Best Batman Comics and Graphic Novels

If you are new to Batman comic books, you may be wondering what the best Batman comics are. I am going to list graphic novels, which are sometimes a collection of a series of comics. They contain the best stories and the best villains. Enough chit-chat, let us go down the list:

Batman Knightfall Volume 1

The Knightfall storyline is definitely among the best batman comics, and it is a wonder why it took so long for them to compile it into a graphic novel. It introduces Bane, a villain that is both smarter and stronger than Batman. The Dark Knight is so over his head that does not have a prayer in beating him.

Make sure that you only read Vol. 1 (affiliate link) and skip volume 2, because it is terrible stuff. Volume 3 is okay too, but it is not necessary to read all three to understand what is going on.

The Killing Joke

These are the best Batman comics because they tell the tales of the best villians The Killing Joke is meant to probe the mind of The Joker, who tries to drive Commissioner Gordon into madness by paralyzing Barbara Gordon (Batgirl). It begs the question: can one bad day drive a person mad?

Unfortunately the only version you can find now is the Deluxe Edition which has been recolored. To me this is synonymous to repainting the Mona Lisa.

The Dark Knight Returns

There is no doubt that if you were to ask a comic store clerk what the best batman comics were, he would bring up The Dark Knight Returns. Written and illustrated by Frank Miller (but looks like it was drawn by a five-year-old) it tells the tale of a retired Bruce Wayne who decides that it was time for Batman to return. When he does, Joker decides to come out of retirement as well.

The graphic novel is among the top selling (affiliate link) books on the word’s favorite book store. There is a sequel as well for this story, which people truly hate, and you should not even bother with it.

Batman: Hush

Many people seem to think that The Dark Knight Returns is among the best Batman comics. In my opinion, it is not the best. I feel Batman: Hush is far superior. So much happens in this story arch. Batman kisses Catwoman, and reveals his identity to her. Batman fights Superman as well. The best twists you have to read for yourself, but if you need more reasons to read this masterpiece, know that Jim Lee illustrated the story. For those who do not know, Jim Lee is among the best comic artists around.

Seeing a pattern? Leave a comment below sharing your favorite Batman comics and graphic novels.