Top 3 favorite Batman Graphic Novels

[Cain]

1) Strange Apparitions
2) Year One
3) The Last Arkham

I don't even think The Long Halloween is even in my Batman top 10 let alone top 3.

*ducks tomatoes*

*Van Damme forehead bump*

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

1) The Long Halloween
2) Contagion
3) Hush

 

[TruerToTheCore]

The best stuff is not in "Graphic Novels".

 

[Dark Victory]

1. Dark Victory
2. The Long Halloween
3. Batman: Year One

 

[Two-Face]

The long Halloween
Year One
The Dark Knight Returns

 

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

Long Haloween
Arkham Asylum
Killing Joke

 

[Eagle_23]

1. The Man Who Laughs
2. The Long Halloween
3. Hush

 

[Cain]

The best stuff is not in "Graphic Novels".

Yes but many of these trades or "graphic novels" (ugh! the pretense) collect many of that great stuff.

 

[DARKMETHOD]

1.the long halloween
2.the dark knight
3.batman vs the mad monk

 

[theoneandonly]

1. the long halloween
2. dark victory
3. the killing joke

 

[BubbaGump]

Yes but many of these trades or "graphic novels" (ugh! the pretense) collect many of that great stuff.

Yes! I hate the term. There are other perfectly acceptable terms if you don't like to call them comics: Trade paper back, one-shot, single issues. For the love of God, people--stop being ashamed.

 

[TLH]

1. The Long Halloween
The mystery is engaging from start to finish, as is Harvey Dent's fall. I particular enjoyed how this work managed to incorporate virtually every high-profile Batman villain. The art is amazing; I also liked how part of it was rendered in the winter. Essential reading for Batman fans and timeless.

2. Dark Victory
Another fantastic mystery from Loeb/Sale. I consider this a continuation of The Long Halloween -- it's just that good. As somebody who dislikes Robin, I thought Loeb handled him very, very well. He's pretty much the only reason Dark Victory is a notch below The Long Halloween. In the end though, they're both high quality pieces. Love it.

3. Haunted Knight
Big surprise. Yet another Loeb/Sale collaboration. Not on the same level as The Long Halloween or Dark Victory, but still a great read and pure eye-Candy. Sale has great artistic vision and Loeb is a true story teller. A great companion piece to The Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

1.year one
2.long halloween
3.arkham asylum

I dont think it can be put into graphic novel, but i really like the whole No Mans Land series, really interesting how Gotham would be if it was cut off from the rest of the world.

 

[Hot Trash]

1. Year One
2. Dark Victory
3. The Killing Joke

 

[Cain]

Yes! I hate the term. There are other perfectly acceptable terms if you don't like to call them comics: Trade paper back, one-shot, single issues. For the love of God, people--stop being ashamed.

Anybody who feels ashamed to read comic books doesn't deserve to read comic books. The less "posers" the better I like to talk comics with people who know comics.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

The term "Graphic Novel" is a marketing term. I don't have to puke when I hear it but it's really pretentious, especially when most of these "GNs" are just mini-series or some issues of the regular comic books in a tpb. And "graphic" sounds like something either sexual or violent is going on - but hey that is what happens in many modern comic books. Because they are so "mature" But wasn't it the great Will Eisner who invented the term?

 

[Majic Walrus]

1. The Long Halloween
2. Year One
3. The Killing Joke

 

[the GRIN Reaper]

Best Batman Story? The Dark Knight

 

[CaptainClown]

The Man Who Laughs
The Dark Knight Returns
The Long Halloween/Dark Victory (those should really be counted as one)

 

[Majic Walrus]

Does Superman: Red Son count as a Batman story if we're referring to the scenes with Batman?

 

[thcapedcrusader]

year one, the untold legend of the batman, and all-star batman and robin (purely for the jim lee art)

 

[Cain]

The term "Graphic Novel" is a marketing term. I don't have to puke when I hear it but it's really pretentious, especially when most of these "GNs" are just mini-series or some issues of the regular comic books in a tpb. And "graphic" sounds like something either sexual or violent is going on - but hey that is what happens in many modern comic books. Because they are so "mature" But wasn't it the great Will Eisner who invented the term?

Eisner is credited though it may predate him. I love Eisner's work but really I think it's quite a stupid term as it is defined the same way as the term comic book. It's a narrative story with a conclusion (Ie: 90% of any story arc) which uses graphics (illustrations) to help tell it. There really is no reason for it to exist except to placate those who feel embarrassed to say "I read comic books" cause at the end of the day whether they want to admit it or not it's all comic books. "Graphic novels" look no different than "regular comic books" when you're reading through them they both serve the exact same purpose.

 

[Dark Victory]

1. The Long Halloween
The mystery is engaging from start to finish, as is Harvey Dent's fall. I particular enjoyed how this work managed to incorporate virtually every high-profile Batman villain. The art is amazing; I also liked how part of it was rendered in the winter. Essential reading for Batman fans and timeless.

2. Dark Victory
Another fantastic mystery from Loeb/Sale. I consider this a continuation of The Long Halloween -- it's just that good. As somebody who dislikes Robin, I thought Loeb handled him very, very well. He's pretty much the only reason Dark Victory is a notch below The Long Halloween. In the end though, they're both high quality pieces. Love it.

3. Haunted Knight
Big surprise. Yet another Loeb/Sale collaboration. Not on the same level as The Long Halloween or Dark Victory, but still a great read and pure eye-Candy. Sale has great artistic vision and Loeb is a true story teller. A great companion piece to The Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

Big Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale fan? Check out Daredevil: Yellow and Catwoman: When In Rome.

 

[TLH]

^Yep, big Sale/Loeb fan.

 

[Dark Victory]

^Yep, big Sale/Loeb fan.

Same here TLH, DV, and HK are all in my top 5.