My Top Batman Stories

This is a list of my most favourite Batman stories including Story Arcs and TPB's (trade paper backs/graphic novels).

I have been a Batman fan for the better part of my life and love most of the stories that have been written whether modern or classic. Most of my collection is modern stories so I haven't read all the classics but hopefully will sometime in my life (sooner rather than later). Although the classic stories I have read are good I prefer most of the modern ones and especially Grant Morrison work on the character. There is however a few classics in my Top 10 like The Killing Joke (which tops the list), Long Halloween, and Year One.

The list will change from time to time if I've either read a new story or read a old one again feeling I've ranked it too high or too low.

WARNING: THERE MAY BE THE ODD SPOILER IN THIS LIST

List items

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  1. "Batman: The Killing Joke" The Killing Joke

  10/10 Reviewed

  This is my favourite Batman story of all time and there are lots of good reasons for it. Alan Moore has written a brilliant story showing Joker at his best. Brian Bolland also brings wonderful art and is able to show characters emotions brilliantly. What I really like about this story is that it shows that Joker was possibly once a normal guy (if the origin is the correct one) and that "all it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy".

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  2. "Batman" Hush

  10/10 Reviewed Complete Collection TPB

  Hush was one of the first Batman stories I read when I started collecting comics and it got me hooked. Jeph Loeb did a brilliant job and I loved how he included a lot of well known Batman villains whilst introducing the new villain Hush. I also liked how we see Bruce's childhood and how he's connected to Hush whilst also showing you why Hush became what he is. The art in this story was amazing and Jim Lee is simply a genius. I have enjoyed his art for years but his work on Batman whether on this book, Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder or Justice League he always does a great job.

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  3. "Batman" Under the Hood

  10/10 Reviewed Complete Collection TPB

  Under the Hood was a brilliant story and it made me like Jason Todd as a character. The back issues of Batman I read with Jason as Robin I didn't really like and never liked the character until this book. The way he changed to a character completely full of hatred was brilliant and I liked how he felt that Batman betrayed him by letting Joker live. This story was also made into a brilliant animated film which is currently my favourite animated comic book film. Judd Winick did a great job on this story and has done a great job with the Jason Todd character since. This story also had brilliant artwork from Doug Mahnke, Shane Davis and the suspense that was built up, leading to the identity of the Red Hood being Jason was brilliantly written and drawn.

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  4. Death of the Family

  Batman Issues: 10/10 Overall Crossover: 8/10 Reviewed most individual issues involved in crossover

  This was a great story, and although I always had fair that it'd be good, I never expected to be as good as it was. Scott Snyder has done a very good job writing the Caped Crusader over the last couple of years (also including his Detective Comics run pre-Flashpoint), but this has to be the best he's done yet. He wrote Joker perfectly, and he kept readers in suspense, wondering what exactly Joker knew, and what he was going to do (or at least it did with me). Although it's not the best story it is high on the list and I can see it staying there for a while.

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  5. "Batman" Batman & Son

  10/10

  This is my favourite Batman story by Morrison. I may be one of the only people to have this story has high as this on this type of list, but for me it was just magical. With the introduction of a son sired by the Bat (Damian Wayne) it was bound to be interesting). The initial chemistry between Batman ans Damian was brilliant, and it's lead to some more magical moment through the years. I also think that most of Morrison's best work come from stories featuring Damian. The art from Andy Kubert was also very good, and suited this story brilliantly.

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  6. Batman R.I.P.

  10/10

  Batman R.I.P. was the first book I read by the great Grant Morrison. Although the story itself was more mysterious than your usual Batman story, it was still very entertaining, and suspenseful. The only thing that upset me about the story was that you had to read Final Crisis to find out exactly what happened to Batman, and although I enjoyed that story it would annoy other fans more (as they might not want to read Final Crisis). Anyway it's my second favourite story by Morrison, and I enjoy it even more with each read through. The art from Tony Daniel was also phenomenal.

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  7. "Batman: The Long Halloween" The Long Halloween
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  8. Batman: Earth One

  9/10 Reviewed

  This was a brilliant re-telling of Batman's origins, and perfect for a modern audience. Geoff Johns did an amazing job, and I loved how he made lots of big changes in a subtle way. I also liked that Batman started of as a clumsy superhero, taking time to learn the ropes. It also had great villains in Mayor Cobblepot, and Birthday Boy, as well as some brilliant additional cast in Detectives Bullock, and Gordon. The art from Gary Frank was also amazing as usual, and really made this story that much more exciting, and the teaser at the end was phenomenal.

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  9. "Batman" Year One
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  10. Battle for the Cowl

  9/10

  Brilliant three part story and better than RIP was itself. I loved how we see the Bat-Family realising that Gotham needs Batman and how it was interesting to see how everyone reacted. I liked how Tim pushed Dick as the choice but with him constantly declining and Jason taking it upon himself to be the Batman Gotham truly needs Tim tries to fill the void. Eventually it lands up being who everyone expected it to be in the end and a new Batman is born. This was one of the best work that Tony Daniel has produced both as a writer and an artist and is truly one of the best modern Batman stories.

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  11. Knightfall
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  12. "Detective Comics" Elegy
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  13. "Batman and Robin" Batman & Robin Must Die
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  14. Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn
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  15. The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul
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  16. War Crimes

  9/10 Reviewed TPB

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  17. War Games

  9/10 Reviewed TPB's

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  18. Joker

  9/10 Reviewed

  Although not exactly a Batman story, it is centered around Batman's arch enemy the Joker. I have loved the Joker as a character most of my life, and he is my favourite villain so I had to read this. Brian Azzarello did a brilliant job on this story, and created a very unique story. I loved how it was more realistic, and crime orientated than most Bat stories, and I loved that the story was told through the perspective of Jonny Frost, an aspiring crook who's helping Joker so as to become famous. The story also kinda reminded me of the film Goodfellas, which was nice, but only really an observation, and didn't really mean anything to my overall opinion. It also featured some phenomenal artwork from Lee Bermejo.

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  19. Batman Incorporated
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  20. "Detective Comics" The Black Mirror
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  21. Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne
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  22. "Batman" A Court of Owls
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  23. Face the Face

  8/10

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  24. The Night of the Owls
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  25. "Batman: The Dark Knight" The Dark Knight Returns
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  26. "Batman and Robin" Dark Knight vs. White Knight
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  27. Batman and Robin: Batman vs. Robin
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  28. "Detective Comics" Heart of Hush
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  29. Batman: Detective

  8/10

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  30. Batman and Robin
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  31. Batman: Reborn
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  32. Batman: Gotham Shall Be Judged
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  33. "Batman" Life After Death
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  34. "Batman" Long Shadows
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  35. Batman: The Black Glove
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  36. "Batman" Broken City

  8/10 Reviewed TPB

  Broken City was a very good Batman story, and one of the better detective stories in a Batman title. Brian Azzarello did a fabulous job of showing a more realistic side to Batman, and although I appreciated that, I prefer comics to be unrealistic, but in a sensible way. Eduardo Risso did a decent job on the art, and he is a great artist, but his style isn't what I like in a Batman book. The story itself wasn't very exciting, and very forgettable, but still a worth while read for anyone who likes Azzarello, or Risso's work.

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  37. Batman: As The Crow Flies

  7/10 Reviewed TPB

  This was an interesting take on the Scarecrow, and I liked that we finally see Batman affected by Fear Toxin again. It was however nothing special, and a bit slow throughout. The ending was however phenomenal, but it didn't make up for the rest of the story which was at best mediocre. I did however like how Winick set up his Under the Hood story in this, and felt that some of his best writing came during that sequence. The art from Dustin Nguyen was brilliant, and although he's not my favourite Batman artist his style is fantastic.

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  38. "Batman" Eye of the Beholder
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  39. All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder
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  40. Batman: Time and the Batman
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  41. Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
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  42. Batman: Death and the City
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  43. Batman: Private Casebook
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  44. Batman: The Dark Knight

  4/10