The Batman comics every type of superhero fan should read

One thing that all great Batman writers agree upon is the versatility of DC’s hero. “You can do the comedy Batman,” Grant Morrison said in 2013, “You can do the camp Batman. The super serious, dark and existential Batman is possible. It’s possible to do the Adventure Batman. It’s possible to be a detective Batman. The street crime Batman can be done. Fantasy Batman can be done. The superhero Batman is possible. The character bends and is able to do it all.”

There must be a Batman story to suit every reader, if Batman is able to work in all kinds of stories. As Polygon’s Batman expert, I wanted to prove the theory.

Six Polygon employees offered to be test subjects. They told me their personal wishes and shared what they would love to see in a Batman story. These questions led me to seven bat-recommendations.

Maybe there’s even a book in here … for You.

Batman, a more human version

Tasha Robinson: OK, Susana, I admit I’m mostly a sucker for an iconic creature-of-the-night Batman who barely ever seems to pry himself out of the costume, and who seems to represent some primal aspect of Gotham more than actually being a man. I’m thinking of things like Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum here, or Scott Snyder’s Court of Owls arc, or Batman on Young Justice, where he just hovers in the background being inscrutable and the Ultimate Adult in a show mostly about younger heroes figuring themselves out.

But there’s so much of that out there, and it seems to be the mode he operates in throughout the biggest and most popular comics stories, as well as in a lot of the movies, including Batman. I’d like you to point me to a comics arc that’s much more interested in the human side of Bruce Wayne — especially if it isn’t primarily a romantic story, because I just don’t care Who Bangs The Bat anymore. Give me a story that does actually care about what Bruce does or who he is when he isn’t punching people, or only vaguely pretending to be human so he doesn’t blow his secret identity. What story can you suggest that would give Batman an innerity other than the typical broody/moody thoughts over crime fighting methods and the need to vengeance?

Image: Scott Beatty, Dean Motter/DC Comics

Susana: Tasha, what a gift you’ve given me! From the beginning, I am able to recommend the mysterious Batman series. Batman: Gotham Knights (2000). The book is beloved by a certain kind of early ’00s Batman fan and basically no one else because the series was only collected for the first time in 2019.

Gotham KnightsHe arrived on the scene during an era in which there were multiple concurrent series where Batman was nominally the lead. Each series had its own bat flavor. Detective Comics was for detective stories, and often featured a short backup feature to honor the title’s venerable origins. Batman was for the mainline “plot” of Gotham City. Legends of the Dark KnightThese were stories that are set in the past, or not within traditional canon. Gotham Knights was the book about Batman’s interpersonal relationships.

Now, I’m of the opinion that the whole series is great, and while it’s never as self-serious as to become parody, it does include a lot of general brooding and parent-mourning. So, I’ll actually recommend a specific string of issues.

They have still never been put in a collection but are available in single issue format on Comixology and DC Universe Infinite — and what are you really here for if not the Deep cuts, right? Continue reading Batman: Gotham Knights #32-#45. #32 is, in my opinion, the most perfect single issue Batman story ever made, and the rest of this selection spools out and knits together several ongoing threads, culminating in an issue in which Gotham’s social services investigates Bruce Wayne for child abuse. Although it sounds absurd, I assure you that this is not a joke.

Batman Mystery with actual mystery

Matt Patches: Dear Susana. I felt let down by The Batman’s promise. Everyone said this was the movie where “The World’s Greatest Detective” got to flex his sleuth muscles. But like many actual Batman comics, it was more about sniffing out the “where?” and “when?” of an established villain. The Batman of The Batman is more like “The World’s Greatest Escape-Room Solver.” As a hardcore Murder, She Wrote fan (sorry, Sherlock Holmes), I am looking for a Batman story where Bruce Wayne really needs to piece the evidence together to solve a case. Note: This is a book I have already read. Halloween LongYou can also gimmie some other thing.

Image: Alan Grant, Norm Breyfogle/DC Comics

Susana: Read Patches Batman: The Last ArkhamOriginal publication: Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992) #1-4. One of the odd things about Batman detective stories is that his villains generally announce themselves — turning “who done it”s into “when’s he gonna do it again”s. Last Arkham is a rare “I know he did it… but How?” and a riveting debut for a brand new villain who has actually stuck around.

Last Arkham, Batman is certain that serial slasher Victor Zsasz is committing a string of murders, but he has an unassailable alibi: He’s been locked up in Arkham Asylum the entire time. It’s so! Batman and Commissioner Gordon devise a scheme to get Batman admitted into Arkham Asylum. They do this by staging the murder of a policeman! So he can get to know Mr. Zasaz. The inside..

Norm Breyfogle and Alan Grant, the artist and writer team are greatly underrated. The art here is snappy, the plot twisty, the humor on point, and there’s a cameo from just about every Batman villain who could possibly appear, as well as Nightwing and Robin, who Batman didn’t bother to tell that he was putting himself in Arkham on purpose. Whoops!

Batman who loves to smooch

Petrana Radulovic: Susana. I really enjoyed Catwoman and Batman’s dynamic in the new movie. As someone who enjoys the occasional brooding bad boy romance — especially when pitted with a female lead who keeps him on his toes — what would you say is The Most Romantic Batman story? It’s OK if Batman winds up ending the relationship, but I prefer a bittersweet parting of ways instead of a “mwahaha you played into my plans all along and now i will end you!”

Image: Tom King, Joëlle Jones/DC Comics

Susana: Petrana, You can read this article after some hard work. Batman: The Rebirth Part 3Original publication: Batman(2016) #33-44 Batman Annual (2016) #2. It collects a whole slew of comics featuring Batman and and Catwoman in the period of Tom King’s Batman run AfterThe couple got together but BeforeShe left him at his altar. They eventually got back together, but they decided to not get back together. Married married.)

Batman stories must return to their status quo. This means most Batman romances will be tragically endanger and serve to highlight how lonely a vigilante’s life can be. His he Batman series, Tom King asks the question “What happens to Batman if you make him happy?”

The run overall is uneven. It’s a mix of high highs, and lows. But this stretch here is almost all bangers, and are almost all about Batman and Catwoman’s relationship and joint adventures. We get to see Bruce’s family (including his baby momma) react to their engagement. We get to see King’s version of the beginning of the Bat/Cat romance, as well as Old Bruce and Selina at its end. Batman and Catwoman meet up with Superman, Lois Lane and go on a double date. Poisonivy gets saved from her own self by uniting with Harley Quinn. It’s good smoochy stuff.

Batman is made out of bats. Bats-Man?

Nicole Clark: It is true that there exists a Spiders-Man. Since then, this concept has fascinated me. Is there any other superheroes that are a version or many of the creatures inside a trenchcoat like this? Do you know of any other comics that have this strange twist?

DC Comics

Susana: Nicole, I spent a long time trying to think of a contained story about Man-Bat, the Batman villain who is a literal bat man, that was worthy of recommending, but I couldn’t, so I’m going to go with the spirit of the request more than the letter. This book would be a great recommendation. Batman & Dracula trilogy, in which Batman becomes a vampire and kills Dracula and the Joker and stuff, but I don’t actually like it that much, I’m really just mentioning it so people don’t jump up my butt in the comments.

This is what I recommend. I don’t know if you It will like it — but it willYou might be interested in other versions of Batman. Read on Dark Nights: Dark Knights Rising.

What does it mean? Dark Nights Metal: Dark Knights Rising about? How do I begin? Beneath the normal multiverse is a Dark Multiverse full of broken ideas for the DC Universe decaying down to fundamental atoms, and a bunch of the people in those worlds got tired of waiting to decay into atoms so they’ve all ganged up to beat up the main DC Universe. All of these people are alternative versions of Batman. Also, they are lead by the worst alternate version of Batman, a Batman with the Joker’s moral compass known as the Batman Who Laughs.

This volume tells you the origin story of every one of these other evil Batmans. Don’t expect it to make any sense. This is not a Batman story, but more of a tonal poem through the use of heavy metal guitar solos. I can’t promise you’ll like it, but I can promise it’s what you asked for.

Please visit our website for more gadgets

Charlie Hall: Susana. I can understand why the Bat-Men get angry. They are physically strong, which I can understand. They go to extraordinary lengths in order to perfect their martial arts skills, so they can punch and kick with great efficiency. But what I’m really missing from my Bats-Mans of late are the gadgets.

Susana, I want more gadgets and not just the ones that do nothing. Yes, but I need the world’s fiction to be able to use these devices without too much fuss. You can fill my utility bag with suggestions.

Image: Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee/DC Comics

Susana: Charlie. Batman: The Hush. Now, I’ll give this a caveat, as I don’t think I’ve revisited it since college, so it’s possible the story has aged in certain ways that have been left to the dust of my memory. However Batman: The HushIt’s a bombastic mystery that brings in every Batman enemy and hero to the table. It’s colorful and dramatic and has a final twist that I love.

I wouldn’t say it’s Focused on Batman’s tech, but from the opening panels it’s clear that writer Jeph Loeb looooves a Batman internal monologue about poison darts, acid lockpicks, the thickness of the Batmobile’s reinforced tires, and the specific composition of the tensile line on a grappling hook. Artist Jim Lee looooves to draw cars and high tech surgery bays and special belt compartments and a new bat-paratrooping suit and a new bat-plane and Batman’s HUD display. It will satisfy your itch.

Batfamily Adventure

Pete Volk: Hi, Susana. I’ve always enjoyed Batman stories that sprawl out into the larger Batfamily. Solo Batman stories can be fun, but I’m itching for something that involves the whole crew. It’s a bonus if you can show some thought about the complex nature of crime fighting families (especially when many of them were brought up to combat crime). You can give me some good news about many bird- and Bat-people working together on a mystery. A final note: Nightwings are a special favorite of mine.

DC Comics

Susana: Pete, quit what you are doing to read Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive! This is no joke. It’s the arc which made me quit waiting for the trade to start going weekly to a comic shop because it was so good. It wasTo find out the next chapter, click here. This is perhaps the most contained introduction to Bat-family drama.

The plot is this: A murderer frames-job is done on Bruce Wayne, a billionaire. Even the Bat-family begins to question his innocence. He is then arrested and taken to Blackgate prison, awaiting trial. Then Batman makes a quintessentially Batman decision: If being Bruce Wayne is a liability, he’ll just stop being Bruce Wayne. He escapes prison and begins vigilante-ing. This is a hateful act by his family who had been trying to clean him up.

One of these crossovers is where the story spans multiple series created by different creative teams. Bruce Wayne: Murderer/FugitiveThis is a stunningly organized symphony full of family drama and well-written by an impressive group of writers and performers. It’s a rare story that says “It is exhausting to know Batman on a personal level, and he needs to do better.” I love it to death and I think you will, too.

Batman, which is basically Green Lantern sci fi nonsense

Patches: Susana, my name is THE JOKER !!!!. Actually I’m just indulgent and want something completely different than my first request. I love grounded Batman stories, but I also love the cosmic side of DC’s universe. I love to go over to Apokolips and get a little New Gods goodness. Mogo is one of my goals in life. Did Batman embrace science fiction, and how did he get Bruce to the bizarre and fantastic without losing sight of his Batman identity? And this is without jumping to the Batman Beyond timeline.

Brian Michael Bendis, Nick Derington/DC Comics

Susana: Patches, I’m going to allow this because I have a perfect answer: Batman: The UniverseBy Nick Derington and Brian Michael Bendis. To paraphrase Bendis’ own descriptions of this graphic novel, it’s the victory lap the long time Marvel Comics writer took once he was handed the keys to the DC Universe.

Batman visits Gorilla City, and Hawkman’s home planet, and hangs out with Green Lantern on Dinosaur Island. Sure, there’s a plot — something about a Fabergé egg and Vandal Savage — but really it’s a story about Batman uncontrollably teleporting through space and time.

Also, it’s got Jonah Hex. It also has Jonah Hex. KnowHow much do you love Jonah Hex?