Batman has had some of the all-time greatest superhero stories in the entire history of the comic book medium. He has been one of DC Comics’ most important characters since their inception, and he has remained an essential pillar of contemporary pop culture for more than 8 decades.
Over the years, Batman has been at the center of some truly game-changing masterpieces. Having appeared in thousands of comic book stories, it can almost feel daunting trying to find the most truly essential tales, but these 10 Batman stories, in particular, stand out as the most influential in the Dark Knight’s comic book history.
The Court of Owls Reshaped Modern Batman History
Image via DC Comics
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo took the comic book world by storm when they took on the immense task of rebooting the mainline Batman series during 2011’s New 52 era. Although every single story arc during their run is an all-time great tale of modern Batman heroics, the very best and most influential story from Snyder and Capullo is their first, The Court of Owls.
The Court of Owls saga unleashed one of the greatest new DC Comics villain groups in decades, and it reshaped how readers thought of Gotham City and its history. Mysterious, dark, and utterly twisted, Snyder and Cappulo’s The Court of Owls story set the bar high for every subsequent modern Batman run, and it remains an essential piece of the Dark Knight’s modern history.
A Death In The Family Brought Real Consequences For Batman’s War On Crime
Batman and Robin in cover art for Death in the FamilyImage via DC Comics
Although writer Jim Starlin and artist Jim Aparo’s 1988-1989 comic book storyline, Batman: A Death in the Family, has unfortunately aged somewhat poorly compared to other superhero stories of the era, there’s no denying the immense impact the book has had on the Caped Crusader in the years since.
For so long, Batman and his allies were untouchable. Batman and Robin narrowly evaded danger in every story, and there were very rarely ever consequences for their dangerous lifestyles. A Death in the Family changed that, killing off the second Robin, Jason Todd, in one of the most iconic and infamous moments in Batman history. Nothing was ever the same after A Death in the Family, and the story’s impact is still being felt today.
Absolute Batman Kicked Off A Bold New Era For Superhero Comics At-Large
Batman is with Gordon.Image via DC
Scott Snyder was only getting started when he changed Batman stories forever with The Court of Owls. In fact, his entire New 52 run seems as though it was all just a warm-up for what he would do with artist Nick Dragotta in the pages of Absolute Batman.
Absolute Batman has taken the contemporary comic book world by storm in a way that few others have ever been able to do. It’s gotten new readers into the comic book medium, and it has reinvigorated interest in stories set outside the mainline DC Universe. Every issue of the book has been masterful so far, and it’s hard to think of any modern comics better than Absolute Batman.
Hush Is The Defining Blockbuster Batman Story
Batman Hush art by Jim LeeImage via DC Comics
There are a lot of people who have turned on Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s Batman: Hush story in the years since its initial release, and though it might not be as generational as it is often said to be, Hush is still one of the best and most influential Batman stories in decades. Jim Lee’s artwork is worth reading Hush for alone, but Loeb’s scripting is just as exciting.
Hush is the kind of larger-than-life Batman story that has really only been seen in the comic book medium. So few adaptations dive into his more fantastical rogues gallery, and that’s a real shame. As it stands, though, Hush is one of the most important Bat-books of the 21st century, and the story that kick-started a brand-new era of cerebral superhero storytelling for the Caped Crusader.
Knightfall Broke The Bat
Batman vs Bane from KnightfallImage via DC Comics
The 1990s were a bizarre era for superhero comic book stories. Just about every mainstream superhero was pushed to their breaking point in some way, shape, or form. Green Lantern went crazy, Superman died, Spider-Man dealt with never-ending clone antics, and Batman was brutally defeated at the hands of the merciless Bane.
Of course, Bane’s breaking of Batman’s back is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Knightfall saga, which spanned dozens of issues and multiple years. Knightfall showed that even a hero as iconic as Batman could fall, and that he could (and would) be replaced if need be. It’s one of the defining comic book stories of the 1990s, and easily one of the most influential on Batman’s lore as a whole.
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth Is Unlike Any Other Batman Story
Joker looking insane in Arkham AsylumImage via DC Comics
Writer Grant Morrison is one of the greatest comic book creators in modern history. Their work on books like Doom Patrol, New X-Men, Animal Man, and numerous Batman books has never been beaten, and one of the finest Morrison Bat-stories comes in the form of 1989’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth.
A maddening, surreal descent into the depths of Batman’s psyche as he enters the infamous Arkham Asylum after the Joker has taken control, A Serious House on Serious Earth is one of the definitive explorations of the psychology of the Dark Knight and his villains. The artwork by the legendary Dave McKean is unlike anything seen before, and it’s something that has kept the book feeling utterly timeless for over 30 years.
The Long Halloween Is Batman’s Ultimate Detective Story
The Long Halloween artwork featuring Batman leaping through the air.
Once again written by Jeph Loeb, this time with art by the late great Tim Sale, Batman: The Long Halloween is an absolutely legendary tale of the Caped Crusader’s more detective-oriented antics. Featuring Batman hot on the trail of a mysterious serial killer who only commits murders on holidays, The Long Halloween is an essential early-career story for the hero.
Showcasing some of the most beautiful artwork ever featured in a superhero comic, as well as some of the most exciting twists and turns in Batman’s mystery history, The Long Halloween is unbeatable. It has been the blueprint for detective-oriented Batman tales for decades, and it will surely remain that way for years to come.
The Killing Joke Is The Definitive Batman vs Joker Story
Iconic Joker ha ha ha image from The Killing JokeImage via DC Comics
The Joker is the single greatest comic book villain ever created. In fact, he is one of the greatest villains in pop culture history overall, and his very best story alongside the Dark Knight is Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s Batman: The Killing Joke. Simultaneously telling the origin of the Joker and the seemingly final confrontation between him and Batman, The Killing Joke is a brutal, unrelenting masterpiece.
In the years since its release, The Killing Joke has become somewhat controversial among some Batman fans for its treatment of Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, but that content is absolutely vital to what makes The Killing Joke work so well. It has since gone on to utterly redefine Barbara Gordon as a character forever, change the context around Batman and the Joker’s rivalry, and give one of comic book history’s most enigmatic villains his definitive origin story.
Batman: Year One Is The Pinnacle of Superhero Origin Stories
Batman as seen on the cover of Batman: Year One.
One of the single greatest superhero comics ever made, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s Batman: Year One came directly in the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which provided the DC Universe with a soft reboot that reinvigorated its most iconic heroes. Year One tells the story of Bruce Wayne’s early days as Gotham City’s nocturnal protector, and it is an absolute must-read.
The basis for just about every superhero origin story in any medium since its release, Batman: Year One is a truly flawless exploration of Batman’s motivations as a hero, his connection to Gotham City, and his relationship with Jim Gordon of the GCPD. Year One lives up to all the hype, and comic book origins wouldn’t be the same without it.
The Dark Knight Returns Is Batman’s All-Time Greatest Story
Image via DC Comics
Once again brought to life by the legendary Frank Miller, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is, without any doubt, the single best Batman story ever made. It utterly reshaped the Caped Crusader forever, pushing a darker, more brooding version of the hero onto comic book fans around the world.
Frank Miller’s artwork is unmatched in the realm of Batman, and his characterization for Bruce Wayne is second to none. It might seem almost annoying that so many comic book fans endlessly praise The Dark Knight Returns, but that is the case for a reason. It is a revelatory masterpiece, and easily the most influential Batman story ever written.
First Film
Batman: The Movie
Cast
Adam West, Kevin Conroy, Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson, Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Josh Hutcherson, Will Friedle, Anson Mount, Will Arnett
Created by
Bill Finger, Bob Kane
Upcoming Films
The Batman – Part II