What are the greatest Batman stories and WHY?

[JayC]

So,

I'm a real batman fan, now, or maybe I'm just a real Loeb fan, now, haha. Regardless, I have read the following and LOVED them all:

The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
Arkham Asylum

I plan to read:

Haunted Knight
Hush 1 & 2

However, these stories out of the way, I'm lost as to what are some other great Trades to read. What are the great ones? The truly well written, well done ones that are must reads?!

Thanks!

JC

[Pinual]

I have always liked:

The Killing Joke
Batman: Year One

[Nics23]

Like stated above Batman year one was a great read. One of the best trades around. There are some other fun trades. Batman in the 80s trade was fun.

And the knightfall books were woth it as well.

[rZi]

I like the killing joke probably the most out of any batman story...i mean batman works best in the darkest of situations and you don't get darker than this. Hush also...i know it had a mixed reception but i loved the idea of a large group of bad guys being involved in one ongoing plot.

[dupersuper]

Batman:Ego
Batman:Fortunate Son
DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore
Batman:The Dark Knight Returns
Batman Year 2
the first 20 issues (at least) of Legends of the Dark Knight
Batman/Gotham Adventures
Morrisons JLA
Kingdom Come
etc.

[Infernorhythm]

Batman #232. O'Neil and Adams at their finest. Brilliant villain, competant and NOT insane Batman, beautiful art, and a gothic, non militaristic or campy Batman.

[Scrubz]

The Killing Joke is probably the single greatest Batman story I've ever read. If you like Jeph Loeb I would highly recommend Superman/Batman vols. 1-4. Along with Hush those stories got me hooked back into superhero comics a few years back.

I would recommend:
-Anything Grant Morrison has done with Batman (JLA, Arkham Asylum, His current Batman is fantastic, don't listen to haters)
-Dark Knight Returns
-Year One
-Broken City
-Dini's current Detective Comics issues are hit or miss, but specifically issues 821, 823, 826, 833-834 are pretty dang good

[Miss J.]

I would have to say Hush 1 & 2 really pulled me when I read it and went hardcore Batman after that. However, I have to say I'm one of the very very very select few who don't quite favor the Killing Joke. (Sorry all...just wasn't my hook line and sinker.)

Really dug Dark Knight Returns the second time around. I'm also a fan of the Batman: Black & White trades. Really fun reads. Especially Neil Gaiman's take on Batman, which is hilarious. Anything Loeb is awesome, however I'm starting to enjoy the fun of Michael Green. JLA: Justice series is awesome, and definately read No Man's Land.

Also a fan of Nightwing: Year One. Kinda goofy and fun watching him try to establish himself as his own hero rather than the B-man's sidekick and has a good combo of stoicism and comedy on Nightwing's part.

[Rabid Trekkie]

Batman: City of Crime is amazing, a true superhero noir book.

Batman: Detective and Death in the City by Paul Dini are amazing.

Batman: City of Dreams is a cool piece, if just because you get to see how another culture looks at our hero.

Batman: Son of the Demon is a good old story that I've heard influenced part of Morrison's current run on Batman. Also a good Ra's Al Ghul story.

Batman: Blind Justice. Good story that dives into some of the time that Bruce spent training and you get to meet some of his teachers.

Wish I could suggest Morrison's run on Batman but I'm waiting for at least the second tpb before I start reading it. I like what I've heard about it so far, how it brings in different things from throughout continuity and takes a long time telling the story, but if I had to wait a month or so like the people that buy the issues I'd pull my hair out.

[Miss J.]

OH...one more, though the story itself is a little up and down for me. Parts are AWESOME, while others not so much..but Superman: Emporer Joker is worth the read simply because Batman's eternal fate is fantastic.

[dancj]

Batman:Fortunate Son

Really??

My choices:
The Dark Knight Returns
Year One
Peter Milligan's run of single issue stories

Nothing else touches those three.

Honourable mentions go to:
The Dark Knight Strikes Again
No Man's Land
Knightfall
Blades (from LoTDK)
Gothic (from LoTDK)

[Choppa]

Long Halloween and Batman # 603

[JayC]

I really appreciate this input, it's going to help me with all my future reads, THANKS so much guys and keep them coming if you wish.

[Spot]

Just to throw it in there, No Mans Land holds number 1 for myself

[Wind-Breaker]

For me it would be:

Death in the Family, Under the Hood 1 & 2 (reveals and shocking moments were great)

Wargames (Shows batman in war general mode)

The Killing Joke (gave a new insight of the relationship between Joker & Batman)

The Long Halloween (great revisioning of origins)

Hush (great way to crossover characters, well thought out villain, Jim Lee nuff said)

No Man's Land (redefined Gordon’s and Batman’s relationship, great urban stories).

Knightfall (great concept overall)

Dark Knight Returns (set the tone of the modern day Batman)

I know I'll get stoned for saying this, but other than DKR I really haven't digged Frank Miller's work with Batman (DKSB, Year One, Batman/Spawn in particular), they were decent stories, but wasn't the roller coaster rides like that other major Batman stories. The pacing and the dialog of his work just appeal to me as much.

[Rabid Trekkie]

Another two you should try out is Batman and the Monster Men and Batman and the Mad Monk, both by Wagner. Two stories set in Batman's first year that are really fun.

[matthewaos]

This is just my personal opinion, out of the stories I have read.

Dark Knight returns is one of the best, for many reasons other will or have explained. The sequel is also good, but more in a way like watching Deathproof or Planet Terror. I mean, if you don't take it real seriously, it's good and really fun.

Arkham Asylum is maybe my favorite, great story, great art, every time you read you find something new.

Batman: Absolution is a Graphic Novel released a few years ago, written by DeMatteis. A wonderful story about redemption, and God, and Batman's relation with him.

Superman: Speeding Bullets. This is actually titled as a Superman title, but it's one of the greatest elseworlds, IMO. You could say it's a what if Superman was Batman.

Batman: Jekyll and Hyde is written by Jenkins, and it's about Two-Face. Exciting story about Two-Face's origin, and his duality.

[jesse_custer]

The Dark Knight Returns is a frightening book, that's why I think it's great. The best art should frighten you, as Alan Moore has stated.

[Omar Karindu]

I'm surprised no one's yet mentioned Batman: Strange Apparitions, the legendary run by Steve Engelhart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I'm surprised no one's yet mentioned Batman: Strange Apparitions, the legendary run by Steve Engelhart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin.

Definitely. Did anyone like the follow-up series a few years ago?