The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder.

All right, I hate to say this, but:

ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN.

Because as horrifyingly messed up Miller’s depiction of a violent and completely irrational Batman is, seeing him screw with Hal by painting his safehouse and entire costume yellow is just hilariously amazing.

Year One, hands down. I love how it’s almost as much Gordon’s story as it is Batman’s.

Year One is close, but the Batman story for me No Hope in Crime Alley,” Detective Comics #457, 1976. Batman revisits the exact spot that spawned his existence, as well as an important person from his past.

Ras Al Ghul storyline.

Mine has always been “To Kill a Legend” from Detective Comics # 500, written by Alan Brennert and drawn by Dick Giordano.

SPOILERS************************************

This is the story where the Phantom Stranger takes Batman and Robin to a parallel earth to save the Waynes from death and that action inspires that earth’s Bruce to give up his bratty, selfish nature and become the hero that saved his parents.

SPOILERS OVER************************************

I have chills just thinking about it. Think I will dig it out and read it. Love that story.

It’s gotta be The Dark Knight Returns. It was so unexpected and captivating. I’d love to see it interpreted as an animated fim.

Hey wait by Jason

I assume it follows the comic book to letter or does it?

There was this awesome Detective Comics issue written by Chuck Dixon from the mid-to-late-’90s in which the Joker kidnaps a little girl and leaves some clue for Batman to find her with and in the story we learn that Batman assumes Joker’s victims are already dead, something about being able to rationally deal with the situation more easily or something, thinking the victim is already dead. Shows how devious and deductive the Joker is and that he’s truly a match for Batman and reveals something of the inner workings of Batman. Did the little girl live or die? Regardless, the Joker wins–knowledge!

But damn if I couldn’t go on and on about awesome Batman stories.

Hush is one of the best out there! I’m also diggin’ The Black Glove.

I have only seen a handful that I wish I’d never read…the Batman has always had very good story lines.

Thanks to all the artists and writers of Batman over the years.

Gotham by Gaslight

The Dark Knight Returns/Strikes Again are a great insight into Gotham in the future.

The Long Halloween series was also well put together. Never saw that ending coming.

Mine is Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader by Neil Gaiman. It was so good that I got all teary eyed and emotional.

Batman: Knightfall

Batman Year 1. One of the greatest origin stories ever published.

Batman: The Long Halloween.

Batman: Venom

Nothing like seeing Batman drooling at the mouth like a rapid dog while beating villains into a bloody pulp! No one is immune to the horrors of drug addiction, not even Batman. Lots of books show Batman at his best, not many show him at his worst.

“Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?”

Batman/Aliens

I LOVE mash-ups like this!

The Player on the Other Side, Batman Special #1, by Mike W. Barr and Michael Golden. (When Morrison created Prometheus all those years later for JLA, Barr should have gotten a credit for The Wraith as inspiration…)

Runner Up: The Lazarus Affair, 4 part storyline in Batman, by Conway (or Wein?) and Aparo (or Novick?) with back ups

2nd Runner Up: “Interlude on Earth Two,” B&B by Alan Brennert and Aparo
3rd Runner Up: “The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne” B&B, same team

I don’t catalog all the storylines, loved the more Detective stuff in Batman going back to the 70s when I started reading (ie. solving crimes rather than just punching guys in the face until he gets answers), but Year One was a definite landmark in so many ways and the impact on Batman and comics in general, not to mention the impact reading those original issues off the rack I feel it is the most important Batman story and my all time #1. Son of the Demon, cuz anything with Ra’s done well is great, and Batman/Grendel because, well, Grendel round out the top 3.

I really couldn’t get into Hush as I could never believe in Hush. Later stuff like the Court of Owls nonsense as well just makes me want to drop all continuity stories and look for some standalone gems – maybe I need to look through the graphic novel back-catalogs for some of the great ones I’ve missed. And get the animated versions since the 90s, including Justice League and JLU because there has been some really great and fun story-telling in there that rivals anything on the printed page.

I’ve never been big fan of superhero comics. Never was, and with a few exceptions still am not. When I was younger my friends were always trying to get me into stuff like X-Men, and Superman, and Batman … especially Batman, They said Batman wasn’t a superhero — he was a deranged vigilante. They pushed TDK and Killing Joke on me, and while I appreciated their darkness (being a moody teen myself), they were still books about a guy dressed in tights and a cape.

So what changed my opinion on superhero books? Probably Summer of 1989, which saw the release of what I regard as the Greatest Batman Story Ever. Not Tim Burton’s film, but rather the Grant Morrison / Dave McKean masterpiece ARKHAM ASYLUM. Finally, I “Got” Batman — that he was as messed up and deranged as the criminals he put away. And like the Caped Crusader, after Arkham Asylum, I was never the same.

My favorite was No Man’s land. Followed closely by Knightfall. Now I have to go reread them.