Nine comics every Batman fan should read -.

Thanks to the efforts of Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves, and developer Rocksteady, Batman has recently been the superhero of importance has become. Fans have always enjoyed Bruce Wayne’s vigilante adventures, but as far as DC is concerned, Batman has been pretty much the only character to see any success outside the written page in the past decade or two. But just because he is a pop-cultural icon does not mean that the comics in which he shines are dropping the ball. Rather, they are some of DC’s best, and here are just nine options that prove just how complex a character Bats really is.

Batman: Year One

Thematically, it makes sense to start with Frank Miller’s origin story, as it pretty much remains the origin story of the gold standard Batman. Year One does exactly what it says, describing the Batman’s first year of adventures, beginning his crime-fighting efforts and taking on increasingly violent and ruthless villains along the way. It is rooted, gritty and, as you would hope from a Batman story, dark. What more could you want?

Batman: The Long Halloween

There is also a thematic reason why we selected and placed The Long Halloween here, and that is that it is essentially a Year Two story. It follows an entire calendar year and sees how Batman is faced with tracking down and stopping a killer who is targeting many of Gotham’s criminal elite. This is more of a baffling detective story than Year One, with Batman following threads and clues as he continues his journey to become the World’s Greatest Detective.

Batman: a death in the family

One of the earlier stories featuring the Dark Knight, A Death in the Family explores the gripping turn of events that led to the murder ofJoker Jason Todd, the second Robin. It sees Batman pursue the iconic psychopath around the world, trying to stop him from selling dangerous weapons and armaments to make quick money that would further fund his terrifying endeavors. However, this soon causes Robin to fall into the line of fire and Batman is unable to save the Boy Wonder, which further serves as an example of why Joker remains Batman’s greatest archenemy to this day.

Batman: Knight’s Trap

Granted, for a while it looked like Bane would take over as Batman’s biggest threat, something Knightfall documents. It explores the origins of the powerful villain and sees how he came to Gotham City, tormented Bruce Wayne by pulling strings behind the scenes, and finally, when Batman was at his weakest, broke him mentally and physically. If you were wondering where Nolan got the inspiration for The Dark Knight Rises, this is the story, albeit the film does not explore the final events where Jean-Paul Valley (aka Azrael ) took over the hood and became a much more ruthless and brutal Batman 2.0, something the defeated Bruce Wayne could not sit idly by and accept.

Batman: The killer joke

We’ve only recommended the story where Joker kills Robin, so why not build on that with the story where Joker permanently cripples Barbara Gordon, or as her alter ego is known, Batgirl/Oracle. The Killing Joke explores how Joker was born and driven mad, it sees how he continues to seek revenge by causing chaos in Gotham City and even taking Commissioner Gordon hostage, shooting Barbara in the spine in the process, and then sees how Batman approaches saving the important city official and his dear friend. It is a much smoother story than some that preceded it on the list, but equally entertaining.

Batman: Silence

Looking for another great example of the Batman as many know him today? Let’s turn your attention to Hush, a great story in which Bruce Wayne is tormented by a new villain who has many of Gotham’s best-known villains and even Bruce’s allies at his mercy. But who is this masked man, this mastermind who tackles crime like a surgeon wields a scalpel? That is exactly what Batman is asked to determine in this complex story in which Bruce once again puts his excellent detective skills to the test.

Batman: The Court of Owls Saga

We love a Batman story where Bruce Wayne has to solve a baffling mystery, and if you do too, then The Court of Owls Saga is a must-read. Here we find a Batman tormented by the idea that there is a powerful organization in the heart of Gotham City, pulling strings and commanding her, an organization that exists nowhere on paper. So, is it real? Bruce thinks so and after turning over enough rocks, he is at the mercy of this group and as prey to their powerful agent, a warrior who pushes Batman beyond his limits.

The Dark Knight returns

For many, this is the story that defines Batman, the greatest story featuring the Caped Crusader. Originating from Miller, the same author who wrote Year One, this story follows a much older Batman, a retired hero who, amidst witnessing Gotham City falling further into disarray at the hands of unstoppable criminals, decides to take his dusty cap from the sideboard and return as Batman to instill fear in the hearts of the criminal underbelly and to instill a sense of hope in the good and honest citizens. It is a more brutal version of Batman that is presented here, one that was enough to show that comics can be much more than entertainment for children when it was originally published in the 1980s. To this day, nearly 40 years later, it remains one of the quintessential comics.

The Batman who laughs

Frankly, this is not nearly as iconic or well-written as The Dark Knight Returns, but The Batman Who Laughs is definitely a memorable story just because of the characters it introduces. The premise is simple. A multiversal Batman has come to Bruce Wayne’s reality, except this isn’t the Caped Crusader we know, it’s a twisted and maligned version corrupted by the Joker’s madness after finally putting a permanent end to the villain and breaking his only rule by committing murder. It sees this Batman Who Laughs attacking Bruce’s world and killing anyone who gets in his way, largely for fun, all while being supported by an equally deadly firearm-wielding alternative Batman known as The Grim Knight, who wants revenge on a Commissioner Gordon, to return to the one who put an end to his own deadly and effective crime-fighting style in his own world. Needless to say, Batman is pushed to the limit as never before by the task of overcoming not one but two deadly versions of himself to save the day.

Did we miss any Batman comics that you consider a must-read? If so, let us know in the comments below.