By Corwin Crowl, Michael Smith, and Aziz Bawany

It’s Batman month here at The Comic Addiction and with Bruce Wayne out of the picture we thought it’d be best to give you 25 essential reads to hold you over until the Bat-verse picks up steam. Each of these titles was carefully chosen from a select group of Bat-fanboys, and with so many great stories, it was definitely a challenge. This is our final installment.

Batman: The Killing Joke

With the slew of one-shots, specials and mini-series being released today it is shame that ninety-nine percent of them are barely worth a fraction of the ink and paper they are printed on. Most will be forever forgotten in the annals of bags, boards and long boxes or even worse crumbled, folded, torn, stepped on or burned with the soul of the story forever trapped in limbo. It is rare for a mini-series, let alone a one-shot to hold great importance and influence over a long standing corporate character. Batman: The Killing Joke is such a rarity that blossoms only once or twice during a reader’s lifetime.

Published in 1988 as a 46-page prestige format original graphic novel it was written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland. This work of art is their magnum opus to the relationship between Batman and the Joker. In an attempt to mentally break Commissioner Gordon the Joker elevates his antics to the most prodigious levels. Stricken with disgust Batman must once again put a stop the mad clown’s antics but irreparable damage has already been done. Batman knows how their game must end and previously tried to alter its course. While I give tremendous credit to the creators, this story would never of seen print if it was not for the editors and publisher standing behind it. Please note that it is suggested for mature readers only. In the end this story chronicles another battle between chaos and order but if you are not careful you may miss the punch line like so many others. Pay close attention to the lettering; the answer lays there.

Batman: The Long Halloween

As a fan of Batman it is hard for me to imagine somebody that has never read a single story about the Dark Knight. There are more epic stories and incredible tales about this character than just about anyone else ever written. From time-to-time I do run across a person that has never picked up a Batman story. After I gasp for breath I tell them they need to try at least one book. When looking for suggestions there are always two or three books that jump out, but for the purest that wants the grit and drama of Batman there is nothing greater than Batman: The Long Halloween.

This story is written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale. They brought together an entire series of Batman books over a short period of time but none was better than this one. It focuses on the cerebral aspect of Batman being the world’s best detective while touching on the over the top aspects of being a caped crusader. There is a murder loose in Gotham and he/she is leaving little trinkets and clues. It seems like anyone could be a suspect but sometimes you cannot see reality until it hits you in the face.

Avid readers talk about picking up a great novel and not being able to put it down. The Long Halloween is that type of graphic novel. It is engaging and draws you in as you see the hopeless backdrop of Gotham filled with criminals that might have finally taken control and the battles that the Dark Knight must fight. There is not enough that can be said for Tim Sale’s work on this book. His art is dark and mysterious while staying true to the Batman we have all come to know so well. If you have never read a Batman story and you think now is the time; you could find no better representation of the character and everything great about him, than to check out Batman: The Long Halloween.

Batman: Dark Victory

Set in the early years of Batman's history Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale follow up their acclaimed mystery Batman: The Long Halloween with Batman: Dark Victory. In The Long Halloween, Batman faced a serial killer named Holiday who struck once every month on a holiday. The loss of a close friend in that story drives Batman further into darkness and solitude. Dark Victory starts another year of chaos as Arkham Asylum is attacked and all its colorful residents are set free into the darkness of the night. Soon a holiday themed serial killer strikes at Gotham City cops. Each victim his hung from a noose with a hangman game pinned to their body.

Loeb and Sale takes you on a journey worthy of a Sherlock Holmes novel. For every mystery that is brought to light two more spring from the shadows. Much like The Long Halloween, Sale brings his unique mastery of contrast to give this story a true crime fiction feel. Every woman is beautiful and full of curves, every street corner is dirty and dingy and every character has a story to tell. Each fits like a puzzle piece in the overall story. Take away any one of them the story would seem incomplete. Yet, every character introduced could be the killer in question.

Like any good mystery this story challenges not only the main character but also the readers to observe the clues and find the killer. I seem to notice that the best Batman stories are the ones where he plays the role of the great detective and make no mistake this story stands perfectly well on its own. Even if you have not read The Long Halloween, this story is a Batman essential. The real question is can you find the killer before Batman?

Batman: Year One

Everyone always wants to know a great jumping on point for a book. For me it is always the beginning of the series. Sometimes that is not the easiest thing to do when you have a character like Batman that has been around since the 1940’s; that is unless you check out the definitive origination of Batman in Batman: Year One. This book is about so much more than the origin of the Dark Detective; it sets key players into the Batman Universe.

We get to see Lieutenant James Gordon arrive to join the highly corrupt Gotham Police Department. While Gordon appears to have some baggage of his own, Gotham is a fresh start and a new challenge. The book also introduces us to a prostitute named Selina and shows Bruce Wayne seeking advice from his dead father and the ensuing sign that pushes him into a life as a masked vigilante.

Frank Miller is known for his over the top variations of the Batman character. He has pushed the envelope and then pushed it even further. In this telling of the early challenges that Batman must overcome Miller does a masterful job of showing the real difficulties and obstacles in being the protector of Gotham in the beginning. David Mazzucchelli lays out a beautifully drawn series the combines the grit and toughness of Gotham and the characters that call it home.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

As much as Frank Miller nailed the essence and character of Batman in his Batman: Year One he went polar-opposite in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Miller redefined the character and in the process reinvigorated countless disenchanted fans of the superhero genre. This book is not only one of the 25 Essential Batman Reads but I would argue this might be one of the top five to ten essential comic book reads of all time. Miller really pushed the boundaries in this book and once he got to the edge he pushed just a little bit more.

The story focuses on an older and more cynical Bruce Wayne. It has been over ten years since the last Batman sighting. Gotham has fallen deeper into the dredges of hopelessness and Bruce Wayne is to the point that he almost does not even care anymore. There is a spurn of events that cause the fires to light in the old man and want to make a difference one more time. All of the old familiar names are part of this wild ride, Commissioner Gordon, Robin, Alfred and even a cast of rouges that seem to never go away but while the characters return there is a slight twist to everything.

Miller provides a tale unlike anything that has ever graced the pages of a Batman comic. All preconceived notions and ideas have to be thrown out the window as you go along this dark and powerful journey. To his credit, Miller is able to deviate from the norm but always hold true to the fundamental beliefs and ideas that make Batman and Bruce Wayne true to their characters. This book is one that has brought about great controversy and praise. It is a very polarizing read but at the same time great books seem to have that impact on people. I would put this book up there with Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and Sandman as powerful books that can withstand the test of time.