Ahead of Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, read these essential Caped Crusader stories

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There have been many Batman movies from visionary directors such as Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton, but it is in the comics that the Dark Knight truly belongs. Some of the greatest writers and artists in the comic-book industry have shaped the superhero across his sprawling eight-decade-long history.

If you are waiting to watch The Batman, and in the meantime wish to explore the character in a deeper way, here are five of the greatest Batman stories in comics:

The Dark Knight Returns: Written by Frank Miller and illustrated by Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley

While Batman was always a dark, complex character with more depth than your typical comic-book superhero, it was with Frank Miller’s iconic 1986 comic-book story The Dark Knight Returns that Gotham City’s protector became the man we know today – dark, brooding, tactically brilliant and, when needed, utterly ruthless. In The Dark Knight Returns, we meet an older (mid-fifties) Batman, who has given up the mantle, but returns one last time to fight a street-gang called Mutants. The story was also notable for a brawl between Batman and Superman, who is working for the government in the story.

Art from The Dark Knight Returns. (Photo: DC Comics)

Batman: The Killing Joke: Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland

Alan Moore’s landmark graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke is not specifically about Batman, but it explores the relationship between him and his most famous nemesis (and one of pop culture’s biggest villains), Joker. In Moore’s take, the man we know as the Joker was a failed comedian who went insane because of chance circumstances; the message being, a normal man is just a bad day away from total insanity.

But there is an enigma there, too. At one point, the Joker says, “If I have to have a past, then I prefer it to be multiple choice,” leaving the reader nonplussed. The story inspired Todd Phillips’ 2019 film Joker.

Joker in Batman: The Killing Joke. (Photo: DC Comics)

Batman: The Long Halloween: Written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale

A fundamental Batman story, The Long Halloween was one of the major inspirations behind Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. The gripping story was about a mysterious serial killer in Gotham City called Holiday, who kills only on holidays. The story was also recently adapted into an animated movie, which is worth watching.

Art from Batman: The Long Halloween. (Photo: DC Comics)

Batman: Year One: Written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli

Another essential Batman tale, 1987’s Year One is pretty much the definitive origin story of the superhero. But it is not just a Batman story, as James Gordon, a detective who becomes the superhero’s biggest ally in his fight against crime and injustice, is as much a protagonist as Batman.

Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Written by Neil Gaiman, and illustrated by Andy Kubert and Scott Williams

Inspired by Alan Moore’s similar exploration of the Superman mythos, 2009’s Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? was an emotional and poignant tribute to  the character. Best of all, the story had both his allies and his enemies paying their respects.