Heard of The Dark Knight Rises? Of course you have, unless you’ve been hibernating in a cave for the past 18 months that is. Batman has been an integral part of comic book folklore for over 70 years, and without the comics there would be no movies, TV series or animated series. And the DC Comics stalwart has gone from strength to strength in the modern era of comics, with a number of his story arcs being recognised as some of the finest in all of the comic universe. Over 70 years, you can imagine there has been a vast number of stories, so where would you start if you wanted to wet your beak in the world of the caped crusader? Here are ten of the best Batman comic story arcs, in no particular order, to get you started:
Batman: Year One
Widely recognised as one of the best graphic novels of all time, Frank Miller’s amazing story focuses the beginning of one of the greatest partnerships in comic history; that of Batman and Jim Gordon. In typical Frank Miller style, he does things his own way, most notably by having none of the main Batman villains in the book. The story is brilliant, the artwork is fantastic, and if you are going to buy one Batman book you should start with this one.
The Long Halloween
One of Batman’s greatest ever mysteries, The Long Halloween takes place of the span of numerous holidays, as a mysterious villain decides to kill people each holiday. The story contains many of Batman’s biggest foes and throws up a surprise or a million along the way, not to mention a less than perfect ending to the case. Amazing artwork and a storyline to match by Batman super-writer, Jeph Loeb, its a fantastic look at Batman’s early career.
Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum, for those who are unfamiliar, is home to Gotham City’s criminally insane. So what would happen if the inmates literally took over the Asylum? Well, this fantastic book by Grant Morrison tells the story beautifully as Batman struggles to retain his sanity as he battles most of his Rogues Gallery. The true standout of this book though is the art work by Dave McKean, which should definitely be checked out by all.
Knightfall
Batman v Bane… ring a bell? Knightfall was one of the stories of the 90’s which starts with Bane releasing the inmates of Arkham Asylum. Batman is faced with recapturing the escapees, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. That’s when Bane strikes… The story is so large that its split over three volumes, but its well worth the investment as Batman battles against one of his most intimidating opponents.
The Black Mirror
One of my personal favourites and the last storyline before the launch of DC Comics New 52 reboot, The Black Mirror stars Dick Grayson as Gotham’s Batman. The story, however, is not about him, as it focuses on Jim Gordon’s relationship with his estranged son, James Jr. Its a fantastically deep story by Scott Snyder and the illustration by Jock is top level.
The Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller is here again, this is truly the Batman novel that put Miller on the map. The story revolves around Batman of the future, as he has been retired for ten years, but is called back to action when Gotham needs him most. Miller tells the story at a frantic pace as he often does, and his dislike for Superman comes to a head as Batman kicks his ass towards the end of the book.
Son of the Demon
What happens when one of Batman’s greatest foes, Ra’s Al Ghul, is also the father of one of Batman;s greatest love interests, Talia Al Ghul? Son of Demon explores the possiblity of Batman settling down and maybe bringing another Wayne into the world. The book is an origin for one of the Robin’s and is a fantastic look at an unusual story arc for a Batman book.
Dark Victory
Jeph Loeb returns with Dark Victory, the follow up to The Long Halloween, which follows another year of Batman’s early career. Enter the Robin, as Loeb shows his origin story in a new depth that is rarely found elsewhere. A great book and a decent standalone if you haven’t read The Long Halloween, Loeb shows why he’s one of the best Batman authors of all time.
Batman: Hush
One of Jeph Loeb’s later story lines, Hush tells a similar story to The Long Halloween as Batman faces a mysterious villain. Over the space of a year he faces most of the Rogues Gallery on his way to finding out the identity of the unknown Hush. A fascinating side story in Hush is the exploration of the relationship between Batman and Catwoman, an added bonus to an already top notch book.
The Killing Joke
99 times out of 100, when you ask someone who Batman’s biggest villain is, they will likely reply The Joker. The Killing Joke delves into the story of how The Joker became the criminally insane, crown prince of crime in Gotham, and how his hatred of The Gordons began. Written by English author, Alan Moore, the story is a genius like look at one of comics all time greatest villains.