Batman is one of the most celebrated characters in fiction, having starred in 10 live action films, 9 animated features, 28 video games, and countless comics and novels. With the upcoming release of the anticipated Dark Knight Rises movie, I decided to pile together my top ten Batman stories across all media. I can’t say that I’ve scoured the endless volumes of Batman tales that are continuously churned out, but I have ordered my personal favorites in having been an avid Batman fan since I was 3 years old.
All of the movies since Adam West’s campy rendition of the character in 1966 have been considered as well as the most widely acclaimed graphic novels. All works with Batman in less than a starring role or where he shares it with another hero were excluded as well all television series such as Batman: the Animated Series and Batman Beyond. All stories were measured by their standalone merit.
Disclaimer: This is not an evolving list and only includes stories released before July 2012 when this article was first posted.
Honorable Mention) Year One –by Frank Miller (Graphic Novel)
In 1986, writer Frank Miller was charged to bring back Batman as the dark figure of the night he was before the censorship of the Comics Code Authority in the 1950s. In addition to his “The Dark Knight Returns,” he wrote the hugely successful “Year One,” recounting the first year of Bruce Wayne’s dawning of his alternate persona. Batman lore owes a debt of gratitude to Miller, having rebuilt him as a brutal vigilante against street crime and corruption with all of the dark mentality that came with being one. It was the major inspiration for the movie “Batman Begins,” though it was not a direct adaptation. However, it does not make the top ten because it’s unable to stand on its own despite its lasting impression on future comics. Needing to recreate Gotham City’s image holds this story back, not being able to take the gritty environment readers know today for granted. This is the giant whose shoulders other stories stand on and come become even greater.
10) Arkham Asylum –by Paul Dini (Video Game)
In the dwellings of the psychotic criminals he put away, Batman faces trials from many high profile villains after they take control of Arkham Asylum in this sandbox style video game. Few other stories go as deep into how Batman always finds a way to win. While it adds little to the Batman legend, this is the perfect introduction to any incoming fan to learn about the tales of his supporting cast and his past triumphs. The classic voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are brilliant as Batman and the Joker respectively and add another level of legitimacy to the game. Its sequel, Arkham City, is similar in function and quality of story, so I’m putting them into the nine spot together. In this game, you feel like you are Batman.
9) Gotham Knight –by David Goyer, Josh Olson, and Alan Burnett (Animated)
The producers and writers of “Batman Begins” collaborated with six revered anime directors to create six chapters chronicling the time between the events of “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” The result is a deep, dark, introspective look at the detective, urban legend, and man that is Batman. It is certainly one of the most creative pieces for the Caped Crusader. It is best enjoyed by fans of anime art styles rather than mainstream audiences who expect a seamless full length story.
In “A Serious House on Serious Earth,” the inmates of Arkham Asylum, led by the Joker, take over the crazy-house similar to the way it was done in the “Arkham Asylum” video game, albeit predating the game. Batman submits himself willingly to test his own sanity within the asylum’s walls, curious himself to see if his mind can withstand the scrutiny. The nature of madness is explored as is the feasibility of rehabilitating the criminally insane during the scenes telling the infamous hospital’s backstory through founder Amadeus Arkham, which run parallel to Batman’s introspection. The painting of Dave McKean is a strong, essential part of the narrative, contributing more to the story-telling than any other graphic novel’s artwork in memory. The bizarre and symbolic imagery warrants multiple reads and makes a case for surpassing a major inspiration, “Alice in Wonderland,” in story quality. However, the story is hindered by a lack of a strong plot and stakes. While the theme is strong, it seems to end too soon – just when it was reaching an apex of its thesis. It leaves the reader wanting, which is a mark of a good story that is not quite complete. If Grant Morrison’s novel was somehow combined with Paul Dini’s “Arkham Asylum,” it would be unsurpassable.
7)The Killing Joke –by Alan Moore (Comic book)
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: “There were these two guys in a lunatic asylum…” Arguably the best Joker comic, it has gained notoriety as having expounded the limits of the Joker’s mad nature and for having paralyzed Barbara Gordon (previously known as Batgirl) with a bullet in her spine and taking naked photographs of her in pain. In following comics, Barbara was reimagined as Oracle, Batman’s wheel chair ridden go-to computer genius. In this story, Joker tells one of his many accounts of his origins and an inspirational one for the 1989 movie “Batman.” Joker’s goal: to drive Commissioner James Gordon insane from one bad day like both he and Batman have had.
6) The Dark Knight Returns –by Frank Miller (Graphic Novel)
It has been ten years since the death of Robin Jason Todd and the subsequent retirement of the Dark Knight. Society crumbled without the presence of Batman –even with the Joker in a catatonic state with no Batman to complete him. Bruce Wayne now seemingly seeks a good death in reprising his role as the caped crusader and ends up taking in a girl as the new Robin. While there are many highlights including the Joker, Two Face, and gang members, the moment with the longest impression is the end of the novel when Batman goes head-to-head with Superman, the “boy scout” who has become more or less a puppet of Ronald Reagan. Miller attempts to dive into the morality of Batman’s existence as a vigilante, however not as well as other stories in the countdown. “The Dark Knight Returns” is action packed enjoyment.
5) Mask of the Phantasm –by Alan Burnett (Animated)
This derivative of the Batman Animated Series revisits the past of the Dark Knight when recent events collide with old memories of Bruce Wayne’s love interest. It brings forth the best of the tone, music, voice acting, and animation style that made the Emmy winning Animated Series so revered and outstanding. This is the single best story concerning Batman’s vow to his murdered parents to extinguish the evil that took them and his sacrifices to fulfill that promise.
4) Death Mask –by Yoshinori Natsume (Graphic Novel)
Too little delved into is Bruce Wayne’s training before he returned to Gotham to assume the role as the Dark Knight. In this manga style graphic novel, Batman’s old ghosts from his training in Japan come back to haunt him when the detective finds that a murderer is stealing faces. This often overlooked novel tackles the symbolism of Batman dressed as a somewhat demonic looking being to incur fear. It is a fresh and riveting mystery where Batman battles an embodiment of an inner demon.
3) Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? –by Neil Gaiman (Graphic Novel)
Deriving its title from Alan Moore’s tale of Superman’s end, “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow,” writer Neil Gaiman correctly observes that Batman’s legend could never end like Superman’s with a wink and a smile. Batman would never stop his crusade or his obsession to rid Gotham of crime, an impossible feat, not until he was dead. One of the biggest difficulties in writing such a story is that fans would not be satisfied with Batman’s death, thinking that it should have happened in a different way. However, the brilliant structure of the novel has both enemies and friends of Batman recounting their own versions of his death at his surrealistic funeral from Selina Kyle to the Joker, from Alfred Pennyworth to Superman. All versions strongly describe a different characteristic of Batman from obsession to fear mongering to selflessness. Many seek a definitive volume detailing how the legends of the various superheroes end. For Batman, “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” is that volume.
2) Under the Red Hood –by Judd Winick (Animated)
The unpopular character reprising the role of Batman’s Robin sidekick, Jason Todd, was voted by readers to be killed by the Joker by calling a 900 number. The result was the graphic novel “A Death in the Family,” on which the animated “Under the Red Hood” is based off of in addition to the graphic novel “Under the Hood.” This unexpected masterpiece comes out during a time of mediocre Batman animated features without the classic voice actors of the Dark Knight and the Joker but still excels with John DiMaggio and Bruce Greenwood in their roles. It ambitiously tackles Batman’s struggle to not kill and cross the line between vigilante and criminal with the Red Hood, a mysterious figure who does just that. In showcasing many characteristics that make Batman uniquely him, “Under the Red Hood” does it best with the most superb dialogue existing in Batman lore.
1) The Dark Knight –by David S. Goyer & Christopher Nolan (Live Action)
There is little I can say to add to the evaluation of Christopher Nolan’s indisputable cinematic masterpiece. The “Dark Knight” movie’s high entertainment value and the Oscar winning performance of Heath Ledger is the take-away for most viewers, but to those who understand Batman, it is so much more. It, in fact, changed the Academy Awards indefinitely by not being nominated for best picture and sparking outrage among audiences and critics, prompting an expansion in the number of films that could be nominated in the following years. This sequel to “Batman Begins” philosophically challenges the essence of Batman with his counter point, the anarchistic madman known as the Joker. In this story, the Dark Knight himself is a parable of guardians and protectors in all forms from government to police to vigilantes. His imperfect yet incorruptible design transcends heroism. In the end, this story makes a case for the justification of Batman’s very existence.
So here’s to hoping that “The Dark Knight Rises” will join this list…
Other Honorable Mentions:
The Long Halloween (Graphic Novel), Subzero (Animated), Batman Begins (Live Action)
All projects are collaborative and take the dedicated work of many to complete. For simplicity’s sake, I only named the writers of the works in my top ten Batman story countdown.
For more information on the top graphic novels, I recommend visiting IGN at http://comics.ign.com/articles/624/624619p1.html
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