Batman is an undisputed pillar of DC Comics and one-third of the Trinity, with the hero getting no shortage of prominence in mainstream media, especially with the comics continuing to go strong and the upcoming DCU's upcoming iteration with The Brave and the Bold. The source material has built up an impressive catalog over the character's 80-plus years' worth of history.
And, when it comes to digital comics, arguably the best place for fans to go is the publisher's DC Universe Infinite app. Batman has an embarrassment of riches on the digital service, with a variety of writers and artists lending their talents to filling out the hero's esteemed mythos.
10 Year One
In general, Batman is spoiled with comics that live up to their name, but Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's Year One is the definitive origin story for the Dark Knight too many fans. As such, this limited series has effortlessly stood the test of time and was one of the greatest comic book achievements of the 80s.
Various comic book characters were in a renaissance of grounded, gritty storytelling -- which Dennis O'Neil started with Batman in the 70s -- and Year One was the perfect encapsulation of the crime-noir subgenre meshed with superheroes. The Martin Scorsese Taxi Driver-like inspirations and Mazzucchelli's art accentuated the grimy neo-noir aesthetic of Gotham City, and it simultaneously served as parallel origin stories for Batman and soon-to-be Commissioner James Gordon.
9 The Killing Joke
Another one falling under the category of influential, The Killing Joke depicts one of the most memorable comic book incarnations of the Joker. And alongside the likes of The Long Halloween, Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's one-shot comic can be easily seen as a core influence of Christopher Nolan's acclaimed The Dark Knight.
In many continuities, the Clown Prince of Crime's origins are left open to interpretation, and even the rendition that Moore presents in The Killing Joke uses Joker as something of an unreliable narrator. It's part of what makes this short story so riveting, as well as the deep exploration of Batman and Joker's darkly warped dynamic.
8 The Long Halloween
Often cited as the greatest Batman comic book series in the character's history, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween is also one of the most influential alongside the likes of the aforementioned Miller origin story. This limited series functions as an indirect sequel to Year One continuity-wise, leaning even harder into the crime-thriller atmosphere.
And also like Mazzucchelli, Sale's iconic artwork here masterfully highlights Loeb's writing and world-building with his stylistically moody art style. The Long Halloween emphasizes the World's Greatest Detective moniker for the titular hero, putting him, Gordon, and Harvey Dent amid a gripping and bloody gang war-set murder mystery. This story also marks the beginning of the end of Batman's time dealing with organized crime as Gotham's greatest threat.
7 The Court Of Owls
While The New 52 DC comics divided many fans, Batman is one such character that greatly benefitted from the brand-wide reboot initiative. Writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo took the reins of the mainline Batman series and paved the way for some of the best modern story arcs for the brooding hero.
Just as well, The Court of Owls introduced perhaps one of the most compelling modern villains for the Dark Knight, with an excellent story to match them. This arc was characterized by how it flipped the concept of Batman knowing Gotham better than anyone on its head, making for a thrilling tale with genuine stakes -- and they make the payoff even more satisfying.
6 R.I.P.
Grant Morrison has been deservedly regarded as one of the most talented modern Batman writers. His entire seven-year-long epic on the character alongside exceptional artists like Tony Daniel is more than worth a read, but R.I.P. stands as one of the more notable peaks from his tenure. Admittedly, R.I.P. is most rewarding for fans that are more well-versed in the Dark Knight's mythos, but it's worth the effort.
The hero is thrown into the heart of the storm of the Black Glove and Doctor Hurt's master plan for the World's Greatest Detective and seamlessly throws in elements of Silver Age-era camp and fantasy in the modern day while feeling like quintessentially "dark" Batman. Like Court of Owls after it, R.I.P. is similarly cathartic in its resolution, and it plays expertly on the themes and characteristics that make Batman such a celebrated and fascinating protagonist.
5 Death Of The Family
Snyder and Capullo's run had several high points, and the Joker-focused event Death of the Family made for an explosive arc. Named after the classic Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo comic A Death in the Family, this story manages to make a worthwhile story centered around the Clown Prince of Crime in a medium saturated with character.
After going through an ominous hiatus, the supervillain returns in a desperate and grim attempt to truly make himself the focus of Batman's life. There have been many iterations of the Joker over the decades, including several great ones, but Snyder manages to write a version that's even more believably sinister to make this new threat feel sincere.
4 The Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller has an important place in Batman's history (as well as Daredevil's), and his other seminal work on the superhero was in The Dark Knight Returns. Written and illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson -- for the latter -- this comic book limited series is the most well-known and beloved of the Elseworlds Batman tales.
Fans see an older, grizzled, and more Batman that's compelled back into the fray as he sees Gotham City sink back into squaller, gang violence, and the federal government's neglect. Featuring the most memorable bout between a rebel fighter Batman and the government weapon Superman, The Dark Knight Returns is an exciting alternative take on these characters set in a political dystopia.
3 Zero Year
For some, Year One will understandably remain the go-to Batman origin story, but Snyder and Capullo had an impressive go at it themselves. Within the same New 52 timeline, the Zero Year arc took a new spin on the Dark Knight's beginning and took some fun altered takes on previously established canon.
Taking the disaster setting of No Man's Land and making the Riddler the antagonist, Batman has to save the city from being permanently plunged into darkness by the villain for his twisted egomaniacal games. Zero Year also plants the seeds for this continuity's Joker and Red Hood Gang, with the overall arc seemingly inspiring the climax of Matt Reeves's critically praised The Batman.
2 Batman And Robin (Morrison)
With artist Frank Quitely in tow, Morrison's time on Batman and Robin was another highlight of the writer's odyssey-like run on the Dark Knight. And while this run doesn't feature Bruce Wayne under the mantle of the Batman -- rather, Dick Grayson -- it was a pivotal story for fleshing out the relationship between a new Dynamic Duo.
Featuring Dick Grayson (the original Robin and Nightwing) as Batman and Damian Wayne (the biological son of Bruce and Talia al Ghul) as Robin, Batman and Robin is an emotionally satisfying stint and evolution between two key members of the extended Bat-Family. It's an especially exciting time for fans of this run, as it will serve as an influence for the DCU's Brave and the Bold.
1 Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth
Though an unconventional read, Morrison and Dave McKean had a highly-praised series in the 80s amid Year One, The Killing Joke, and The Dark Knight Returns. Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth's is an Elseworlds story that boldly combines the superhero genre with psychological horror.
Paired with McKean's striking and haunting art style mixing photorealism with paintings, it made for a foreboding and atmospheric interpretation of Batman's corner of the DC universe. Called in to quell a prison riot incited by the Joker, Arkham Asylum unravels into a harrowing deep-dive into the warped psychology of the Dark Knight and his unique rogues' gallery that won't soon leave readers' minds.