Best Batman graphic novels?

[Howlrunner]

I'm really digging Batman right now, having played Arkham Asylum (love the character designs in it!) and watching the animated series DVD boxed sets.

So can anyone recommend any really good graphic novels? I know virtually nothing at this point. Only one I've read is The Killing Joke because I heard that was a classic. What's your favourite and why?

 

[Skor]

Personally I loved The Dark Knight Returns and Hush.

Both excellent graphic novels that spin the Batman yarn really well, drawing you into a set of characters you really care about.

I also have a soft-spot for Gotham by Gaslight

Amazing stuff.

 

[Lancer]

batman year one is very good

 

[Unresponsible]

Brian Azzarello's "Joker" is a fantastic view of Batman from the point of view of his enemies.
Grant Morrison's "Arkham Asylum" is a psychotic masterpiece that has been expanded on by other writers, but IMO, never surpassed.
Frank Miller's "Year One", definitely.

Not a comic, but a fantastic read is "The Forensic Files of Batman" by Doug Moench.

 

[Davard74]

Hey.. new here. Read stuff mostly.. but I had to reply to this.

The Long halloween, and Dark Victory.... AWESOME!!!

Jeph Leob and Tim Sale are a agreat team.

 

[simplecomplex]

Year one & Batman: the Dark Knight returns are great. Dark Victory & Long Halloween are amazing as well. The Killing Joke was great too but shorter than I'd hoped. Still a classic though.

 

[JD]

Batman Year One by Miller and Mazzuchelli is probably the ultimate for me as far as main stream comic book superhero stories go - it's pretty much the perfect Batman story.

Also noteworthy is Haunted Knight, The Long Halloween and Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale - a great story and its sequels. (Catwoman: When in Rome is also tied in).

Moore and Bolland's Killing Joke is more of a Joker story but very worthy of a read.

 

[.:MirrorminD:.]

Year One, The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween, and Knightfall series

 

[kalkamel]

I also have a soft-spot for Gotham by Gaslight
.

Hear, hear!

 

[MooMooEgg]

Gotham Central is a good read. POV of the Gotham Police Department. There isn't too much Batman in the stories, but that's actually a good thing, because it makes the GPD and reader see how mysterious he is when he does show up.

 

[mrbungle]

dark knight returns, gotham by gaslight ,the long halloween and by all means "year one"

 

[yuvalpm]

The killing joke

 

[DarthVeach]

Killing Joke is my top pick!

Also recommend Year One (a lot of Batman Begins got it's influence from this)
The Dark Knight Returns
and also Brian Azzarello's Joker. The story was gritty and dark and so was the artwork!

 

[Mostly Fantasy]

The Killing Joke.

 

[terryr]

The Man Who Falls.

 

[Solochaser]

The long halloween, Batman Judge Dredd crossover and the Japanese manga one...that I can't remember the name to. Perhaps someone here read it. It's about a Villain who takes dna samples of other characters and sells it on the street. junkies actually become the other characters for a while.

 

[ShrunkenLamb]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Long Halloween.

One that I rarely see mentioned is the No Mans Land series. I find some of the tales, and looks at different characters in light of a catastrophe pretty interesting.

 

[Unresponsible]

The long halloween, Batman Judge Dredd crossover and the Japanese manga one...that I can't remember the name to. Perhaps someone here read it. It's about a Villain who takes dna samples of other characters and sells it on the street. junkies actually become the other characters for a while.

"Child of Dreams" by Kia Asamia
Great read....

 

[Scareb]

I'm enjoying David Finch's run on the dark knight right now.

 

[hooper]

The long halloween, Batman Judge Dredd crossover and the Japanese manga one...

Judgement in Gotham