The 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels!!!

[souloffire]

http://comics.ign.com/articles/624/624619p1.html

Not my list but interesting regardless. Where does your favorite rank?

[StorminNorman]

While its a good read, this is Germans it was posted in June.

[DCW]

Does anyone know of any similar lists to this? I'm just curious about different people's opionions of what order they should be ranked.

[theMan-Bat]

My own top 25:
25 Batman: Dark Joker, The Wild
24 Batman/Hellboy/Starman
23 Batman: Gotham By Gaslight
22 Batman: War On Crime
21 Batman Dark Knight Archives vol. 1
20 Batman Dark Knight Archives vol. 2
19 Batman Dark Detective
18 Batman Strange Apparitions
17 Batman Tales of the Demon
16 Batman Crimson Mist
15 Batman Bloodstorm
14 Batman & Dracula: Red Rain
13 Batman Year One
12 Dark Knight Returns
11 Batman: The Cult
10 Batman/Judge Dredd Judgement On Gotham
9 Batman Black & White II
8 Batman Black & White
7 Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams vol. 2
6 Batman: Killing Joke
5 Batman In the Seventies
4 Batman Chronicles vol. 1
3 Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams vol. 3
2 Batman: Gothic
1 Batman: Arkham Asylum
(Extra) Batman: Haunted Gotham 1-4
(Extra) The Forensic Files of Batman book (not a comic, but fascinating)

[StorminNorman]

I cant give you a top 25, my top 5 however are:
1. The Long Holloween
2. Batman: Year One
3. Batman: HUSH
4. Batman: Dark Knight Returns
5. Batman: Dark Victory

[boywondernerdDC]

i like that list it is pretty good

[Spidey-Bat]

I haven't read most of those. Some of them shouldn't be on there (Hush) and some should be lower (Year One).

[Antonello Blueberry]

I just don't get why everyone seems to forget Batman: Faces by Matt Wagner, maybe the best Two-Face story.

[souloffire]

I haven't read most of those. Some of them shouldn't be on there (Hush) and some should be lower (Year One).That's cool. Everybody has their own taste. I however think Year One is right where it should be.

[StorminNorman]

I haven't read most of those. Some of them shouldn't be on there (Hush) and some should be lower (Year One).

Its simply a difference in opinion, I loved Hush, I think it was a great story, had fantastic artwork and well intigrated all of the characters involved. Plus Batman beat the crap out of Superman, always a good time.

Year One is simply a masterpiece, but I can understand how some may not like it. It is not a normal comic book, it is classier than that. To me I see it almost like a play with the great narritives, the colors, the whole style of it.

[StorminNorman]

My own top 25:
25 Batman: Dark Joker, The Wild
24 Batman/Hellboy/Starman
23 Batman: Gotham By Gaslight
22 Batman: War On Crime
21 Batman Dark Knight Archives vol. 1
20 Batman Dark Knight Archives vol. 2
9 Batman Dark Detective
18 Batman Strange Apparitions
17 Batman Tales of the Demon
16 Batman Crimson Mist
15 Batman Bloodstorm
14 Batman & Dracula: Red Rain
13 Batman Year One
12 Dark Knight Returns
11 Batman: The Cult
10 Batman/Judge Dredd Judgement On Gotham
9 Batman Black & White II
8 Batman Black & White
7 Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams vol. 2
6 Batman: Killing Joke
5 Batman In the Seventies
4 Batman Chronicles vol. 1
3 Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams vol. 3
2 Batman: Gothic
1 Batman: Arkham Asylum
(Extra) The Forensic Files of Batman book

No Long Halloween?

[souloffire]

Year One is simply a masterpiece, but I can understand how some may not like it. It is not a normal comic book, it is classier than that. To me I see it almost like a play with the great narritives, the colors, the whole style of it. I agree. Year One is the first comic I can remember noticing the coloring.

[Mr. Socko]

edit nvm.

[StorminNorman]

I agree. Year One is the first comic I can remember noticing the coloring.

Its simply a piece of art, I absolutly love it. The fact TLH is ranked aboved it should also give you my opinion on that book as well.

[theMan-Bat]

No Long Halloween?

No. There's sooo many other Batman graphic novels that are great and have been overlooked by many.

[Spidey-Bat]

Its simply a difference in opinion, I loved Hush, I think it was a great story, had fantastic artwork and well intigrated all of the characters involved. Plus Batman beat the crap out of Superman, always a good time.

I hated the story. I LOVE Two-Face. He's my 3rd favorite villain and Hush "cured" him which was completely unnecessary and stupid (much like the death of Ra's, my 2nd fav villain). The story should have ended with Joker killing Elliot.

Year One is simply a masterpiece, but I can understand how some may not like it. It is not a normal comic book, it is classier than that. To me I see it almost like a play with the great narritives, the colors, the whole style of it.

I like Year One. It's a good story. The problem is it is not a Batman story. It's about Gordon. Other than Gordon, it's Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. It's good but could have been better. If you group this with The Man Who Laughs (which is pretty much as direct of a sequel as it can be), it'd be on my top lists.

[StorminNorman]

I hated the story. I LOVE Two-Face. He's my 3rd favorite villain and Hush "cured" him which was completely unnecessary and stupid (much like the death of Ra's, my 2nd fav villain). The story should have ended with Joker killing Elliot.

Your complaints are vallid, the Two-Face being healed was unnecessary but it made for a neat little twist, no matter how gimicky. Plus in the world of comics villians are never truly gone so it really doesnt matter.


I like Year One. It's a good story. The problem is it is not a Batman story. It's about Gordon. Other than Gordon, it's Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. It's good but could have been better. If you group this with The Man Who Laughs (which is pretty much as direct of a sequel as it can be), it'd be on my top lists.

I dont review it like I do other comics because its not like other comics, your right it is not a Batman (character) story, but a Batman (comic/world) story. Its a fantastic story, even though it isnt full BAM!, POW! and BIFF! Plus the art is incredible.

[The Watchman]

Batman: Ego
Broken City
Batman: Gothic

all left out, craziness!!!

[DCW]

My top five would be:

5.The Dark Knight Returns
4.Dark Victory
3.Arkham Asylum
2.Year One
1.The Long Haloween

I ordered Night Cries and Blind Justice, just waiting for those to arrive. Maybe they will change my list.

[Motown Marvel]

Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire would defenitely be in there...its the great batman story that no one ever read. i always suggest it, but no one ever checks it out....you seriously dont know the sheer awesomeness that you're missing!

[The Watchman]

buy it for the art alone, Bermejo....drool.

[Carmine Falcone]

1. Batman The Long Halloween
2. The Dark Knight Returns
3. Dark Victory
4. Batman Year One
5. The Killing Joke

[Two-Face]

No. There's sooo many other Batman graphic novels that are great and have been overlooked by many.


What? you're got to kidding me.:down

[Spidey-Bat]

Your complaints are vallid, the Two-Face being healed was unnecessary but it made for a neat little twist, no matter how gimicky. Plus in the world of comics villians are never truly gone so it really doesnt matter.

I hope Two-Face comes back and has a good rebirth origin. Joker and Ra's need to make a comeback as well.


I dont review it like I do other comics because its not like other comics, your right it is not a Batman (character) story, but a Batman (comic/world) story. Its a fantastic story, even though it isnt full BAM!, POW! and BIFF! Plus the art is incredible.
It's a good story that's become somewhat overrated. Not really a fan of the art though.

[SpideyInATree]

That's a pretty good list. Usually IGN has really bad lists and voting choices, but this was a good one.

I'm glad to see that Batman: The Cult got a really good placement on that list because it's a really good Batman story that I don't think gets enough credit.

And the top five is cool but I'd switch some things around. Dark Knight Returns, in my eyes, is the best Batman story out there right now. Year One is a step behind and The Long Halloween is right behind it...such a great story. :up:

[theMan-Bat]

What? you're got to kidding me.:down
Long Halloween is overrated. There are many great Batman graphic novels overlooked. Read them.

[Spidey-Bat]

Long Halloween is overrated. There are many great Batman graphic novels overlooked. Read them.

Why don't you name some you think are great so we can get a sense of your taste?

[theMan-Bat]

Why don't you name some you think are great so we can get a sense of your taste?

Just look at my top 25 list!

[hulkamania85]

I think I would have switched Long Halloween and Dark Knight Returns. I like DKR but I've enjoyed so many Batman stories a whole lot more.

[Carmine Falcone]

overrated

That word is used to much on the SHH boards...

[Spidey-Bat]

Just look at my top 25 list!

Collections (Neal Adams and In the 70's) don't really count since they're just individual stories. You can argue Tales of the Demon is, but that refers back to previous ones while the ones I mentioned have just an artist and time period in common.

[theMan-Bat]

Collections (Neal Adams and In the 70's) don't really count since they're just individual stories. You can argue Tales of the Demon is, but that refers back to previous ones while the ones I mentioned have just an artist and time period in common.

There called Batman graphic novels at DC. They are Batman graphic novels.
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=3749
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=4218
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1217
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=2710

[souloffire]

Going by the criteria of this list which includes graphic novels and trade paperbacks my top 5 would be this:

1. Year One
2. Strange Apparitions
3. DKR
4. Killing Joke
5.The Cult

[Spidey-Bat]

There called Batman graphic novels at DC. They are Batman graphic novels.
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=3749
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=4218
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1217
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=2710

Only in the vaguest sense.

[theMan-Bat]

Only in the vaguest sense.

The term graphic novel does include collected issues of previously published comic books republished in a single large volume.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel

[Spidey-Bat]

The term graphic novel does include collected issues of previously published comic books republished in a single large volume.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel

The Adams collections and 70's are barely graphic novels b/c they share little in plot. All they share in common is an artist and a time period, respectively.

[theMan-Bat]

The Adams collections and 70's are barely graphic novels b/c they share little in plot. All they share in common is an artist and a time period, respectively.

Neal Adams Illustrated volume 2 has the Man-Bat trilogy.
Neal Adams Illustrated volume 3 has (the best of) the Ra's Al Ghul trilogy.

[Spidey-Bat]

Neal Adams Illustrated volume 2 has the Man-Bat trilogy.
Neal Adams Illustrated volume 3 has (the best of) the Ra's Al Ghul trilogy.

3 out of how many? Doesn't seem like enough to make it a full-fleged graphic novel.

[theMan-Bat]

3 out of how many? Doesn't seem like enough to make it a full-fleged graphic novel.

I disagree with that. Also many of the other stories share the same supernatural themes in plot. Hauntings, etc.

[Spidey-Bat]

The actual events are more siginificant than the theme when considering it a graphic novel.

[Lazlo Panaflex]

I have 16 of those graphic novels either in single issues or collected in TPB.

[The Watchman]

I have them all :(

[theMan-Bat]

The actual events are more siginificant than the theme when considering it a graphic novel.
Whether you like it or not, the term graphic novel does include collected issues of previously published comic books republished in a single large volume (Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams volumes, etc).

[SpideyInATree]

I have them all :(

Why does that make you sad?

[Spidey-Bat]

Whether you like it or not, the term graphic novel does include collected issues of previously published comic books republished in a single large volume (Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams volumes, etc).

Then you'll have to consider ALL stories when determining it's quality, not just 3 issues. Since I doubt they are as good as some of the greats like DKR and TLH, they don't really cut it to be the best 25.

[theMan-Bat]

Then you'll have to consider ALL stories when determining it's quality, not just 3 issues. Since I doubt they are as good as some of the greats like DKR and TLH, they don't really cut it to be the best 25.
Actually they are better. Read them. Why do you doubt that they are as good as Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns and Loeb's Long Halloween? A Vow From The Grave in Neal Adams Illustrated volume 2 is the story Denny O'Neil feels is his best. Your saying Denny O'Neil is not as good of a Batman writer as Frank Miller or Loeb?

[Spidey-Bat]

I'm doubting the quality of the entire Adams collection is as good as the TLH and DKR

[theMan-Bat]

I'm doubting the quality of the entire Adams collection is as good as the TLH and DKR

The Neal Adams collections have some of the best Batman stories ever. "Secret of the Waiting Graves" is Adams first collaboration with writer Denny O'Neil and quite simply, it is one of the greatest stories in Batman history. "Denny's writing style and my art style seemed to mesh perfectly," recalled Neal Adams. "We agreed on almost every detail of Batman's character. It was in 'The Secret of the Waiting Graves' that we first set the tone, and pointed the way." "A Vow from the Grave" is the story that writer Denny O'Neil sites as his best collaboration with Neal Adams. To be honest, it is one of the greatest in Batman history. Many of the strongest stories created by O'Neil and Adams were set far afield from Batman's usual haunts. "A Vow from the Grave" is a carefully clued mystery in a rural environment, with a group of carnival misfits as murder suspects. Denny O'Neil says "On some preconscious level we were in perfect synch. Neal Adams real contribution is in his visual interpretation of Batman. Everybody after Neal has been influenced by it. And the artistic liberties he took with the costume to interpret the character, to take the psychology and give it a visual form. One that I always use as an example is in my favorite Batman story, "Vow From the Grave", where I had a scene where a giant has got a kid and is explaining to the kid: `Well, you saw me commit the murder and I've got to kill you and I'm sorry. I love you but you've got to die.' And then he throws the kid off a tower and Batman swings down and saves the kid, swings up and confronts the killer. When I wrote it I thought the swinging down and catching the kid would be the big scene on the page. That was the big action. And Neal realized that that was routine. The big moment was the conversation, the one panel two-shot of the giant and the kid. That's the emotional heart of the story, so he gave that a lot more room and emphasis than anything else. It was an absolutely brilliant interpretation of my own script that I didn't see. So that really knocked me out and it is really very, very good comic book storytelling." "A Vow From the Grave" also influenced the episode "Sideshow" on Batman: The Animated Series. Also widely admired is "Night of the Reaper". This tale of a killer dressed as the traditional robed figure of Death has a Halloween setting (recommended by artist Bernie Wrightson) and a background of Nazi atrocities (suggested by writer Harlan Ellison). The enthusiasm that such colleagues felt for O'Neil and Adams Batman stories is a tribute in itself, and Neal Adams responded with some of his most moody and evocative art. in itself, and Neal Adams responded with some of his most moody and evocative art. One of the most morbid of Batman's traditional foes, Two-Face, was revived by O'Neil and Adams after seventeen years of retirement. "The Joker's Five Way Revenge" is one of the greatest Joker stories ever told. After decades of censorship Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams re-introduced the deadly Joker-venom. "Joker's Five-Way Revenge" is the most important Joker story ever, since it is the first story since 1940 to feature the psychopathic murderous Joker. "Five-Way" established the groundwork for the entire Batman/Joker dichotomy that's become the core of the Bat-mythos: reason/rationality vs. randomness/insanity. When the Joker kicks Batman into unconsciousness, the killer clown decides not to kill Batman; instead, the Joker pontificates about how any death for Batman must come solely from a battle of wits and madness--anything else would be cheap and pointless. The return of the Joker in "Stacked Cards" is something special. "Stacked Cards" is marriage of great visuals and an equally great story. This one's gold. Also Robin is in "Stacked Cards". "Stacked Cards" defined Batman for years. The innovators sought to introduce an original antagonist worthy to stand in the pantheon of his predecessors, and they came up with Ra's al Ghul, a mysterious figure whose passion was ecology and whose goal was world domination. The Adams and Robbins Man-Bat trilogy is exciting and has a great horror movie feel. Action packed and top notch! "Red Water, Crimson Death" is a great O'Neil/Adams thriller. "Moon of the Wolf" is more great horror. "Moon of the Wolf" was also animated in Batman: The Animated Series. Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams (and Denny O'Neil) volume 2 and 3 are highly recommended.

[CConn]

Yeah, I gotta side with Spidey-Bat. The O'Neil/Adams books are in graphic novel-format, but are not, technically, graphic novels. However, Tales of the Demon would fit in more with the type of GNs we're talking about.

I think TheBatSquad makes a much better definition of graphic novels and collections than DC's site does...

http://www.thebatsquad.net/batman/continuity/index.htm
http://www.thebatsquad.net/batman/elseworlds/index.htm
http://www.thebatsquad.net/batman/collections/index.htm

Not that this is of any importance. :o

[theMan-Bat]

No importance what so ever. I am simply defending my list of graphic novels. Whether you want to call them "full-fleged" graphic novels or not. They are graphic novels.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f341/themanbat/spiralgina.gif

[CConn]

"A graphic novel (GN) is a long-form comic book, usually with lengthy and complex storylines, and often aimed at more mature audiences. The term can also encompass a short story collection, or collected issues of previously published comic books republished in a single large volume."

That's basically what I'm saying. :o

Again, no importance at all. :o

[theMan-Bat]

"The term can also encompass a short story collection, or collected issues of previously published comic books republished in a single large volume."

That's basically what I'm saying. :o

Again, no importance what so ever. :o
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f341/themanbat/cat-clock11.gif

[Robin91939]

Mine, well for now:

25. TENSES
24. CATACLYSM
23. LEGACY
22. AS THE CROW FLIES
21. NO MAN'S LAND
20. GAUNTLET
19. FAMILY
18. CULT
17. 10 NIGHTS of the BEAST
16. FOUR OF A KIND
15. EVOLUTION
14. ROBIN UNMASKED
13. A LONELY PLACE OF DYING
12. PRODIGAL
11. DEATH AND THE MAIDENS
10. MAN WHO LAUGHS
9. TALES OF THE DEMON
8. KNIGHTFALL
7. BROKEN CITY
6. A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
5. HUSH
4. THE KILLING JOKE
3. BATMAN: YEAR ONE
2. DARK VICTORY
1. THE LONG HALLOWEEN


and yes, DKR is not on there.

-R

[Spidey-Bat]

I'm glad I don't ask you for reccomendations.

No importance what so ever. I am simply defending my list of graphic novels. Whether you want to call them "full-fleged" graphic novels or not. They are graphic novels.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel

Here's a better source. It's called a dictionary. Unlike wikipedia, it can't be edited by some 12-year-old in Singapore.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/graphic%20novel
a fictional story for adults that is presented in comic-strip format and published as a book

Here's another:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=graphic%20novel
A novel whose narrative is related through a combination of text and art, often in comic-strip form.

What do they have in common? STORY

The only thing the Adams collection has in common is that the work is by Adams. Thus it is not a graphic novel because the stories in each novel are inconsistent with each other with some exceptions.

[theMan-Bat]

I'm glad I don't ask you for reccomendations.



Here's a better source. It's called a dictionary. Unlike wikipedia, it can't be edited by some 12-year-old in Singapore.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/graphic%20novel
a fictional story for adults that is presented in comic-strip format and published as a book

Here's another:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=graphic%20novel
A novel whose narrative is related through a combination of text and art, often in comic-strip form.

What do they have in common? STORY

The only thing the Adams collection has in common is that the work is by Adams. Thus it is not a graphic novel because the stories in each novel are inconsistent with each other with some exceptions.

You have an extremely narrow and closed mind.

Wikipedia says that same thing. Those links simply leave out the fact that The term can also encompass a short story collection, or collected issues of previously published comic books republished in a single large volume. The term "graphic novel" is not strictly defined.

The stories are not inconsistent with each other with just some exceptions. As I have already explained, the Batman Illustrated volumes (which you have not even read) have much in common in STORIES and themes including the Man-Bat trilogy of stories, the collection of Ra's al Ghul stories, supernatural gothic thrillers etc. These are not collections of stories with nothing in common but Adams art.

[Spidey-Bat]

You have an extremely narrow and closed mind.

Wikipedia says that same thing. Those links simply leave out the fact that The term can also encompass a short story collection, or collected issues of previously published comic books republished in a single large volume. The term "graphic novel" is not strictly defined.

The stories are not inconsistent with each other with just some exceptions. As I have already explained, the Batman Illustrated volumes (which you have not even read) have much in common in STORIES and themes including the Man-Bat trilogy of stories, the collection of Ra's al Ghul stories, supernatural gothic thrillers etc. These are not collections of stories with nothing in common but Adams art.

Theme doesn't matter. Otherwise I could say Romeo and Juliet and Othello are consistent because they're both tragedies. It's the actual events in the comic, which is called a story or narrative, that matter when considering them a graphic novel. For the Ra's collection, there's Tales of the Demon. For the Man-Bat, well I doubt anything with him is great. Remember, the dictionary trumps wikipedia.

[theMan-Bat]

Theme doesn't matter. Otherwise I could say Romeo and Juliet and Othello are consistent because they're both tragedies. It's the actual events in the comic, which is called a story or narrative, that matter when considering them a graphic novel. For the Ra's collection, there's Tales of the Demon. For the Man-Bat, well I doubt anything with him is great. Remember, the dictionary trumps wikipedia.

Your missing out on great Man-Bat stories.
That dictionary site is weak.

[theMan-Bat]

Mine, well for now:

25. TENSES
24. CATACLYSM
23. LEGACY
22. AS THE CROW FLIES
21. NO MAN'S LAND
20. GAUNTLET
19. FAMILY
18. CULT
17. 10 NIGHTS of the BEAST
16. FOUR OF A KIND
15. EVOLUTION
14. ROBIN UNMASKED
13. A LONELY PLACE OF DYING
12. PRODIGAL
11. DEATH AND THE MAIDENS
10. MAN WHO LAUGHS
9. TALES OF THE DEMON
8. KNIGHTFALL
7. BROKEN CITY
6. A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
5. HUSH
4. THE KILLING JOKE
3. BATMAN: YEAR ONE
2. DARK VICTORY
1. THE LONG HALLOWEEN


and yes, DKR is not on there.

-R

and no ARKHAM ASYLUM?!

[Mee]

Top 5
Hush
Long Halloween
Year One
DKR
Dark Victory

[ToddIsDead]

1. Year One
2. Arkham Asylum
3. Killing Joke
4. DKR
5. The Man Who Laughs
6. The Long Holloween
7. Dark Victory
8. A Death in the Family
9. Haunted Knight
10. Broken City
11. Mad Love
12. Hush
13. No Man's Land
14. Knightfall
15. Under the Hood
16. Tower of Babel
17. Red Rain Triology
18. Four of a Kind
19. Batman vs Predator

Those are the ones that I really like. The rest that I have either aren't that good or are collections of separate stories.

[Spidey-Bat]

Your missing out on great Man-Bat stories.
That dictionary site is weak.

'great' and 'Man-Bat' don't belong in a sentence together.

Which one? Meriam-Webster which is the dictionary of dictionaries or dictionary.com which is very good aswell.

[Robin91939]

Nope, no Arkham Assylum...two reasons.

1.) Never read it yet....pretty big reason.
2.) Hate the look of the art in it...so don't really want to read it.


As far as DKR, the art is down right atrocious.

-R

[theMan-Bat]

'great' and 'Man-Bat' don't belong in a sentence together.
Man-Bat is great, terrific! He's a bat! He's a man! He's both! A tragic hideous freakish misunderstood half-man, half-bat hybrid. His appearance kept him shunned by the world. Where Bruce Wayne chose to work in the shadows, Kirk Langstrom was forced into the darkness. While Batman embraced the fear he instilled in society, Man-Bat yearned for acceptance. Man-Bat was an outsider, an underdog, doing good to overcome his handicaps. That made him heroic. A tragic hero. Sometimes viewed as a villain. Man-Bat was hated and feared, shunned by society, an ugly, tortured being, yet he wanted to help. That's heroism. Man-Bat is a misunderstood monster. Man-Bat provides an outstanding example of Adams moody atmosphere. There will never be anything better. Ever. Neal Adams is a genius. Imagination is the heart of comic book art. Man-Bat was immediately a hit with readers-so much so, Adams and writer Frank Robbins rapidly produced a trilogy of stories in response.

[StorminNorman]

Nope, no Arkham Assylum...two reasons.

1.) Never read it yet....pretty big reason.
2.) Hate the look of the art in it...so don't really want to read it.


As far as DKR, the art is down right atrocious.

-R

If you are not a fan of the art style then I agree there is not a real big reason to read it. The story is not bad, but it is by no means the best, the art is the major selling point (which is good enough for me, the art alone makes it a top 10 GN in my book).

[theMan-Bat]

Nope, no Arkham Assylum...two reasons.

1.) Never read it yet....pretty big reason.
2.) Hate the look of the art in it...so don't really want to read it.
Arkham Asylum written by Grant Morrison is my favourite Batman graphic novel! Arkham Asylum is, for one thing, a psychological study of Batman. Batman is psychoanalyzed through a word association test. He won't even answer the Rorschach test. He says he doesn't see anything but we know what he sees. Batman's human and flawed, and that's what makes him so interesting to me. Explore his mind in Arkham Asylum. I love the look of the art by Dave Mckean! Highly recommended.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f341/themanbat/aa002.jpg

[Qui Gon Ducard]

No mention of FACES? by Matt Wagner? no mention of another book called ARKHAM ASYLUM : LIVING HELL ( ok Batsy is in it for about 4/5 pages but a bloody good book none the less)
ok my top 10 (oh and if it's not in there i've either never read it or didnt like it OK)

10: Arkham Asylum : Living Hell
9: Knightfall
8: Venom
7:Lonley Place of Dying
6: Year One
5: Gotham by Gaslight
4: Hush
3: Death in the Family
2: Faces
1: The Killing Joke

[Robin91939]

No mention of FACES? by Matt Wagner? no mention of another book called ARKHAM ASYLUM : LIVING HELL ( ok Batsy is in it for about 4/5 pages but a bloody good book none the less)
ok my top 10 (oh and if it's not in there i've either never read it or didnt like it OK)

10: Arkham Asylum : Living Hell
9: Knightfall
8: Venom
7:Lonley Place of Dying
6: Year One
5: Gotham by Gaslight
4: Hush
3: Death in the Family
2: Faces
1: The Killing Joke


The Long Halloween and Dark Victory don't make the cut?

-R

[Qui Gon Ducard]

The Long Halloween and Dark Victory don't make the cut?

-R

Would you believe ( and I hang my head in shame) I have never read these! ok shoot me guys but I only go book hunting a couple of times a year. Everytime I go hunting, I cannot find them. Yeah I know I can buy them on the net and I will this year for sure. Hell I only got hold of HUSH last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Spidey-Bat]

Nope, no Arkham Assylum...two reasons.

1.) Never read it yet....pretty big reason.
2.) Hate the look of the art in it...so don't really want to read it.

The art captures the chaotic, gothic feel of the story.

As far as DKR, the art is down right atrocious.


That's DKSA.

The Long Halloween and Dark Victory don't make the cut?

DV is pretty weak to be honest.

[XwolverineX]

Under The Hood!

[Dwarf lord]

1. The Long Halloween
2. Year One
3. Haunted Knight
4. Hush
5. Dark Victory

[Derek4president]

I'd say the best is year one or Knightfall, but i havent read all of The Long Halloween and what I have read of it , it was good.

[trustyside-kick]

Batman: Ego
Broken City
Batman: Gothic

all left out, craziness!!!

Broken City sucked >___>.

[Derek4president]

Im surprised Knightfall is so far down on these lists Its what got me into comics in the first place.
Knightsend was good too but ended a little weak

[nite-owl]

my top 5 would be:

1. Long Halloween
2. Dark Knight returns
3. Broken City
4. Arkham Asylum
5. Dark Victory

[co2]

I'm a Marvel guy so I haven't read a lot of Batman. Someone had lent me Arkham Asylum and Hush. Though visually interesting, I couldn't get into Arkham, and Hush I flat out didn't like and didn't even finish. It just seemed all over the place to me. Perhaps I'm just not familiar enough with the character relationships.
But I have been wanting to try on some more Batman, particularly something not heavy in continuity. I did some looking on the web and came across that list which kinda cemented what I was feeling. I ended up ordering a copy of Year One as well as The Long Halloween and am really looking forward to them. From what I understand, those two make a good pair as far continuity. I have been a fan of Loeb and Sale's rendition of the Marvel characters so I felt like Halloween was a safe bet. I really wanted to throw in a copy of The Killing Joke, but that thing is very hard to find.
As a companion set I also ordered Superman: The Man of Steel and Superman: For All Seasons, another Loeb and Sale collaboration.
Hopefully I have some good reading in store for me. Think I made good choices?
On a side note, I included a copy of Preacher vol 2, which I'm really looking forward to.

[Spidey-Bat]

Hush is a horrible story, and an even worse one to start with. You'll probably like Year One and TLH (I like TLH better). Killing Joke is currently out of print, but can be found in the new Alan Moore collection (which is probably worth it).

[TheFalcon]

Hush is a horrible story, and an even worse one to start with.

I started reading Batman with Hush. I think it is a pretty good story and it explained alot of Batman's history and his connections/relationships to the other characters for me.

[co2]

Hush is a horrible story, and an even worse one to start with. You'll probably like Year One and TLH (I like TLH better). Killing Joke is currently out of print, but can be found in the new Alan Moore collection (which is probably worth it).

Thanks, I'll look for that.

[Spidey-Bat]

Some other good stuff is Tales of the Demon (a lot of good Ra's stories, all by O'Neal. Some issues are done by Adams), Broken City (a nice short mystery with no major villains), and Public Enemies (from the Superman/Batman series. I really liked it. It was kind of like a JL/U episode).

[co2]

Some other good stuff is Tales of the Demon (a lot of good Ra's stories, all by O'Neal. Some issues are done by Adams), Broken City (a nice short mystery with no major villains), and Public Enemies (from the Superman/Batman series. I really liked it. It was kind of like a JL/U episode).

I love Adams's artwork. I remember seeing issues of Batman as a little boy in the 70's and thinking it looked so creepy and cool. Now when I think of the perfect Batman artwork, his Batman is who I envision.

[rnewbz]

I got hush returns yesterday, and it gives a lot of deatalis on the joker's orgin. The art is also nice, but have'nt read it yet.

[Spidey-Bat]

How would you know it gives a lot of detail on Joker's origin if you haven't read it:confused:

I love Adams's artwork. I remember seeing issues of Batman as a little boy in the 70's and thinking it looked so creepy and cool. Now when I think of the perfect Batman artwork, his Batman is who I envision.

Adams' stuff is great. The only thing that I didn't care for is that the new Tales of the Demon has a horrible cover and everything is recolored. Some stuff is recolored horribly (very dark colors) while others are pretty good. Fortunately Adams' stuff is the latter.

[Hellstormer]

Wow my favorites ranked 13 and 1

[ChrisBaleBatman]

HUSH is a great book. And, it's not so bad to start with......it does fill you in on a couple things, Loeb does a good job with that.

Hush is one of those books, you either LOVE it or you HATE it.......but no matter what, you cannot argue that it made an impact and soared the Batman books once again.

[Spidey-Bat]

All it did was bring back Todd (a horrible idea), create Hush (a good idea gone bad), and get rid of one of the best villains ever (Two-Face). It was horrible. And having Riddler behind all of it comes out of nowhere.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Tecnically, it didn't bring back Jason.

It did great with Hush, but GOTHAM KNIGHTS ruined him.

C'mon.....it's about time something new happened with Harvey......it would be interesting to have him back.

And...it finally gave the Riddler a set of brass balls......finally.

[Spidey-Bat]

No it didn't. Riddler was behind the whole thing but never got his hands dirty in it. Maybe it gave him one ball, but he still has yet to make an impact other villains have. Harvey is always great and his origin was great in TLH, they'll just create some stupid new one that won't give him the motive as his first one did.

[co2]

Well, I didn't have any of the baggage coming into reading the story like some of you guys did, so from an uninformed un-biased standpoint, I thought the story on Hush was scattered and didn't have much of a point. I think the two reasons it might have had an impact were that it touched on a lot of Bat-history which long time fans might appreciate, as well as it had Lee's artwork. He's a very talented artist but his stuff was never particularly my style.

[StorminNorman]

HUSH is a great book. And, it's not so bad to start with......it does fill you in on a couple things, Loeb does a good job with that.

Hush is one of those books, you either LOVE it or you HATE it.......but no matter what, you cannot argue that it made an impact and soared the Batman books once again.

My thoughts exactly. Maybe its because I have love Loeb but Hush ranks 2nd on my Bat Book list behind The Long Halloween and right before Dark Victory. I loved the art, I loved the story, I loved seeing the relationships between so many characters, I loved Hush, I loved everything about it. I rank it above Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One.

[Hellstormer]

HUSH is a great book. And, it's not so bad to start with......it does fill you in on a couple things, Loeb does a good job with that.



Hush is one of those books, you either LOVE it or you HATE it.......but no matter what, you cannot argue that it made an impact and soared the Batman books once again.I'll agree with that, stupid GK and Judd Winick

[Ibn]

I can't tell my top 25, way too many.
But my favorite is:
1. Killing Joke - Joker is my favorite villian ever. So I've seen quite a few origin tales. However, this is my personal favorite. Some might argue that it is one of possible pasts. However I think they pretty much confirmed it recently to be his true origin. With the new movie coming out, I've seen a lot of people attest to Joker even having an origin in it, much lessthis one. The most popular view has been that Joker should be portrayed as someone that the audience should hate right away, and never stop hating. I disagree. I think the Killing Joke origin is really the most interesting origin of all. His tragic past makes he and Batman all the more alike (other similarities being that they are both serious, dark characters, and completely insane). I think that makes the story all the more interesting, especially b/c they know nothing of each others pasts. This is the most tragic, poetic Batman tale ever (along with DKR and Son of the Demon, which they are thankfully bringing back into continuity.) and deserves every shred of respect it has recieved over the years.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

My thoughts exactly. Maybe its because I have love Loeb but Hush ranks 2nd on my Bat Book list behind The Long Halloween and right before Dark Victory. I loved the art, I loved the story, I loved seeing the relationships between so many characters, I loved Hush, I loved everything about it. I rank it above Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One.

Ya know, this could be the thing too. With Batman fans.....there are pretty much certain camps on it. There's the MILLER camp....the Loeb Camp too....and I'm a Loeb fan. I enjoy his writing, I love TLH, and DV.

I'll agree with that, stupid GK and Judd Winick

I'm telling ya........GK just crapped all over Hush. DC should have waited for Loeb to wrap it up....or atleast hand it off to a GOOD writer. I mean....the Joker.....using Pigeons of Death...? WTF........

[trustyside-kick]

Batman: Ego
Broken City
Batman: Gothic

all left out, craziness!!!

Broken City SUCKED!!!

That is all.

[Malus]

Here's a better source. It's called a dictionary. Unlike wikipedia, it can't be edited by some 12-year-old in Singapore.
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/graphic%20novel
a fictional story for adults that is presented in comic-strip format and published as a book
Here's another:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=graphic%20novel (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=graphic%20novel)
A novel whose narrative is related through a combination of text and art, often in comic-strip form.
What do they have in common? STORY


Personally, I think the publishers do this medium a serious disservice calling things like the Adams collections "graphic novels."
They are no more "graphic novels" than a collection of Harlan Ellison short stories is a "novel." The Adams collections contain some truly outstanding Batman stories, some of the very best in my opinion. But the books themselves are NOT graphic novels. They are "Collections."

The Great Will Eisner invented the term "graphic novel" and I don't think he intended the term to apply to collections of unrelated stories.
Not that being a "collection" rather than a "novel" takes anything away from these stories, especially Mr. Adams' groundbreaking pieces. They're just not novels. And no, 5 or 6 of them together does not make a novel - unless they originally serialized a single start-to-finish story.
Oh, and I'd consider books like Killing Joke and Mad Love to be "graphic novellas." Neither fish nor fowl. Makes sense to me.
Of course that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
But I doubt it.

[souloffire]

Yeah everything gets lumped in as "graphic novels". The majority of this list is trade paperbacks. Even DKR is a trade paperback of a four issue "prestige format" series. Killing Joke was also called a prestige format book when it came out. I guess it's less confusing to just call everything a graphic novel.

[Malus]

Yeah everything gets lumped in as "graphic novels".... I guess it's less confusing to just call everything a graphic novel.

That's undoubtedly the reasoning of DC and marvel, etc. They're the main culprits in calling everything a "graphic novel." But it really does diminish our medium to have one blanket term that is so silly when applied to things like 84-page novellas.
Remember the would-be cartoonist character, David, on Roseanne?
There were plenty of positive references to comics on that show, the art form was treated with dignity most of the time, but even on Roseanne, the silliness of the term "graphic novel" (when applied to brief form colmics) was ridiculed. I recall Roseanne asking Darlene if they (she and David) were going off to work on their comic. Darlene's reply was, "Yes, mom, and they're not comics anymore-they're 'graphic novels'."
How embarrassing yet how on-the-mark. And it got a pretty big laugh, too.:( It really laid bare the pretentiousness of the term, and I can't find fault in that.

[Bullseye]

How is Batman: The Man Who Laughs ranked #22? When it should be within the top ten.

[co2]

Man I'm so excited. My shipment of books just arrived from Buy.com (that place is incredibly cheap! I got a heck of a steal compared to other retailers)
I got the Year One hardcover and The Long Halloween. I thought those two would go well together being as they are about Bat's early carreer and they were both an influence on Batman Begins.
As a companion set, and since the Supes movie is coming out, I included Superman: The Man of Steel vol 1 (which is as close to a Year One volume as you will get for Supes I think), and Superman: For All Seasons which is by the same writer/artist team as The Long Halloween. I think all of those books should compliment each other well.
I didn't realize TLH was such a big volume. I haven't read any of them so I'm pretty stoked. I had also included two hardcovers of The Punisher and the second volume of Preacher which I think I will dig into first. Feel like a kid in a candy store. I think I have a lot of fun reading ahead of me. :)

[trustyside-kick]

I cant give you a top 25, my top 5 however are:
1. The Long Holloween
2. Batman: Year One
3. Batman: HUSH
4. Batman: Dark Knight Returns
5. Batman: Dark Victory

I'm liking your top 5.

Man I'm so excited. My shipment of books just arrived from Buy.com (that place is incredibly cheap! I got a heck of a steal compared to other retailers)
I got the Year One hardcover and The Long Halloween. I thought those two would go well together being as they are about Bat's early carreer and they were both an influence on Batman Begins.
As a companion set, and since the Supes movie is coming out, I included Superman: The Man of Steel vol 1 (which is as close to a Year One volume as you will get for Supes I think), and Superman: For All Seasons which is by the same writer/artist team as The Long Halloween. I think all of those books should compliment each other well.
I didn't realize TLH was such a big volume. I haven't read any of them so I'm pretty stoked. I had also included two hardcovers of The Punisher and the second volume of Preacher which I think I will dig into first. Feel like a kid in a candy store. I think I have a lot of fun reading ahead of me.

Hope you enjoy The Long Halloween...probably my most favorite..still trying to decide. :P

[souloffire]

Man I'm so excited. My shipment of books just arrived from Buy.com (that place is incredibly cheap! I got a heck of a steal compared to other retailers)
I got the Year One hardcover and The Long Halloween. I thought those two would go well together being as they are about Bat's early carreer and they were both an influence on Batman Begins.
As a companion set, and since the Supes movie is coming out, I included Superman: The Man of Steel vol 1 (which is as close to a Year One volume as you will get for Supes I think), and Superman: For All Seasons which is by the same writer/artist team as The Long Halloween. I think all of those books should compliment each other well.
I didn't realize TLH was such a big volume. I haven't read any of them so I'm pretty stoked. I had also included two hardcovers of The Punisher and the second volume of Preacher which I think I will dig into first. Feel like a kid in a candy store. I think I have a lot of fun reading ahead of me. :)You got alot of reading to do my friend. Let us know what you think of em'.

[co2]

Well, Just finished Year One. I have to be honest. It was a bit disapointing. Not that it was bad...just, it didn't do a thing for me. I found Gordon's story more interesting than Batman's. But I have never really been a fan of Miller's noirish style of writing. I can see how it work's well for Sin City or even Daredevil being that he requires first person monologues since he is all about the senses. But it's not my cup o' tea I guess. And I thought the art was a bit of a let down.
Oh well, I'm going to start on The Long Halloween next.

[theMan-Bat]

Year One is great. Realistic with no supervillains. Real life pimps, thugs and the corrupt police. Batman's not perfect. He makes big mistakes. He's constantly learning from his mistakes.

[co2]

Year One is great. Realistic with no supervillains. Real life pimps, thugs and the corrupt police. Batman's not perfect. He makes big mistakes. He's constantly learning from his mistakes.

That I like. I prefer realism. I don't read most comics because I'm not into the over-the-top quality of most. That's actually why I liked following Gordon's storyline more than Batman's.
Miller's writing just doesn't do much for me. It feels disconnected from the illustrations at times. And he seems to have a hard time with dialogue. I guess that is why he does inner monologues all of the time.
That's just my feelings though.

[ToddIsDead]

Well, Just finished Year One. I have to be honest. It was a bit disapointing. Not that it was bad...just, it didn't do a thing for me. I found Gordon's story more interesting than Batman's. But I have never really been a fan of Miller's noirish style of writing. I can see how it work's well for Sin City or even Daredevil being that he requires first person monologues since he is all about the senses. But it's not my cup o' tea I guess. And I thought the art was a bit of a let down.
Oh well, I'm going to start on The Long Halloween next.
That's funny, because I thought Mazzuchelli's art was fantastic. Perfectly complemented the story. He's one of my favorite artists.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

[Sandman138]

That I like. I prefer realism. I don't read most comics because I'm not into the over-the-top quality of most. That's actually why I liked following Gordon's storyline more than Batman's.
Miller's writing just doesn't do much for me. It feels disconnected from the illustrations at times. And he seems to have a hard time with dialogue. I guess that is why he does inner monologues all of the time.
That's just my feelings though.

His dialouge is fine. He's one of the few writers who doesn't fill his dialouge with exposition. His internal monolouges get to be a bit much, but the up side is that they also tend to work in synergy with the illustrations. He doesn't use the juxtaposition of words and images in a redundent manner like a good deal of writers. Not that he's perfect, but I like him more than a good deal of Batman writers. And if I hear that Year One is a "Gordon story" one more ****ing time I will snap. Year One is much more literary in its approach. It focuses on a thematic shared between Gordon and Batman. You understand each character better through the comparison put forth. Neither one is the main character.

All that being said, Arkham Asylum is still the best Batman graphic novel.

[theMan-Bat]

All that being said, Arkham Asylum is still the best Batman graphic novel.

That's right!

[ToddIsDead]

I'll third that. Arkham Asylum was so good.

[souloffire]

I still say Year One is not only the best Batman story but one of the best comic books period.

[theMan-Bat]

Year One is definitely one of the best comics.

[co2]

And if I hear that Year One is a "Gordon story" one more ****ing time I will snap. Year One is much more literary in its approach. It focuses on a thematic shared between Gordon and Batman. You understand each character better through the comparison put forth. Neither one is the main character.

All that being said, Arkham Asylum is still the best Batman graphic novel.

You are right that neither is the main character That's why I said I liked following Gordon's storyline in the book rather than Batman's, not that his was the main focus.

I will be re-reading Arkham soon too and post my thoughts.

[Two-Face]

The Long Halloween excellent read.

[union_jak]

I'm trying to sort out my Batman graphic novel collection, I've only just begun, but I'm spending away my money so I can try and make a decent collection.

I currently have

Year One (being delivered)
The Long Halloween (being delivered)
Year Two
Dark Victory
Haunted Knight
Batgirl Year One (being delivered)
The Killing Joke
Arkham Asylum
Cataclysm
No Man's Land Vols 1-5
Dark Knight Returns
Dark Knight Strikes Back (being delivered)

...as well as a couple of Catwoman books.

If I want to have a nice collection on my shelf what ones am I missing above all else? I want to get Nightwing Year One, Robin Year One and the Hush books, any more major ones?

[union_jak]

Ok, don't worry, I found the 'Batman comics recommendation thread', which is very helpful.
I want to buy the stories that are in continuity, no Elseworlds or ancient tales from the Sixties, but this thread'll help!

[Two-Face]

I'm slowly building my Batman graphic novels collection:

Batman Begins graphic novel with other tales of the Dark Knight.
Batman: The Long Halloween (will be delivered)

Like I said I'm building slowly

[chaz jin]

the night wing manga is in production by7 charles mcarter and anime.
also scarlet spider manga is in production.

[co2]

Well, I just finished Long Halloween and I really liked it...up until the very end.
Loeb and Sale are great collaborators. I think Loeb's writing is complimented well by Sale's art because they are both kinda quirky. I think that is why I liked it better than Hush because, Lee's art is incredible....but I feel like Sale's art is a better match for Loeb's style. It was like reading a Tim Burton movie. And the mystery kept me interested. I thought that was definitely the best part of it. And the way it looked like it was ending, I was very pleased with because I thought it was not only a surprise, but it made sense. It was an "Ah-ha" ending. But then at the very end, it implied something that didn't make a lot of sense. I'll just say the very end left me a bit irritated and is the only thing that is keeping me from loving this book. (I won't spoil it in this thread. If you have read it, go check the thread titled "Question about ending of TLH")

[Frosty81]

I just picked up the Year One hardcover last weekend and finished it earlier this week. Now I am re-reading TLH; Year One flows nicely into it. After this I will re-read Dark Victory. I hope DC doesn't wait too long to release the graphic novel for the Monster Men story. From what I've seen here it looks great.

- Chris

[co2]

Well, I finished The Killing Joke, and I have to say...that was really impressive. It was much shorter than anything I have read so far, but man did it pack a punch. I can see a heavy influence on the batman film. Pretty much my favorite so far.

[Two-Face]

I haven't read Batman:The Man Who Laughs but I been told that it's very good since it's sequel to Batman: Year One.

[co2]

I have finished my Batman reading. I have read a total 5 graphic novels...four of which are in the top 5 of that list. I'll go ahead and give my ranking and comments.

5. Hush -Didn't care for it at all. Lee's art is great and I like Lobe, but personally I didn't feel that it was a good fit. It felt very disjointed as far as story telling goes.

4. Year One -It was good. I can see how it is so revered for reshaping the direction of Batman. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the art and Miller's over-reliance on inner monologue. But I did like the fact that Gordon was as important as Bruce in the story. I actually found Gordon more interesting.

now it gets tough for me to decide.

3. The Long Halloween -Was a really good read. I most of all enjoyed the mystery (though I still have a problem with the conclusion). I think this is a better pairing of artist and writer. Lobe and Sale compliment one another so well. The combination of those two made reading TLH feel like I was watching a Tim Burton Batman film.

2. Arkham Asylum -Very impressive. That was about as moody as a book can be. I'm usually not a fan of non- traditional style art work, but it served the story so well. I had a really errie feeling reading it..so mission accomplished...I do feel like it humanized Batman a little more than it should have. (I can't see Batman asking Gordon "what's up?") But overall, it was a difficult choice between this and what is in slot #1.

1. The Killing Joke- This short story had as much punch as a Mike Tyson knockout. Really well written, twisted, excellent art...I can't really find a flaw. I can see some of the influences on the original Batman film. And like the movie, Joker was entertaining to watch, but he was still very frightening. I love the cover and how it could be a missing panel from the story (It's Barbara Gordon's perspective... right after being shot!).

So that's it...was some fun stuff, I'm glad I read it for the most part.
I'm going to move on to a couple of Supes books now and see how I feel about those.

[trustyside-kick]

Ima post my top whatever when I get some more books. I am supposed to be getting some in the mail and I downloaded some from BitLord.

[General_Grievous]

Everyone has suggested some great reads, and as I am reading/re-reading certain titles in my Bat-collection, then this would probably be my top 5 -

1) Batman: Year One - simply because it serves as a definitive origin of Batman and the world he lives in. I like the idea of seeing the story through a normal man's eyes (Gordons) and the pages are full of thick slabs of colour - the murky greys to the gritty creams and browns, they all soak the page

2) Batman: The Long Halloween - a great murder-mystery plot that you can't second-guess, plus it takes place in "Year One" territory. Tim Sale's unique art style adds new cartoonish quality to the characters, whilst keeping the tone dark and always feeling intelligent.

3) Batman : Dark Victory - a nice sequel to TLH and a logical retelling of the Robin origin and why Bruce takes Dick Grayson under his wing. Revelations about Selina Kyle and the new killer on the loose all make it a compelling read.

4) The Dark Knight Returns - I actually love this book more for it's impact than it's story, sure it's a must-have read, but without this adult and sensitive graphic novel, Batman most certainly wouldn't have been the character he is today. The story actually flows quite smoothly and is easy to get into, which I found surprising as I expected it to be more...heavy.

5) Batman: Hush - one of the greatest Batman arcs, in my opinion, and proof that the franchise is still well-loved. Jim Lee's art is glorious and when he's teamed with Loeb, he doesn't fail. Nice to see Loeb working out of his comfort zone by not sticking with Tim Sale. I like seeing confident Batman, on top of his game, with his gadgets and abilities fully-honed, when compared to his sloppier "Year One" antics.

But there are so many great Batman stories out there that my list is certainly no indication of how far and wide the Batman mythos spreads. I shall certainly be adding to my collection and I will be reading Batman's adventures on into the future.

[trustyside-kick]

I liked your top 5 list, only I would put Year One as number five, bump TLH to 1st, have DV follow it and bump Hush to third place, DKR to number 4 then. But that is just me. :)

[General_Grievous]

I liked your top 5 list, only I would put Year One as number five, bump TLH to 1st, have DV follow it and bump Hush to third place, DKR to number 4 then. But that is just me. :)

It's my list and I'm stickin' to it. :batman:

[General_Grievous]

Well, Just finished Year One. I have to be honest. It was a bit disapointing. Not that it was bad...just, it didn't do a thing for me. I found Gordon's story more interesting than Batman's. But I have never really been a fan of Miller's noirish style of writing. I can see how it work's well for Sin City or even Daredevil being that he requires first person monologues since he is all about the senses. But it's not my cup o' tea I guess. And I thought the art was a bit of a let down.
Oh well, I'm going to start on The Long Halloween next.

I think you'll like TLH. The twists keep on coming. All the way to the end...

[General_Grievous]

Well, Just finished Year One. I have to be honest. It was a bit disapointing. Not that it was bad...just, it didn't do a thing for me. I found Gordon's story more interesting than Batman's. But I have never really been a fan of Miller's noirish style of writing. I can see how it work's well for Sin City or even Daredevil being that he requires first person monologues since he is all about the senses. But it's not my cup o' tea I guess. And I thought the art was a bit of a let down.
Oh well, I'm going to start on The Long Halloween next.

I think you'll like TLH. The twists keep on coming. All the way to the end...

[General_Grievous]

Sorry for the multiple posts, pesky computer froze for a few seconds.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed TLH, co2.

[trustyside-kick]

I think you'll like TLH. The twists keep on coming. All the way to the end...

Yea. Which is why April Fool's Day is one of my favorite issues. Riddler giving Falcone all these possible scenarios and Bats himself thinking of possible scenarios to solve the case. The Long Halloween is my favorite one.

[Mr. Socko]

Whats the best comic involving the Riddler? He's such a hard character to do, and seems like he only has small parts in most of the comics.

[trustyside-kick]

I do not know if it was his best...but the fact that he was the mastermind behind Hush was cool. But I guess he was not technically the main villain since you saw him so little...

[Two-Face]

i don't like Riddler from TLH, Loeb and Sale made him weak who's old man. :down:

[trustyside-kick]

I didn't like Sale's Riddler either but his role in The Long Halloween was pretty cool.

[trustyside-kick]

Hey guys, War Crimes is in continuity right? Maybe the site I use is not updated but it should be since it has Infinite Crisis in it but it does not show War Crimes in continuity.

Also, is City of Crime from Detective Comics good? I bet it is since it is like the thing right before War Games.

If War Crimes is in continuity then I should probably read City of Crime, War Games and then the Epilogue of it (Batman #634), and lastly War Crimes right?

[trustyside-kick]

Guess I'll make a thread about what I asked above.

Not all of these are Graphic Novels but everything from As the Crow Flies to right before One Year Later was awesome. I finally read those.

[OneKnight]

Does anyone know what the individual issues are (numbers) that make up Tales of the Demon?

[theMan-Bat]

Tales of the Demon:

Detective #411 (1971) "Into the Den of the Death Dealers". First time Batman meets Talia. Art by Bob Brown.

Batman #232 (1971) "Daughter of the Demon". First time Batman meets Ra's Al Ghul. Art by Neal Adams.

Batman #235 (1971) "Swamp Sinister". Art by Irv Novick.

Batman #240 (1972) "Vengeance For A Dead Man". Art by Irv Novick.

Batman #242 (1972) "Bruce Wayne-Rest In Peace!" Art by Irv Novick.

Batman #243 (1972) "The Lazarus Pit!" Art by Neal Adams.

Batman #244 (1972) "The Demon Lives Again". Art by Neal Adams.

DC Special Series #15 (1978) "I Now Pronounce You Batman And Wife!" Art by Michael Golden.

Detective #485 (1979) "The Vengeance Vow!" Art by Don Newton.

Detective #489 (1980) "Where Strikes The Assassins". Art by Don Newton.

All written by Ra's Al Ghul creator Denny O'Neil.
Cover by Ra's Al Ghul co-creator Neal Adams.

http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/2710_400x600.jpg

[OneKnight]

theMan-Bat,

Thanks a ton. You da man!

[Iglius]

I definately don't have enough reading under my belt to dish out a top 25, I've recently been starting to get into Batman, and my favorites so for, in no particular order are:
The Dark Knight Returns
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
Hush

I wanted to like The Dark Knight Strikes Again, but I personally thought it was crap. It was such a far cry from DKR, which was dark and gritty, and I wished Miller would have kept it that way. I thought the artwork was far from an improvement of the first, I didn't like all those pixelation effects. But thats just me.Naturally, being the nerd that I am though, I read it anyway just to see how the whole thing ended.

[trustyside-kick]

I have wanted to read The Dark Knight Returns because people have talked so much about it just I have not been able to. But thumbs up on your other ones you listed. The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and Hush are some of my favorites and all written by Loeb. :up: :)

[Kraven]

I have found myself buying more and more Batman trades and comics lately. It seems much better than some of the stuff goin on at Marvel, maybe that's why. Anyway I recently got the Killing Joke trade, and it was easily one of the best Bat stories I have ever read. Ever. The Joker was so crazy and evil in it, but at the same time very cunning. On another note, of the following trades, which would you recommend most?:
Hush
Year One
DKR

[trustyside-kick]

Year One is overrated IMO. Not that good.

Hush is awesome.

Have not read The Dark Knight Returns yet but I have heard good things.

[Kraven]

Alright, thanks for the help. I'll definately rule Year One out on the next one I'm buying then. I'll just see what my book store has and pick the first I see of the two.

[souloffire]

Alright, thanks for the help. I'll definately rule Year One out on the next one I'm buying then. I'll just see what my book store has and pick the first I see of the two.Don't rule it out. It's one of the best stories ever written.

[trustyside-kick]

I did not say do not read it. By all means read it but I just did not think it was good. If you got BitLord just go ahead and download Year One rather than buy it. :P

[Sandman138]

I have found myself buying more and more Batman trades and comics lately. It seems much better than some of the stuff goin on at Marvel, maybe that's why. Anyway I recently got the Killing Joke trade, and it was easily one of the best Bat stories I have ever read. Ever. The Joker was so crazy and evil in it, but at the same time very cunning. On another note, of the following trades, which would you recommend most?:
Hush
Year One
DKR

Year One is pretty much agreed to be Batman's best origin, with a few naysayers that complain that Miller hates superheros. I personally love DKR because it saw Batman as a product of the time he was in (1980's) and understood that for Batman to do what he does, he couldn't be on the right side of the law. The idea of Batman as an extension of the police was no more than an idyllic fantasy. The reality was that Batman was not just a vigilante, but a facist, and that just because he put dangerous people behind bars didn't mean he was a hero. A good deal of folks around here think that this is insulting to who Batman is, I think its excellent evidence that superhero comics can be more than juvenile tales of good versus evil, and can trancsend archetypes and binarys to become something more literary and, though the word is tired by now, postmodern. I hate Hush. In my opinion, it is a poorly concieved adolescent fantasy that tries to masquerade as an intelligent and character driven mystery, but utterly fails within the first act. If you are paying the slightest amount of attention, you will know how it is going to end by the third issue, and any character development is more or less retconned by the end, leaving the characters the same as they were at the begining.

[trustyside-kick]

How can you say you will know how it will end by the third issue. I was going say about how could you tell "this" or "that" was going to happen at the end from the first three issues but the kid who was asking about Hush along with the other stories wouldn't like it if I spoiled it for him.

[Spidey-Bat]

Year One is pretty much agreed to be Batman's best origin, with a few naysayers that complain that Miller hates superheros. I personally love DKR because it saw Batman as a product of the time he was in (1980's) and understood that for Batman to do what he does, he couldn't be on the right side of the law. The idea of Batman as an extension of the police was no more than an idyllic fantasy. The reality was that Batman was not just a vigilante, but a facist, and that just because he put dangerous people behind bars didn't mean he was a hero. A good deal of folks around here think that this is insulting to who Batman is, I think its excellent evidence that superhero comics can be more than juvenile tales of good versus evil, and can trancsend archetypes and binarys to become something more literary and, though the word is tired by now, postmodern. I hate Hush. In my opinion, it is a poorly concieved adolescent fantasy that tries to masquerade as an intelligent and character driven mystery, but utterly fails within the first act. If you are paying the slightest amount of attention, you will know how it is going to end by the third issue, and any character development is more or less retconned by the end, leaving the characters the same as they were at the begining.

You're the only other person I know who hates Hush. I do as well. I especially hated how Riddler, the brains behind the operation appeared in 1 scene. It wasn't obvious he was the mastermind. Any good mystery is one the reader can solve.

[trustyside-kick]

Do the spoiler code or something on your post...the guy who made us bring up Hush has not read it and you just spoiled part of it for him. :(

[Sandman138]

I wanted to like The Dark Knight Strikes Again, but I personally thought it was crap. It was such a far cry from DKR, which was dark and gritty, and I wished Miller would have kept it that way. I thought the artwork was far from an improvement of the first, I didn't like all those pixelation effects. But thats just me.Naturally, being the nerd that I am though, I read it anyway just to see how the whole thing ended.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. DKSA was not trying to follow up the style of DKR, but the idea behind it. In the same way that DKR was a sociopolitical commentary on the eighties, DKSA is to the nineties. If Miller had kept it dark and gritty, it may have made for a more acceptable story, but it would not have been doing what made DKR so great: using the genre to make a statement about present culture. Now, I agree that DKSA was a terrible follow up to DKR, but not because it was so radically different in content from it. I didn't like it because it simplified the issues. DKR understood that heroes could not save the world anymore, our culture has become too complex to work within the binary of good and evil. By the end of DKR Batman was more or less gone, replaced by a political revolutionary who wanted to enforce sense on a world he saw as being sensless. In DKSA, however, when the world is even more screwed up (the president, a hologram, is a figurehead for the interests of corporations, Luthor, and computerization, Brainiac) it is enough to have costumed men and women running around commiting random acts of guerilla warfare to fix everything, oh and Superman and Wonder Woman have sex... hardly the kind of commentary we got from DKR. The ending boils everything down to a typical climactic fight (which we have already established as not solving anything) and a gay joke. While I do think that it is important to understand that Batman has homosexual tendancies, it is not enough to simply suggest that he is gay. There is something deeper going on in his psyche and Miller totally copped out with that one. Overall, DKSA felt like a brilliant concept that was rushed far too much.

[theMan-Bat]

I hate Hush too.

[trustyside-kick]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. DKSA was not trying to follow up the style of DKR, but the idea behind it. In the same way that DKR was a sociopolitical commentary on the eighties, DKSA is to the nineties.

So I am guessing that Holy Terror Batman is supposed to be the same thing but for the current time period. Since afterall it is said supposed to have Batman fighting Al Queda terrorists and crap.

:down

[Sandman138]

How can you say you will know how it will end by the third issue. I was going say about how could you tell "this" or "that" was going to happen at the end from the first three issues but the kid who was asking about Hush along with the other stories wouldn't like it if I spoiled it for him.

By the time I finished either issue three or four, I knew who Loeb was going to have Hush be and I knew that his motives were going to be tied into their parents, since Loeb stressed the difference between Eliot and Wayne's childhoods ad nauseum. Plus all those flashbacks where Eliot outsmarts Wayne pretty much juxtaposed with Hush outsmarting Batman and it gets really obvious. I didn't know who the mastermind was, but that was tacked on anyways and had little to do with the story. As for the other developments, I'm sorry but they were all incredibly derivitive. All those other villians were a pretty piss poor cover for what was baisicallty a Scooby Doo style mystery.

[Sandman138]

So I am guessing that Holy Terror Batman is supposed to be the same thing but for the current time period. Since afterall it is said supposed to have Batman fighting Al Queda terrorists and crap.

:down

Did you read the rest of my post? Just because its a sociopolitical commentary doesn't mean its a particularly good one.

[trustyside-kick]

And from reading what you hid under the spoiler code I can somewhat understand that but the whole time I was unsure who Hush was.

Not the first time I heard someone disliking all those villains used. But each had a certain role and job to do.

Did you like Loeb's TLH and DV? Those were mysteries as well.

[trustyside-kick]

Did you read the rest of my post? Just because its a sociopolitical commentary doesn't mean its a particularly good one.

Oh I know. I was just adding that in since Miller's latest Batman work is supposed to be Holy Terror Batman which I am not looking forward to at all.

[Sandman138]

And from reading what you hid under the spoiler code I can somewhat understand that but the whole time I was unsure who Hush was.

Not the first time I heard someone disliking all those villains used. But each had a certain role and job to do.

Did you like Loeb's TLH and DV? Those were mysteries as well.

Dark Victory I liked. TLH was very dissapointing for me. It was too derivative, and again, most of the mystery was only due to cramming in a lot of villians and saying "look how many suspects there are" and then just having the actual culprits be the ones that the story didn't pay any attention to, and trying to pass that off as unexpected. I liked the concept of the freaks taking over in the wake of organized crime, but that was handeled much better in DV anyways. I thought they did a good job with Dent, but that in itself can't overshadow the things I didn't like. I'm not a fan of Loeb in general, I think Sale saves his ass most of the time. Sale can tell a story visualy, and his panels are filled with semiotic information. I think Loeb is too expositional and that while he has a knack for writing scenes, he can't fit them together very well. Dark Victory had more believable motivations for the characters. The Hangman's riddle was actually a good mystery, it really led you in one direction and when you realize that you misread the note you get that satisfaction that comes from a great twist. The scene with Selina at the end was a nice touch (and works really well with Year One) and overall, I felt that the story was just thought throgh more than TLH was.

[Sandman138]

Oh I know. I was just adding that in since Miller's latest Batman work is supposed to be Holy Terror Batman which I am not looking forward to at all.

It could be good. Miller's work in the 9/11 tribute was some of his best in years. The problem is that it could very easily go from having something to say, to being a spectacle, and Miller seems to be reveling in spectacle at the moment.

[Kraven]

Hmm, now I'm undecided on which to buy, but I'll probably get DKR since everyone seems to be in agreement that that is good.

And I didn't want to sound like I'm never going to read Year One. I planned to sometime in the future, just not really soon.

[ToddIsDead]

Everyone that wants to read about Batman should read Year One. It's practically required reading.

[darwinwins]

i think a new addition to that list should be the loeb/sale catwoman story. tlh, kv. and wir should be just grouped as one super story.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

TLH......DV.....yes, but aren't the other stand alones? Although Hush could fit in too.....

[darwinwins]

the loeb/sale collaborations take place roughly as year 2 story following miller's year one story ... i think. the catwoman story takes place between tlh and dv.

[boywondernerdDC]

Everyone that wants to read about Batman should read Year One. It's practically required reading.

absolutely

[OneKnight]

Sandman138,

What is your top ten list of Batman stories?

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Just read DV......and wow. Simply.....wow.

It's not as good as TLH, but for me...TLH is like the bible of Batman Novels.

DV was awesome......the Selina thing was awesome, especially how she broke it off. And Dick Grayson was great too.....loved the comparisons between Bruce's childhood and Dick's.

[trustyside-kick]

Just read DV......and wow. Simply.....wow.

It's not as good as TLH, but for me...TLH is like the bible of Batman Novels.

DV was awesome......the Selina thing was awesome, especially how she broke it off. And Dick Grayson was great too.....loved the comparisons between Bruce's childhood and Dick's.

Also I liked it how Sale drew Selina more attractive in DV. The first picture of her in TLH is ew...

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Yeah.....he really improved on her the most.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Ya know...I've been looking for THE MAN WHO LAUGHS.....is that in tpb form or not?

[Kraven]

I think it's only found in the original printing it was printed in... and it is very, VERY hard to find.:(

[Two-Face]

My top list

1.Batman: The Long Halloween
2.Batman: Year One
3.Batman: The Man Who Falls (Short comic that I love)
4.Batman: The Killing Joke
5.Batman: The Man Who Laughs
6.Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
7.Batman Begins: Graphic Novel ( but the movie is first)
8.Batman: No Man's land Volumes 1-5
9.Batman: Bruce Wayne: Murderer? Volumes 1-3
10.Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again. (Not that great as first one)

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Crap.....so, there's no way of finding it......great.

Is it that good, though? I mean...if there's no 2nd printings or anything......

[trustyside-kick]

Crap.....so, there's no way of finding it......great.

Is it that good, though? I mean...if there's no 2nd printings or anything......

http://isohunt.com/torrents.php?ihq=Batman%3A+The+Man+Who+Laughs&ext=&op=and

Click the one that says 'batman chronology - part 1'. You obviously gotta download Bitlord but still; and when downloading your torrent it takes a while. And yes reading on the computer can get annoying but hey, you cannot exactly go out and buy The Man Who Laughs now can you?

Thank you, I'll be here all night. :O

Man I love Bitlord. :up:

[ToddIsDead]

I went out like two weeks after Man Who Laughs came out and picked it right up. It's a really good read. They really need to do a second printing, because that book is so good, and it's in so high demand that they'd make a killing on a second printing.

[trustyside-kick]

Ack, Bitlord has let me down...or rather people using it. Not many people to seed off of...I just started the download for The Man Who Laughs and it is like 'stopped' for now or something...guess the person I was downloading off got off. :(

[ChrisBaleBatman]

I need to download torrent?

[trustyside-kick]

I need to download torrent?

You download the program Bitlord first. Then you check out my link, you click the thing that says 'Download .torrent'. It is the link in I believe big blue letters, you cannot miss it.

[Kraven]

Meh, for me reading a comic on the computer is not the same as an actual book. Sometimes the words are too blurry, you can't read them, and it just isn't me I guess. If they made a second printing, I would be unbelievably happy. What's the plot of the story anyway, besides being the first encounter between Joker and Bats?

[trustyside-kick]

Meh, for me reading a comic on the computer is not the same as an actual book. Sometimes the words are too blurry, you can't read them, and it just isn't me I guess. If they made a second printing, I would be unbelievably happy. What's the plot of the story anyway, besides being the first encounter between Joker and Bats?

Yea I know what you mean. It is worse when you try to read an extremely huge series like Knightfall Saga or War Games. :O

[Calendar Man]

What about "Penguin Triumphant" folks?

[trustyside-kick]

By the way ChrisBaleBatman, there was no one to seed off of last night when I was downloading The Man Who Laughs but this morning I was able to download from Bitlord.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

cool man.

[trustyside-kick]

Holy crap I am reading it at the moment and it is so cool! I hope they take a whole lot of elements from The Man Who Laughs and puts it into the movie sequel.

[trustyside-kick]

Wow, just finished it and that is easily getting bumped up into my top 5.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Once it's downloaded...what do you do? It doesn't open....

[trustyside-kick]

Once it's downloaded...what do you do? It doesn't open....

Download WinRAR if you do not have it. The go to your folder wherever your programs are and go to the Bitlord folder and go to Downloads folder, then find the folder with the file you downloaded. Open that folder and if you downloaded WinRAR like I said double click the file and extract the file.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Thanks alot Trusty, I totally owe you.

[trustyside-kick]

Thanks alot Trusty, I totally owe you.

Another life saved because of my knowledge of Bitlord. :) :up:

[trustyside-kick]

I've been wanting to read Arkham Asylum. Just out of curiousity is this story a stand alone one or is it in continuity. I am not asking to determine if I should read it or not just curious.

[ToddIsDead]

It's standalone, and it's amazingly good.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Yeah, it was pretty good. It does feel a little dated.....but other than that, and the very creepy feel of the book....lol, it's nice.

[ToddIsDead]

Dated my ass. It's the best goddamn Batman book ever for my money.

[trustyside-kick]

I started reading though and it says that it takes place before No Man Lands. Like Jane Doe while she impersonates that Doctor says that in her "thought boxes".

[ToddIsDead]

What, Arkham? Arkham was published atleast five years before anyone had the idea for No Man's Land.

[trustyside-kick]

Here is the page I was talking about. Towards the bottom you will see what I am talking about and why I am asking.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/dhunter22/ArkhamAsylum-LivingHell1pg14.jpg

[ToddIsDead]

We're talking about Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth by Grant Morrison and Dave Mckean. I think that's Arkham Asylum: Living Hell. Two completely different books.

[trustyside-kick]

Oh ok. See, I was not aware that there was another one called Arkham Asylum. Yes, the one I am reading is Living Hell. Sorry for the mix up. But I am guessing this one is in continuity then since it is before No Mand's Land like that scan I showed says.

[ToddIsDead]

I've never read Living Hell, but from what I know of it, it's nothing like The original Arkham Asylum. Morrison's Arkham is absolutely stunning.

[trustyside-kick]

I've never read Living Hell, but from what I know of it, it's nothing like The original Arkham Asylum. Morrison's Arkham is absolutely stunning.

Are they supposed to be somewhat alike?

Is Morrison's the one where like the cover to to the Graphic Novel has like demented looking Joker thing with what looks like fangs?

The one you are talking about is the one I heard has a different style to the drawing. At least more unique than most comics right?

[ToddIsDead]

Yeah. The one that you're thinking of is Morrison's Arkham. It has nothing to do with Living Hell. It's easily one of the best Batman stories, and it's it's just a plain great horror story.

[trustyside-kick]

Yeah. The one that you're thinking of is Morrison's Arkham. It has nothing to do with Living Hell. It's easily one of the best Batman stories, and it's it's just a plain great horror story.

Man, I got the wrong one lol. I wanted that one. Not Living Hell; it is okay though.

[OneKnight]

There are three recognized Arkham stories:

1. Arkham Asylum - A serious House on Serious Earth that ToddIsDead is talking about (He's right, it's great).

2. The Last Arkham (which is the first four issues from the Shadow of the Bat series which started in 1992).

3. Arkham Asylum - Living Hell (a six part comic series that you can now get as a trade paperback)
_______________________________________________

I've been wanting to read Arkham Asylum. Just out of curiousity is this story a stand alone one or is it in continuity. I am not asking to determine if I should read it or not just curious.

Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth and Arkham Asylum - Living Hell fall under Miscellaneous or stand alone as TID said. They’re not in continuity, but they’re not Elseworlds either.

http://www.thebatsquad.net/batman/misc/index.htm

First row. Third and fourth.

What about "Penguin Triumphant" folks?

I know it, but I've never read it. It also falls under miscellaneous. (See link above) Fourth row. First one.

WARNING : COMPLETE SPOILAGE if you click on the cover picture once you get there. Snipe gives a complete review.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Arkham Asylum- Living Hell?

What's that about really?

[Mee]

Arkham Asylum- Living Hell?

What's that about really?
I think it's about a new inmate who's meeting all the crazies. If I remember right.

[OneKnight]

Arkham Asylum- Living Hell?

What's that about really?

Warren White, one of Gotham's most successful financiers, thought he could beat his jail rap by pleading insanity. Now he's finding out why you don't cop an insanity plea in Gotham! Expect appearances by Batman, The Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, and the rest of Arkham's regulars — plus the debut of several new Rogues!


AA - A Serious House on Serious Earth is the best of the three. If you only get one, I suggest you get that.

[Kraven]

Is the Knightfall Saga in continuity? I mean, Bats broke his back, but before long he's okay again?

[trustyside-kick]

Is the Knightfall Saga in continuity? I mean, Bats broke his back, but before long he's okay again?

Yea. Why wouldn't it be? Azrael becomes Batman while Bruce is hurt and then I think Dick in Prodigal.

[Kraven]

Yea. Why wouldn't it be? Azrael becomes Batman while Bruce is hurt and then I think Dick in Prodigal.
Well, I was just under the impression that breaking your back isn't something you heal from somewhat quickly.

[trustyside-kick]

Well, I was just under the impression that breaking your back isn't something you heal from somewhat quickly.

Oh ya. I mean the first big book of the Knightfall Saga just about is Bats fighting and then he gets his back broken...the next 2 books that make up the Knightfall Saga Bats isn't Bats until like the end of the 3rd one. They did a good job with how fast/slow he healed.

[Malone]

This is my list:

1. Hush
2. The Long Halloween
3. Knightfall
4. Year One

[ToddIsDead]

Well, I was just under the impression that breaking your back isn't something you heal from somewhat quickly.
He was healed by a witch doctor, so that kind of sped up the process.

[trustyside-kick]

I've commented about other people's lists or have discussed some of the Graphic Novels mentioned but I believe I have not made my own.

I am only going to list my top 5 Batman stories because after the first 5 to me the rest are just like "Okay I liked this one a lot and this one too...but I will list this one before the other anyway." So here is my top 5:

1. The Long Halloween
2. The Man Who Laughs
3. Dark Victory
4. Hush
5. Year One

[Ben Urich]

Are there really 25 truly great Batman stories that have been collected?
I can think of a few, but certainly not 25.
In no particular order:

Arkham Asylum: Serious House on a Serious Earth
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
Strange Apparitions
Year One
The Dark Knight Returns
The Killing Joke
Gotham by Gaslight

These two aren't just Batman stories, but he figures prominently in them:

Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

This one only counts if you read the (badass) novelization by Greg Rucka - the comic was just... disappointing.

No Man's Land


I think Hush is an okay story, but it's tremendously overrated. :o

[Fred_Fury]

Thanks for posting the list. I just read Batman: The Dark Knight returns (****ing awesome book!) and Ive been wanting to get more Batman Graphic Novels.

[Ben Urich]

Thanks for posting the list. I just read Batman: The Dark Knight returns (****ing awesome book!) and Ive been wanting to get more Batman Graphic Novels.

I had to read and reread DKR at least 5 times before I really started to appreciate it. It's cool that you got it on your first try. :up:

[Silver Ghost]

10. Red Rain
9 . Prey
8. Ten Nights of the Beast
7. Son of the Demon
6. The Killing Joke
5. Venom
4. Shaman
3. Knightfall
2. Year One
1. The Dark Knight Returns

A top 25 is a stretch as my reading is largely relegated to the modern era, even if the trade paperback format usually only reprints stories from this time where the medium became more aware and recognized as a serious from of art and literature.
I find Batman to be the most versatile and unique character in the whole industry and place Dark Knight Returns on top for helping to expand the market and adding more dimension to the mythos.
For all the discussions of Miller’s work being overrated it has garnered an overblown reputation throughout the years but it's still powerful storytelling and indicative of how the bat books have been static since that timeframe. They’re still much more relevant and important to the mythos than Halloween or Victory, which was just a cut and paste overlay of the general modern landscape of Batman and mob films. The books are well written enough not to be dismissed, and readable to an extent but whether those writings are worth reading I’m not real sure, as they’re places readers are already familiar with, recycled scenarios and events to pander to the fan base, 700 pages that’s more a random collection of events. The stories have no depth or foundation with so many characters, and that implausible shock ending which is not justified by the writing. Halloween/Victory presents a lot of old themes or events done before and better. I wouldn’t include either on any best of list. And I’m not sure why after Hush and how it nearly obliterated the recent, strong continuity of the realm, the same derision wasn't laid upon that story like Miller’s DKSA. It's another fasle exploitative "mystery" that leaves more questions than answers and has that same derivative, inconsistent tone of previous writings.

[Kraven]

Edit: I realize the answer to my question was on the last page, so instead I'm posting my top 4 trades of the 4 I own.

1. The Killing Joke
2. Arkham Asylum
3. Year One
4. The Long Halloween

[thehappster]

Compiling everybody's list from this thread, this is what comes out as the winners for top 5:

1. Long Halloween
2. Year One
3. Dark Knight Returns
4. Killing Joke
5. Hush

(I'd have to agree with the first 4 for sure, not sure about the last one though.)