Solar Flare: Science Fiction News

Honestly coming up with any sort of definitive list of Batman stories is next to impossible. While there are a lot of bad stories, there are also a lot of good ones. I’m not going to claim that this is anything more than a sample of what’s available. But I do think that these are all must read Batman stories.

My method of choosing was I admit completely unscientific. It’s a combination of the stories significance, its quality and my personal preference.

• 
  The Dark Knight Returns
  This is the must read Batman story. Many people will argue about whether it’s actually the best, but it did define the Dark Knight for at least two decades, not to mention giving the whole comic field a kick in the pants. For those reasons alone, you have to read this one.
• 
  Batman: Year One
  
  Also written by Frank Miller, its often argued that this is actually a better story than Dark Knight Returns. I’m not sure about that, but it is excellent work re-writing Batman’s origin story somewhat (and Catwoman’s).
• 
  Batman: The Killing Joke
  Alan Moore’s story benefits from stunning artwork by Brian Boland. The focus here is really The Joker, not Batman. Be warned it is dark and some people really dislike what the Joker does to Barbara Gordon.
• 
  
  Batman: Son of the Demon
  An excellent story in which Batman finds himself allied to his foe Ra’s Al Ghul and even marries his daughter Talia. It’s quite different to most Batman stories. Set outside of Gotham and with Batman put in a very unusual role.
• 
  
  Hush
  Hush is often pointed to as something of a renaissance for the Batman. That might be giving it a bit more credit than it deserves but the story by Jeph Loeb and the art by Jim Lee did return Batman to the top of the sales charts.
• 
  Batman: A Death In The Family
  Personally I don’t think that A Death In The Family is a particularly good story. Even putting a side the fact that the ending was decided by a phone poll, it just has a feeling of Batman by numbers. But you can’t deny the significance of the story to the Batman mythos. The death of Jason Todd is still a major part of Batman’s history.
• 
  Gotham By Gaslight
  This is what DC used to call and Elseworlds story (no idea what they’ll call them now the multiverse is back). It gives us a Batman set in the Victorian era.
• 
  Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying
  Similar to A Death In The Family, I don’t think that A Lonely Place of Dying is actually that great a story. But it is very important, introducing as it does the third Robin Tim Drake.

So. What Batman stories would you recommend?