Five of the Best - Batman Graphic Novels

Batman is a character that many talented artists and writers have tried their luck at by bringing an original and definitive telling of his story, resulting in what have been some of the most mind-blowing graphic novels in history. I would say that of my top 10 graphic novels of all time, at least 5 of which are Batman stories, which goes to show that The Caped Crusader is a character that is timeless and will never run out of stories to appear in. He’s The Greatest Detective of All Time and lives in a world full of fascinating villains (including the most memorable villain of all time) and faces the corrupt underworld of Gotham City head-on, ready to risk everything in the name of justice.

A lot of these stand-alone comics have inspired Christopher Nolan’s recent and most popular Batman movies, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I am sure that they’re mythos will be key factors in the third movie in Nolan’s Bat-trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, and for that reason I want to explore five of the best Batman graphic novels and examine exactly what it is that makes them so inspirational and iconic.

1) Batman: The Killing Joke

Written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland

Batman: The Killing Joke is perhaps the perfect telling of the relationship between Batman and The Joker, exploring the never-ending unstoppable-force versus immovable-object dynamic they have going on and at times acknowledging their similarities as ‘never say never’ obsessive characters. It shows the classic telling of The Joker’s origin, beginning a theme that revolves around the idea that any normal person can go mad after ‘one bad day.’

The plot is focused entirely on the psychological battle between The Dark Knight and The Clown Prince, driving Batman to desperation at times. The Joker is really pulling out all of the stops to make Batman experience the ‘one bad day’ he did before he truly lost his mind.

The Joker is at his most batshit (excuse the pun) crazy as he guns down Commissioner Gordon’s daughter Barbara, kidnaps the Gotham City police officer and urges Batman to come after him, using the Commissioner as a twisted example of how delicate the human mind can be.

It’s the ultimate Batman versus The Joker story, and with Alan Moore writing the panels you just know it’s one of the best graphic novels out there and certainly worth the money, especially for the hardcover edition with brand new colours from the artist.

2) Batman: Year One

Written by Frank Miller and drawn by Dave Mazzucchelli

Arguably the greatest Batman story ever told, depicting the origins of Batman and why Bruce Wayne decided to bulk up and become the masked hero. It has a parallel story with Jim Gordon, as the yet to be Gotham City Commissioner arrives in the city from Chicago. It’s this parallel, with Gordon and Wayne both viewing the city’s corruption and deciding to do something about it, which makes this story unique and sits it alongside the greatest Batman graphic novels.

It isn’t on a grand scale, as many of the best Batman stories are, but it’s the simplicity that really makes this one stand out. Both Gordon and Wayne want to save the city, but both have differing ideas on how to do it, which is why the two characters come against each other in more ways than one. Their humanity is tested and highlighted in such a way that it makes their characters as clear as they ever have been, even against the murky backdrop of Gotham.

This story has a lot in common with Batman Begins, telling an origin story that is full of sincerity and is lodged in reality as opposed to the over-the-top story it could be. Quite simply one of Miller’s most idealistic Batman works, but next up, it’s the one that put him on the map as a comic writer than pushed the boundaries of what Batman could be.

3) The Dark Knight Returns

Written by Frank Miller and drawn by Frank Miller

Frank Miller does the writing and artwork for the futuristic Batman tale that sits comfortably at the top with some of the best graphic novel works that have ever been published (across all genres, not just Batman stories). The 1986 tale puts Batman in the future, long after his first appearance in Gotham and 10 years after Bruce Wayne decided to hang up the cape and retire after the death of Jason Todd, Batman’s ever-loyal sidekick Robin.

It’s Batman without hope, showing Gotham as a city that has well and truly embraced its underlining madness, now without a hero in the shadows watching over it. The youth has revolted, the villains have taken over and the city has fallen into despair.

Batman, now middle-aged and bitter at the world around him, comes out of retirement to fight crime once more, the results of which push the character to new lengths. Read this if you want to see Superman receive the biggest ass-kicking he has ever got, at the hands of Batman of course. This graphic novel will be pondered over for years to come and will make you question everything you ever knew about the Bat.

4) Batman: The Long Halloween

Written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Tim Sale

The Long Halloween is a detective novel spread out across a huge number of comic book pages, hinging entirely on Batman’s ability to solve some of the most complex crimes. This graphic novel is much longer than the others mentioned already and really needs a lot of time and attention for it to really have the desired effect on you.

It’s written fantastically and includes all of the major players in the Gotham City world. It focuses on Batman’s early crime-fighting days with his first mind-boggling challenge coming when a mysterious killer known as The Holiday begins leaving bodies around the city on special days in the calendar. Lame? Hear me out. The breadcrumbs Loeb leaves for Batman are confusing for the hero as well as us and soon you begin to realise that this isn’t just your run-of-the-mill Batman story. It’s a detective story, as mentioned, but one that does a lot more for that genre with a significant labyrinthine plot.

Batman works closely with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Commissioner Gordon (sound familiar) to find the killer, digging up bones from the back-stories of big players in the supervillain world. The origin of Two-Face is retold in wonderful fashion and the conclusion to the story will have you shocked and most certainly scratching your head.

5) Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?

Written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by Andy Kubert

This story was purported to be the last Batman story in his timeline following the events of Final Crisis. Gaiman’s novel is set in a dream-like world, with Batman being displayed in his coffin for his friends, enemies and companions to come and pay their respects. It appears to be Batman’s funeral, and many characters give eulogies, highlighting key factors of their history with the Caped Crusader.

It’s an original tale that is a joy to read and makes the most of each of Batman’s supporting cast and their unique relationship with the Bat. It doesn’t feel like the end, however, and of course it isn’t. But this graphic novel will stand amongst its peers as a classic, and rightly so. 

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