13 Essential Batman Comics You Should Read For Batman Day

With Batman Day coming up, now is a great chance to go to your local comic book shop and start reading. But if you’ve never picked up a Batman comic, 79 years of history can be a daunting task. Well don’t worry, we got you covered. Here are the 13 essential Batman stories (in a mostly chronological order) that everyone should read.

Year One

DC Comics have gone through a number of reboots throughout the years, so it’s hard to say where there’s a real “start” anymore, but most fans can agree that Year One is the place to start for Batman. Like the title suggests, this story follows Bruce Wayne’s first year as Batman so he’s still learning how to be a super hero. It also covers Jim Gordon’s first year in Gotham, and the early stages of his relationship with Batman.

The Man Who Laughs

The Man Who Laughs is Batman’s first introduction to his greatest enemy, the Joker. Batman is still a relatively new super hero at this point and struggles with how to deal with a villain as insane as the Joker. It’s fantastic to see the beginning of Batman & Joker’s dynamic.

The Long Halloween

This 13 issue series perfectly encapsulates the intellectual side of Batman. There’s a serial killer going around and murdering mobsters on holidays. This neo noir adventure follows Batman hunting down the villain known as “Holiday” and trying to uncover the mystery. This also serves as an introduction to the villain Two-Face.

Dark Victory

Serving as a sequel to The Long Halloween, this story also features a serial killer, this time by the name Hangman. This story also serves as a re-imagining of the origins of Robin, and introduces the boy wonder into the continuity. Dark Victory, as well as its predecessor, are some of Christian Bale’s favorite Batman comics, and help him as an inspiration for his portrayal of Bruce Wayne.

The Killing Joke

Batman: The Killing Joke is the quintessential Joker story. Batman and Joker have been going at it for years now, and Joker finally thinks he’ll get the upper hand. In his most sadistic plot yet, the Joker sets out to prove that the good guys are only “one bad day” from being as crazy as her is. The events of this story go beyond Batman and have repercussions within the rest of the DC universe as well.

A Death in the Family

This story has an interesting history. After Dick Grayson, the original Robin, outgrew being a sidekick, he was replaced with another robin, Jason Todd. However, Jason Todd was not universally liked, and DC wanted the fans to speak their minds. So they set up two phone numbers, one you would call if you wanted to spare Jason’s life, and one if you wanted Jason to die. And based on the title, take a guess as to which number got more calls.

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth

One of my favorite stories on this list, it tells the story of a prison riot at Arkham Asylum once the inmates take control. It follows the opening of Arkham Asylum and the tragic history of Amadeus Arkham, as well as having Batman deal with the prisoners. With an eerie story and an incredibly unique art style, Arkham Asylum is a must read.

Knightfall

By far the longest story on this list, Knightfall shows us what happens when the Caped Crusader loses. After a massive fight with Bane, Batman has his back broken. The rest of the arc deals with a paraplegic Bruce Wayne trying to recover, and who takes over the mantle of Batman while he’s out for the count. This series served as a major influence in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises.

Hush

Another mystery centered story for the Dark Knight, Batman: Hush shows off a new villain, a stalker named Hush. This story has a large number of traditional Batman villains in it, as well as a large supporting cast from the Bat Family. All in all this is another Batman classic that you should pick up.

Under the Hood

Not to be confused with Under the Red Hood, the animated film based on this comic. Under the Hood deals with the return of a long forgotten villain, the Red Hood. Once thought to be Joker under a disguise, the Red Hood is back as a bad ass mobster, and he’s ready to take control of Gotham’s underground. After reading this, go watch the Under the Red Hood movie, it’s absolutely phenomenal and one of my favorite Batman films.

The Black Mirror

Let me start off by saying that Bruce Wayne is nowhere to be found in the comic. The Dark Knight this story centers around is Dick Grayson. Dick takes over as the Batman of Gotham City because Bruce is out setting up Batman Incorporated. Dick has to stop the mysterious tiger shark from illegal selling super villain weapons, and at the same time deal with the return of Commissioner Gordon’s son, who may or may not be a serial killer.

The Court of Owls

The first Batman story in the New 52, The Court of Owls is an amazing psychological thriller. It turns out there’s been secret society who have been pulling the strings of Gotham City for generations. The Court capture and torture Batman as he’s investigating them, showing just how dangerous of a threat they are. The arc was a major inspiration for season 3 of the Gotham TV show.

The Dark Knight Returns

The granddaddy of all Batman stories. The Dark Knight Returns is Frank Miller’s masterpiece that takes place in a dystopian future. Super heroes have been outlawed and the Caped Crusader is no more. Billionaire Bruce Wayne is simply trying to find ways to pass the time with increasingly dangerous stunts. In addition to giving us some of the most iconic comic scenes of all time, it also gave us the greatest Batman vs Superman fight. Not only is this the greatest Batman story of all time, it’s also one of the greatest comics of all time. So do yourself a favor, and go read this. And then once you’re done, watch the two-part The Dark Knight Returns animated movie, I believe it’s the best representation of Batman we’ve had on screen (yes, even better than Nolan’s trilogy).