The Best Batman Comics, Ranked by How Much Gotham Deserves Them
Batman may be the most well-known superhero, but I’m something of a caped crusader myself. My cape? I’m shrouded in the anonymity of the internet. My crusade? To give Gotham City exactly what it deserves: solid comic book recommendations. Maybe if the city had a little more reading material, then criminals would stop robbing banks and spend more time bettering themselves at the local library? Gotham deserves better, and these Batman comics are the best around.
10. Gotham by Gaslight
Written by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, Gotham by Gaslight certainly deserves its praises sung. But does Gotham deserve to listen? This tale might go over a modern Gothamite’s head, but any self-respecting 19th-century Gotham City resident would certainly lend an ear. Gotham by Gaslight is an Elseworlds tale set in Victorian Era Gotham City, in which Batman hunts down the serial killer Jack the Ripper with the help of steampunk gadgetry. I think Gotham deserves to know that Batman has been watching over the city for over 200 years — that’s dedication.
9. Batman: A Death in the Family
Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo penned what is perhaps the most depressing entry on this list: A Death in the Family. This dour comic tells the story of Joker’s plan to murder the second Robin, Jason Todd, to test Batman’s resolve. The saddest part? The Joker succeeds. He famously murders the young Jason with a crowbar to see if he can goad Batman into breaking his “no killing” rule. Batman doesn’t want to break it, but the Joker has backed him into a morals-bending corner. Gotham deserves this one because it’s a fantastic story, even though this sad city doesn’t exactly need any more sad news.
8. The Black Mirror
Writers Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla tell the tale of an alternate universe Gotham where Dick Grayson—the first Robin—has taken up the Batman cowl in Bruce Wayne’s absence. Like Black Mirror the show, this comic gives us a glimpse into a grim, parallel world. In this Gotham, Grayson must investigate a series of grisly murders, each of which has a horrifying connection to the Bat Family. Gotham deserves a Batman story with a twist, a breath of fresh air for its fog-choked citizens.
7. Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
Grant Morrison and Dave McKean’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth features Batman doing what he does best: beating the snot out of the entire Rogues Gallery. In this story, Batman is called in to the infamous Arkham Asylum to quell a deadly riot, forcing him to face many of his old foes in sequence. As he makes his way through the depths of the madhouse, Batman is thrust deeper into battle with his personal demons. Gotham certainly deserves a little time for self-reflection too; maybe then it will get its act together.
6. The Court of Owls
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s The Court of Owls revolves around a terrifying political conspiracy at the heart of all Gotham City’s troubles. One would be forgiven for thinking Gotham’s criminals are the cause of the city’s suffering, but in reality, blame lies with the cabal of elites that shape society to breed criminality. The Court of Owls has been pulling Gotham City’s strings for centuries, and Batman must now drag their secrets into the light. If there’s anything Gotham deserves most, it’s to know the truth.
5. Batman: Hush
Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s Batman: Hush is a true detective tale. A mysterious villain known as Hush has hatched a grand scheme to destroy Batman’s life. Working from the shadows, Hush manipulates Batman’s greatest foes into attacking him simultaneously, overwhelming the hero from all sides. But who is Hush? A villainous new arrival who just got to town? Or someone who has been close to Bruce Wayne for his entire life? Gotham deserves an answer, though the city, and Bruce himself, might not like it.
4. Batman: The Long Halloween
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s The Long Halloween is a rare story set in Batman’s early days. A still wet behind the ears Bruce Wayne has to track down a mysterious serial killer named Holiday, who murders people on the most festive days of the year. Christmas. Halloween. Possibly Earth Day? Batman doesn’t intend to wait around and find out. Aside from being a thriller of a read, The Long Halloween serves as an origin story for one of Batman’s most duplicitous villains: Two-Face. Gotham has high hopes for star attorney Harvey Dent, but the city deserves to know about his coin-flipping dark side.
3. The Killing Joke
Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s The Killing Joke is an experiment conducted by the maddest of all scientists: The Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime has a theory that any person can be driven insane after “one bad day,” and he decides to test this theory on Commissioner Gordon. While most people’s idea of a bad day involves getting stuck in traffic, Joker expands the definition by kidnapping Gordan’s daughter and strapping him into some seriously screwed-up amusement park rides. While the comic is gloriously grim, it ends with some unexpected levity: Batman and The Joker share a laugh for the first time in history. A depressing city like Gotham deserves a laugh every once in a while, too.
2. Batman: Year One
Written by all-star Batman writers Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, Year One explores Batman’s first days on the job. While working out the kinks in his caped crusader schtick, Batman crosses paths with Jim Gordon – a new arrival in the city himself. The comic is essentially one big work husband meet cute, where Batman and Gordon solidify their working relationship through some rooftop dates under the cover of darkness. Everyone deserves a little romance in their life, even Gotham City! Someone should really introduce it to Metropolis. I think they’d be good together.
1. The Dark Knight Returns
The ultimate Batman story, Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s The Dark Knight Returns chronicles the end of Batman’s tenure as the man underneath the cowl. While retirement is a breeze for most people, it proves to be Batman’s most harrowing challenge to date. The aging crusader forces himself to quit after he desperately resorts to using a gun to protect himself against some younger, stronger criminals. However, when a new criminal gang called The Mutants takes over Gotham’s streets, The Dark Knight comes out of retirement to lend Gotham City the very last ounce of his strength. Above all else, Gotham deserves a protector, and Batman intends to show up for the job until the day he dies. A truer hero there never was.
(featured image: DC Comics)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
