, and his hand drawn storyboards to boot.

2. Batman: The Dark Night Returns

Written by: Frank Miller
Art by: Frank Miller

Prior to 1986, futuristic tales of heroes were often fluff and fancy. They were joking tales, they were forgettable farce. Frank Miller forever changed the landscape of superhero tales with The Dark Knight Returns, a futuristic imagining of a Batman without hope. Having been retired for ten years following the death of Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne finds himself compelled to don the mantle of the bat once more. This in turn revives the insane criminals who'd been almost comatose for the past decade.

The Dark Knight Returns is not only brilliant for showcasing the best damn ass-kicking Superman will ever receive, it also shines a light on the very nature of Batman. Without the Dark Knight, the city has fallen into despair. With no one to look up to (or to fear), the youth have revolted against society, taken up with a false god and forgotten all sense of order or rationality. But the Batman's return changes all of that.

1. JLA: Tower of Babel

Written by: Mark Waid, Dan Curtis Johnson, Christopher Priest and John Ostrander        
Art by: Howard Porter, Steve Scott, Mark Pajarillo, Pablo Raimondi, Eric Battle and Ken Lashley

This book contains four stories of which the main one, Tower of Babel is definitely the best of all four stories and possibly one of the best stories ever told. 


It is about Batman and discovering that he kept a record of weaknesses and traps for all the Leaguers in case something happened to them that made them turn against humanity. The discovery was only made after these records fell on an enemy's hand and he was using them against them. It is interesting to see everyone's weaknesses since we always see the invincible side of each Leaguer. It is also interesting to see if they can conquer these traps and what they will do to Batman afterwards. 


The first short story is basically a JLA incredible shrinking man story where they are shrunk to battle disease in a sick boy's body. It is somewhat interesting but not a whole lot. 


The third story is possibly the weakest one where Batman tries to find out if Superman is quilty of murder. Starts out strong but ends very quick and disappointedly. 


The fourth is the shortest story of all where we find out a secret Aquaman has been hiding.