Since the 1960s, Batman has dominated the comic book industry for DC Comics, starring in multiple titles at any given time as readers enjoy his case files and adventures. Since the industry introduced the idea of prestige-format graphic novels, the hero has topped those too, with many of the company’s best-selling comics being Dark Knight-related. Even today, few comics sell as fast as an all-star Batman graphic novel.
Batman has had some of his best stories told in the graphic novel format, with these comics often appealing to mainstream audiences more than standard ongoing floppies. From gritty detective stories to supernatural horror and everything in between, one of the best ways to reel in new readers is to deliver an accessible solo adventure. Having been written and illustrated by genuine comic book legends, these graphic novels represent the best of a good Dark Knight story.
10 Batman: Earth One
Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Jonathon Sibal, Brad Anderson, and Rob Leigh
DC’s Earth One line took the idea behind the New 52 and applied it much further, exploring self-contained, alternate versions of key Justice League heroes. One of the best of these is Batman: Earth One, which explores a much more grounded, imperfect Dark Knight than readers are used to. It also sets out to add some depth and more realistic explanations to key Gotham villains, such as Killer Croc.
Borrowing from other stories like “Year One,” Johns’ graphic novel introduces readers to a version of Batman designed to feel more realistic. As the inexperienced Dark Knight takes on corruption in his city, facing off against the likes of Mayor Cobblepot, he begins his partnership with James Gordon, an honest man in a corrupt police department. The story is perfect for people who enjoy stories like Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.
9 Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola, P. Craig Russell, David Hornung, and John Workman
Arguably the face of Batman’s Elseworlds stories, Gotham by Gaslight has endured as a great combination of character and setting. Set in a Victorian-era Gotham City, the story follows Batman as he solves the gruesome murders committed by Jack the Ripper, who has made his way to the United States. Reimagining the world of DC through a steampunk lens, the story follows the Dark Knight in his investigation of the brutal slayings. The tale takes a turn for the worse when Bruce Wayne is framed.
Gotham by Gaslight does a brilliant job of taking the core elements of Batman’s mythos and transporting them to turn of the century America. Blending alternative history with new genres and styles – like steampunk and murder mystery – the graphic novel is everything an Elseworlds tale should be, retaining the core elements of the character with a different backdrop.
8 Spawn / Batman
Frank Miller, Todd McFarlane, Steve Oliff, Olyoptics, Tom Orzechowski
Shortly after Todd McFarlane’s Spawn soared to success at Image Comics, the creator teamed up with comics legend Frank Miller. Together, they brought readers a story of Spawn meeting Batman in a graphic novel that continued on from an arc Miller had written for Spawn involving cyborgs. As a corporation preys on the city’s homeless, turning them into literal killing machines, the antihero protagonists team up – but not before having a great fight.
Spawn / Batman unites two visionaries, who turn in an action-packed team-up story that follows Al Simmons and Bruce Wayne taking on injustice. With Miller’s Dark Knight Returns-style script combined with McFarlane’s dynamic art, readers are given one of the best crossovers of the ’90s, one that shows what makes a good ’90s superhero.
7 Batman / Demon
Alan Grant, David Roach, James Sinclair, and Bill Oakley
Batman / Demon follows the Caped Crusader’s investigation into a series of mysterious killings – whose supernatural themes lead him to occult expert Jason Blood. Realizing that his other half is key to solving the mystery, Blood summons the demon, Etrigan, to aid Batman in his quest to find the killer. Together, they trace the violence back to a demon, Astaroth, who plans to invoke a ritual to open a hellmouth in Gotham.
Batman / Demon honors the Dark Knight’s roots in Gothic horror while also taking him out of his element in pitting him against demons of the underworld. Both as an Etrigan tale and a murder mystery for Bruce Wayne, the story remains one of the more underrated DC graphic novels – and is a brilliant read for fans of Jack Kirby’s hellbound antihero.
6 Batman: The Killing Joke
Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, John Higgins, and Richard Starkings
Batman: The Killing Joke marks the climax of the decades-long rivalry between Batman and the Joker. As the story explains the origins of the Clown Prince of Crime, who goes from a failing comedian to a patsy for some gangsters, it shows how the Dark Knight unwittingly created his worst enemy. In the present, the killer clown targets the Gordons to devastate his enemy, famously shooting Barbara and psychologically torturing Jim.
Great as it is, The Killing Joke is also one of the most controversial comics in Batman history, particularly for how its grim violence reshaped the hero’s comics for a generation of readers. That being said, it’s hard to deny that the story makes for a great read for those who prefer the darker side of the Caped Crusader – though it isn’t for the faint of heart.
5 Batman / Dracula: Red Rain
Doug Moench, Kelley Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Les Dorscheid, and Todd Klein
In Batman / Dracula: Red Rain, Batman investigates a string of murders in Gotham – the victims of which have all been drained of their blood. The story leads him to the Prince of Darkness himself, Dracula. Along the way, he encounters a female vampire aligned with good, Tanya, who transforms Batman into a fellow creature of the night, so he can be a match for the dark lord. However, that also sends the hero spiraling as he gradually edges closer to becoming a true monster.
As the first chapter in Batman’s Vampire trilogy, the story delivers a love letter to dark horror, honoring the best of Bram Stoker’s novels, Dracula. The story follows Bruce Wayne as he is forced to contend with a growing thirst for blood as he seeks justice, resulting in an epic confrontation with Dracula. Unlike the camp of Universal’s villain, this take on the dark vampire is sheer terror.
4 Batman: Vengeance of Bane
Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan, Eduardo Barreto, Adrienne Roy, and Bill Oakley
Batman: Vengeance of Bane begins by introducing readers to Bane, a hardened inmate of the Pena Duro prison. Having been born to a woman imprisoned on political grounds, the villain was forced to complete his mother’s sentence after she died in childbirth. While incarcerated, he trained his mind and body to be the best around, later volunteering for the prison’s venom super serum experiments. After learning of Batman and his role in Gotham, Bane and his companions take over the prison and make their escape, setting off for Gotham.
While Vengeance of Bane is primarily focused on the titular villain, it does conclude with a confrontation between him and Batman. Here, the Dark Knight triumphs over the escaped prisoner, but the story also paves the way for one of the most iconic DC events in history: Knightfall.
3 Batman / Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham
Alan Grant, John Wagner, Simon Bisley, and Todd Klein
As one of the best crossover comics of the ’90s, Batman / Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham follows the Dark Knight’s journey to Mega-City One. The story follows an alliance between the two protagonists as Judge Death threatens life in Gotham, teaming up with the Riddler to spread terror to its residents. After overcoming their differences, Batman and Dredd leave the latter’s dimension for Gotham, where they hunt down the dark judge.
Judgment on Gotham kicked off an excellent series of crossovers between Batman and Dredd, making a point of comparing Wayne’s non-lethal mission of justice against Dredd’s merciless commitment to the law. The graphic novel is everything a comic crossover should be, exploring the similarities and differences between the two worlds, and highlighting the compatibility of its heroes.
2 Batman: Ego
Darwyn Cooke and Jon Babcock
Darwyn Cooke’s Batman Ego follows the Dark Knight’s in another pursuit of the Joker, which brings him to one of the villain’s former goons, Buster Tibbs. However, when the criminal takes his own life out of fear, revealing that the killer clown murdered his family, it leaves Bruce Wayne rattled, forcing him to question the effect he’s having on the city. With much of the story set in the hero’s mind, it follows a confrontation between two sides of his personality; the well-meaning Bruce Wayne pitted against Batman Ego, the crime-fighting side of him devoted to justice at any cost.
Batman: Ego delves into the psychology of Bruce Wayne, leading readers down a journey of self-reflection and internal debate for the hero. For a character so often haunted by his past and pushed to inhuman extremes, Cooke’s story reminds readers of the character’s humanity and internal struggle.
1 Batman: The Man Who Laughs
Ed Brubaker, Doug Mahnke, David Baron, and Rob Leigh
Batman: The Man Who Laughs is a retelling of the Detective’s first case involving the Joker. Following on from Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, the story follows Batman solving a slew of murders, which sends him down the rabbit hole of the Clown’s origin – and the revelation that he is responsible. As the Joker targets Gotham’s wealthiest citizens, the Caped Crusader is hot on his heels, culminating in a brilliant stand-off.
The Man Who Laughs reintroduces the Joker to Batman, adding depth to the story first told in Bill Finger and Bob Kane’s Batman #1. Blending a murder mystery with classic detective work that highlights Bruce Wayne’s sharp investigator mind, the issue remains one of the best entry points to the world of Batman.
