20 Best Batman Books (2023 Update)

In 1986, frank miller and david mazzucchelli produced this groundbreaking reinterpretation of the origin of batman—who he is, and how he came to be. sometimes careless and naive, this dark knight is far from the flawless vigilante he is today. in his first year on the job, batman feels his way around a gotham city far darker than the one he left. his solemn vow to extinguish the town’s criminal element is only half the battle; along with lieutenant james gordon, the dark knight must also fight a police force more corrupt than the scum in the streets.batman: year one stands next to batman: the dark knight returns on the mantle of greatest batman graphic novels of all time. timeless in its appeal, frank miller and david mazzucchelli’s masterpiece would stand apart from the crowded comics field even today.this edition includes the complete graphic novel, a new introduction by writer frank miller and a new illustrated afterword by artist david mazzucchelli. completing this collection are over 40 pages of never-before-seen developmental material such as character and layout sketches, sample script pages, sketches, and more that pro-vide a glimpse into the making of this contemporary classic.this volume collects batman #404-407.

New york times bestselling graphic novel! the joker has been murdered. his killer is a mystery. batman is the world's greatest detective. but what happens when the person he is searching for is the man staring back at him in the mirror? the joker is dead.there is no doubt about that. but whether batman finally snapped his scrawny neck or some other sinister force in gotham city did the deed is still a mystery. – problem is, batman can't remember…and the more he digs into this labyrinthine case, the more he starts to doubt everything he's uncovering. – so who better to set him straight than… john constantine? the problem with that is as much as john loves a good mystery, he loves messing with people's heads even more. so with john's "help," the pair will delve into the sordid underbelly of gotham as they race toward the mind-blowing truth of who murdered the joker. – batman: damned is a groundbreaking supernatural horror story told by two of comics' greatest modern creators: brian azzarello (dark knight iii: the master race, 100 bullets) and lee bermejo (hellblazer, joker). this hardcover volume collects batman: damned #1-3 and features a behind-the-scenes extras gallery with an afterword by brian azzarello. – note: enhanced cover will only be on first printing copies!

He is vengeance. he is the night. he is batman. one of the most iconic fictional characters in the world, batman has dedicated his life to an endless crusade, a war on all criminals in the name of his murdered parents, who were taken from him when he was just a child. since that tragic night, he has trained his body and mind to near physical perfection to be a self-made super hero. he's developed an arsenal of technology that would put most armies to shame. and he's assembled teams of his fellow dc super heroes, like the justice league, the outsiders and batman, incorporated. this box set is the perfect collection of batman legends for any fan!

A retired and world-weary bruce wayne returns to his mantle as batman to clean up gotham city which has been overrun by crime and violence in his 10-year absence. along with his arch-nemesis, the joker and corrupt officials, scores of gangs have taken over including some who call themselves, the sons of batman. batman straightens out the city, but the corrupt government wants batman eliminated. using superman as his pawn, the general orders him to take out the batman. knowing he must face the man of steel, batman arms himself with a special suit and gets help from the new robin and green arrow. surprisingly, batman defeats superman, but dies of a heart attack at the end of the battle. his secret identity is finally revealed to the world, but the mystery of how he did it all and where his assets went remains. at the funeral, superman picks up a faint heartbeat in wayne's coffin and gives robin a knowing wink before he walks away.

Explore over eighty years of batman history in this updated official edition featuring a wealth of new content, including a new chapter on acclaimed feature film the batman. featuring two new chapters and content from the new feature film the batman, this updated volume tells the complete story of batman and his many guises throughout the years. since his 1939 debut in the pages of detective comics, batman has become an icon, instantly recognizable the world over. to some he’s the colorful caped crusader who dispatches villains with a pow! to others he’s the grim dark knight hell-bent on avenging the death of his parents. and to others still he’s made of lego, has great abs, and likes to eat lobster thermidor! this deluxe edition explores the batman across comics, tv, animation, film, video games, and beyond, to present a compelling portrait of one of the most recognizable and versatile characters in the history of fiction. covering the complete history of batman in vivid detail, this deluxe edition features exclusive commentary from the key creatives who have been instrumental in building the dark knight’s ongoing legacy, including neal adams, tim burton, paul dini, steve englehart, mark hamill, grant morrison, julie newmar, christopher nolan, denny o’neil, joel schumacher, scott snyder, and zack snyder. along with taking readers on an unparalleled journey into the creation of the most memorable batman moments in the character’s eighty-year history—from the “knightfall” comics arc to tim burton’s films and the arkham video game series—the book busts open the dc comics and warner bros. archives to deliver an avalanche of never-before-seen visual treasures that are guaranteed to blow the minds of batman fans everywhere. filled with exclusive insert items that further deepen the reading experience, this updated edition of batman: the definitive history of the dark knight in comics, film, and beyond is the ultimate exploration of a true legend whose impact on our culture has no limits. comprehensive history: over 400 pages detailing every incarnation of the caped crusader across comics, tv, animation, movies, videogames and beyond. all-star contributors: read interviews and insights from those who have shaped the dark knight’s legend, including christopher nolan, mark hamill, tim burton, michael keaton, grant morrison, julie newmar, joel schumacher, scott snyder, frank miller, kevin conroy and more. exclusive bonus inserts: filled with pull-out cards, posters, mini-books, and other interactive ephemera that bring the history of the caped crusader to life. never before seen images: taken directly from the archives of dc and warner bros., enjoy exclusive, unseen treasures from the 80-year history of batman. complete your collection: batman: the animated series, dc comics: anatomy of a metahuman and dc comics variant covers: the complete visual history also available.

Traces batman’s entire career, with full details of his incredible adventures and battles, his allies, loves, and formidable array of enemies.dc’s dark knight first emerged from the shadows in the pages of detective comics in 1939, when young bruce waye vowed to avenge his parents’ murder and fight for justice in crime-ridden, corrupt gotham city. packed with information on the dark knight, including how he was created and evolved over the decades, this in-world celebration of dc’s most popular super hero explores his motives and drives, his incredible array of weapons and vehicles, his “family” of allies, and his formidable rogues gallery, including the joker, catwoman, harley quinn, the riddler, penguin, bane, scarecrow, killer croc, and many more. this definitive volume brings batman’s thrilling story right up to date with full details of his exploits in recent dc storylines such as rebirth, dark nights: metal and dark nights: death metal. featuring a detailed timeline of key events in the life of bruce wayne aka batman, batman: the ultimate guide is packed with spectacular full-color artwork from the original comics and is a dream purchase for the dark knight’s legion of fans all over the world.all dc characters and elements & dc comics. (s21)

Writer/artist frank miller completely reinvents the legend of batman in this saga of a near-future gotham city gone to rot, 10 years after the dark knight’s retirement. forced to take action, the dark knight returns in a blaze of fury, taking on a whole new generation of criminals and matching their level of violence. he is soon joined by a new robin—a girl named carrie kelley, who proves to be just as invaluable as her predecessors. can batman and robin deal with the threat posed by their deadliest enemies, after years of incarceration have turned them into perfect psychopaths? and more important, can anyone survive the coming fallout from an undeclared war between the superpowers—or the clash of what were once the world’s greatest heroes? hailed as a comics masterpiece, the dark knight returns is frank miller’s (300 and sin city) reinvention of gotham’s legendary protector. it remains one of the most influential stories ever told in comics, with its echoes felt in all media forms of dc’s storytelling. collects issues #1-4.

For the first time, after 80 dark yet wonderful years, batman: the war years 1939-1945 tells all of the dark knight’s compelling stories about robin and his involvement in world war ii. batman's villains have always been sinister, and these are his origins in fighting villains real and fiction. through countless comic book issues, television series, and award winning movies, batman has been a symbol of strength and perseverance. he was created in 1939, on the brink of world war ii, at a volatile time when the world needed a hero most. who better to come to the rescue than the caped crusader? the poor, little, rich boy. orphaned in a late-night robbery grew up to be one of the greatest super-heroes in the dc universe. from that inspirational moment when a bat flies through the window and inspired an adult bruce wayne with a name and a motif, the world changed for the better. all of these are wonderful elements in a timeless tale. by early 1940, both batman and robin were up and running in no less than two hit comic books. bob kane hired a teenager that he happened to meet—jerry robinson—to help him churn out what looked like a nice long run of batman stories. a run that has continued, uninterrupted, to today. as the second world war loomed ever larger on the horizon, batman was about to become big business, comic-book style. these original stories show batman and robin in all of their original glory and allow the reader to relive the golden age of comics. follow their pilot plots such as the following:the strange case of the diabolical puppet master – the strange case of professor radium – the case of the laughing death – harlequin hoax – scarecrow returns – the man with the camera eyes – crime clinic – batman bond advertisements – atlantis goes to war – blitzkrieg banditsand more! roy thomas has been a comics writer since 1965, mostly for marvel or dc. among the thousands of comic books he has written are conan the barbarian, the avengers, the x-men, fantastic four, all-star squadron, sub-mariner, the invaders, dr. strange, red sonja, wonder woman, and the savage sword of conan. brush up on the history of the world's favorite billionaire vigilante, batman, with batman the war years. part of the dc comics war years trilogy that celebrates the golden age of heroes.

"the dynamic duo are joined by their greatest ally in their war on crime, bruce wayne's butler alfred pennyworth! from his very first appearance the valiant valet proves he would be doing more than just cleaning cobwebs out of the batcave as he adds valuable insight into cases and shows batman and robin that three is anything but a crowd. and the caped crusader can use the help, as gotham is terrorized by familiar villains the joker, penguin, two-face and catwoman while a slew of new villains such as the cavalier and the crime surgeon make their debut. all this, plus batman and robin must battle threats from the underwater world of atlantis and the far-future world of the 21st century!"–page 4 of cover.

From the #1 new york times best-selling author of batman, scott snyder, comes his newest dark knight project as a part of dc universe rebirth, all-star batman vol. snyder is one of the most critically acclaimed authors in the comics world, with titles that include the genre-defining batman vol. 1: the court of owls, as well as batman: black mirror and american vampire. but this time, he teams with eisner award-winning illustrator and comics legend john romita jr. (avengers, the dark knight returns: the last crusade) and critically acclaimed artist declan shalvey (moon knight)! in this new graphic novel, batman finds himself trying to help old friend harvey dent…now known as the villainous two-face! the dark knight accompanies his foe on a cross-country trip to fix his scarred face and hopefully end the two-face identity forever. but when the former gotham city d.a. sets a plan into motion to free himself, the road gets bumpy and every assassin, bounty hunter and ordinary citizen with something to hide comes out in force with one goal: kill batman! handcuffed together on the road to bat-hell, this is batman and two-face as you've never seen them before! following the success of court of owls, death of the family and endgame, all-star batman vol. 1: my own worst enemy is the industry-shaking graphic novel for the dark knight, with one of the biggest creative pairings in dc comics history sharing their take on one of the greatest heroes ever in all-star batman vol. 1! collects issues #1-5.

Explores batman's entire career, with full details of his breathtaking adventures and battles, resolute allies, chequered love life, and formidable rogues gallery. dc's dark knight first emerged from the shadows in the pages of detective comics in 1939, when young bruce wayne vowed to avenge his parents' murder and fight for justice in crime-ridden gotham city. packed with information on the dark knight, including his creation and evolution over the decades, this in-world celebration of dc's most popular super hero explores batman's motives and drives, his incredible array of weapons and vehicles, his "family" of allies, and his roster of menacing super-villains, including the joker, catwoman, harley quinn, the riddler, the penguin, bane, scarecrow, killer croc, and many more. this definitive volume brings batman's thrilling story right up to date with full details of his exploits in recent dc storylines such as rebirth, dark nights: metal and dark nights: death metal, and city of bane. featuring a detailed timeline of key events in the life of bruce wayne aka batman, batman: the ultimate guide new edition is packed with spectacular full-colour artwork from the original comics and is a dream purchase for the dark knight's legion of fans all over the world. & dc comics. (s22)

He's known by many names. the world's greatest detective. the caped crusader. the dark knight. but how did young bruce wayne grow up to become batman? follow young bruce's incredible transformation in this action-packed chapter book for early readers, filled with colorful comic art by dc comics illustrators.

Batman puts together his own team of gotham city vigilantes in this great new starting-point graphic novel, batman – detective comics vol. an elite fighting force modeled after the dark knight has invaded the streets of gotham. their armor, weaponry and surveillance equipment are based on batman’s tech and tactics, but they’re far beyond anything he’s ever seen. and while these batmen’s motives remain a mystery, their targets are all too clear… they’re gunning for gotham’s vigilantes. batman knows he can’t face this foe alone, and neither can the crime-fighters caught in the crossfire. so with batwoman—secretly bruce wayne’s cousin, kate kane—as his general, he’s organizing the next generation of gotham heroes into an army. tim drake, a.k.a. red robin. stephanie brown, a.k.a. spoiler. cassandra cain, a.k.a. the orphan. and reformed criminal basil karlo, a.k.a. clayface. these are the shock troops in batman and batwoman’s war. when they finally see the face of their true enemy, will they stand together…or fall apart? find out in batman: detective comics vol. 1: rise of the batmen, a great jumping-on point for new readers! this masterful high-octane thriller from writer james tynion iv (batman and robin eternal) and artists eddy barrows (nightwing) and alvaro martinez (ultimate comics x-men) explodes from the blockbuster dc rebirth event! collects detective comics #934-940.

In 1988, batman readers were allowed to vote on the outcome of the story… and they decided that robin should die! jim starlin's devastating graphic novel classic left shockwaves throughout the comic book industry, many of which are still felt today! as the second person to assume the role of batman's sidekick, jason todd had a completely different personality than the original robin. rash and prone to ignore batman's instructions, jason was always quick to act without regard to consequences. in this fatal instance, robin ignores his mentor's warnings when he attempts to take on the joker by himself and pays the ultimate price. driven by anger with superman by his side, batman seeks his vengeance as he looks to end the joker's threat forever.this tale of loss, guilt and brutality is considered one of the most defining pieces in the dark knight's mythology.

Gotham city's worst criminals–joker, riddler, ra's al ghul, clayface and others–have emerged to throw batman's life into utter chaos. however, these villains are part of a much more elaborate, sinister scheme to destroy the dark knight once and for all, one headed by a mastermind much closer to bruce wayne than any foe before… gotham city is infected by a crime epidemic and all of batman's enemies have emerged to throw his life into utter chaos. but little do they know, they're all pawns of the villainous hush in an elaborate game of revenge against bruce wayne. pushed past his breaking point, batman will need to use more than the world's greatest detective skills to uncover the true identity of this mysterious mastermind before it's too late.this truly unforgettable story by three of comics' top talents–writer jeph loeb (batman: the long halloween, batman: dark victory) and artists jim lee (justice league, suicide squad) and scott williams (all-star batman & robin, superman)–presents the caped crusader's most personal case yet! collects batman #608-619, a hush interlude from wizard #0, and a bonus section with over 40 pages of behind-the-scenes content.

Categories: batman comics & graphic novels, books, discover title. contributors: various – author. format: hardcover title: detective comics: 80 years of batman deluxe edition.

From genesis to greatness – the full, illustrated story of the batman! . decade by decade, year by year, month by month, explore the evolution of the world's greatest detective, his heroic bat-family, and his unforgettable gallery of rogues, such as the joker, harley quinn, catwoman, bane, scarecrow and the penguin. packed with original, comic book art, in-depth profiles, key storylines and events, both in and out of world. with a foreword by legendary comic book writer frank miller (the dark knight returns, batman: year one), this definitive guide is presented in a collectible slipcase featuring specially commissioned artwork by top dc comic book artists and including two exclusive prints. batman and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and dc comics. wb shield: tm & warner bros. entertainment inc. (s14)

One of the greatest batman stories ever told, batman arkham asylum is celebrated in this 25th anniversary deluxe edition! the inmates of arkham asylum have taken over gotham's detention center for the criminally insane on april fool's day, demanding batman in exchange for their hostages. accepting their demented challenge, batman is forced to endure the personal hells of the joker, scarecrow, poison ivy, two-face and many other sworn enemies in order to save the innocents and retake the prison. during his run through this absurd gauntlet, the dark knight's must face down both his most dangerous foes and his inner demons.this is the critically acclaimed batman story that helped launch the u.s. careers of grant morrison and dave mckean.

Batman: legends of the dark knight presents the new, original adventures of batman from the acclaimed digital-first series by an all-star lineup of comics' finest talents including damon lindelof (lost, prometheus), steve niles (30 days of night), jeff lemire (animal man) and more! discover startling sides of the dark knight that span from his earliest days in the cowl to his never-ending battles against gotham's greatest enemies, including the joker and two-face. collecting issues #1-5 of batman: legends of the dark knight!

A new york times best-seller presented for the first time with stark, stunning new coloring by bolland, batman: the killing joke is alan moore's unforgettable meditation on the razor-thin line between sanity and insanity, heroism and villainy, comedy and tragedy. according to the grinning engine of madness and mayhem known as the joker, that's all that separates the sane from the psychotic. freed once again from the confines of arkham asylum, he's out to prove his deranged point. and he's going to use gotham city's top cop, commissioner jim gordon, and his brilliant and beautiful daughter barbara to do it. now batman must race to stop his archnemesis before his reign of terror claims two of the dark knight's closest friends. can he finally put an end to the cycle of bloodlust and lunacy that links these two iconic foes before it leads to its fatal conclusion? and as the horrifying origin of the clown prince of crime is finally revealed, will the thin line that separates batman's nobility and the joker's insanity snap once and for all? legendary writer alan moore redefined the super-hero with watchmen and v for vendetta. in batman: the killing joke, he takes on the origin of comics' greatest super-villain, the joker–and changes batman's world forever. stunningly illustrated, batman: the killing joke, the deluxe edition has been lushly re-colored by artist brian bolland, presenting his original vision of this modern classic for the first time.