While fans of The Batman discovered the first episode of HBO's The Penguin series yesterday, today is Batman Day, as we do every third weekend in September. For the occasion, the Hitek editorial team offers you a selection of 10 essential Batman comics.
#1 The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller (1986)
#1 The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller (1986)
Released the same year as the monumental WatchmenAlan Moore and Dave Gibbons' The Dark Knight Returnshelped lay the foundations for a revolution in American comic book writing. Frank Miller summons an aging Batman coming out of retirement to fight crime. He will face old enemies, such as the Joker (in a bloody fight) but also Superman, who works for an American government that has never been so decadent. Of a darkness and brutality unprecedented for the time, The Dark Knight Returns is a gem, from which director Zack Snyder drew inspiration for the film Batman v. Superman (2016). Unfortunately, its two sequels The Dark Knight Strikes Again and The Dark Knight III: The Master Race will not succeed in reproducing the miracle.
#2 Batman: Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli (1987)
A year after revolutionizing comics with The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller reunites with Gotham's Dark Knight in Batman: Year One. Delegating the drawing to the talented David Mazzucchelli, Frank Miller jointly tells the first year of activity of Bruce Wayne as Batman and James Gordon, freshly arrived with his wife in Gotham City. The American screenwriter confronts his two characters with the corruption and violence of this city, in a formidably effective story. Regularly cited among the greatest comics published by DC Comics, Batman: Year Oneis one of the major inspirations for Batman Beginsby Christopher Nolan (2005) and The Batmanby Matt Reeves (2022).
#3 The Killing Joke, by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland (1988)
Released in 1988, The Killing Joke is one of the greatest comics ever written. In just forty-eight pages, the legendary Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell) manages to show the complexity of the relationship between Batman and his nemesis, the Joker.The British screenwriter even allows himself the luxury of offering an origin story to the Clown Prince of Crime. Absolutely dizzying, The Killing Joke is a model of writing efficiency, which is enhanced by the equally precise drawings of Brian Bolland. Even today, The Killing Joke continues to impress. Adapted into an animated film, it is among the influences claimed by Christopher Nolan for the film The Dark Knight, and several elements are used in the video games of the Batman Arkham saga.
#4 A Mourning in the Family, by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo (1988)
Released in the wake from The Dark Knight Returnsand Batman: Year One by Frank Miller, A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin was a real editorial event. Following a reader vote, DC Comics chose to have Jason Todd killed by the Joker. This particularly despicable crime will deeply mark fans. While writers like Frank Miller have criticized the process used by DC Comics, A Death in the Family remains one of the most beloved Batman comics in the history of the hero. It is also an essential work for understanding the character and his relationship with the Joker. The events that take place there will have a capital importance in the following comics, starting with Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.
#5 aRKHAM aSYLUM, by GRANT MORRISON AND DAVE McKEAN (1989)
If the title Arkham Asylum evokes for many fans the first part of the tetralogy video gameBatman: Arkham is also the title of a one-shot published in 1989, written by the British Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman) and drawn by his compatriot Dave McKean (The Sandman). Nothing more normal, since the plot of the game is largely inspired by the comics. The Joker causes a riot in Arkham, takes control of the asylum and threatens to kill the staff if they do not go there.In addition to benefiting from Morrison's screenwriting talents, the sharp aesthetic bias of Dave McKean, known in particular for his collaborations with Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, Violent Cases, Mr Punch), make this masterpiece a unique experience.
#6 The Long Halloween, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (1996)
Regularly cited (rightly so) among the greatest comics in the Batman universe, A Long Halloween is the result of the collaboration between the excellent Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. On Halloween, Carmine Falcone's nephew is shot twice in the head by a mysterious serial killer, Holiday, who kills every holiday. Batman, who fights against the underworld alongside Commissioner Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, seeks to discover the identity of the murderer. On his way, Batman will cross paths with the Joker, Catwoman, the Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and the Riddler. Having had as teachers the filmmakers Milos Forman (Amadeus) and Paul Schrader (Blue Collar, screenwriter of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull), Jeph Loeb returns to film noir with incredible talent. Tim Sale's very graphic approach to drawing, close to Mike Mignola (Hellboy), enhances Loeb's story. The Long Halloween is one of the main inspirations for Matt Reeves' film The Batman (2022). Its sequel, Bitter Victory(2002), which could have appeared in this selection, has inspired the series The Penguin (direct sequel to the Matt Reeves film), the first episode of which was released on Max this Friday and takes up the character of Hangman, the Hangman Killer.
#7 Batman: Silence, by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee (2002)
After the extraordinaryA Long Halloween, Jeph Loeb returns in 2002 to the Batman universe with the excellent Silence. Like this first tour de force, Batman faces a whole gallery of iconic antagonists, such as The Joker, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Ra's al Ghul and The Riddler. All are part of a gigantic conspiracy, created by a new enemy of the Bat Man: Silence. Led at a cracking pace, Jeph Loeb's screenplay is enhanced by the splendid drawings of Jim Lee, who is certainly one of his best works. A must-read!
#8 The Last Days of the Dark Knight, by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert (2009)
Renowned as one of the greatest comic book writers in the world, alongside Alan Moore, the British Neil Gaiman is of course the author of The Sandman. But his collaboration with DC Comics is not limited to this masterpiece alone, since he is also the screenwriter of the poetic Black Orchid (1988) and Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?, translated into French under the title Les Derniers Jours du Chevalier Noir. Written in the style of Alan Moore's What Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, this comic begins with the death of Batman. Former allies and enemies gather at the wake to remember the Dark Knight. This is an opportunity for Neil Gaiman, whose passion for myths and legends is well-established, to work on the Batman character as an icon. Excellent!
#9 The Court of Owls, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo (2011)
In 2011, DC completely rebooted its universe with the New 52. Screenwriter Scott Snyder, who made his name with the series American Vampire, which he co-created with Stephen King, and artist Greg Capullo are responsible for the revival of Batman comics. For their first story, The Court of Owls, Snyder and Capullo delve into the history of Gotham City itself through a secret society that controls it from the shadowsand sends assassins (the Ergots) to do the dirty work. A fascinating investigation!
#10 White Knight, by Sean Murphy (2018)
Not content with being Batman's greatest nemesis, the Joker is by his very nature a real playground for comic book writers. This is perfectly illustrated by American screenwriter and illustrator Sean Murphy in White Knight, in which he turns the mythology of the Batman universe upside down: the Joker becomes mentally stable thanks to medical treatment and distinguishes himself as an intelligent and charismatic politician, while Batman is reduced to the rank of extreme vigilante. Highly intelligent, this comic is a great success. We recommend it if you haven't read it already!