Legends of the Dark Knight Detective

May 30, 2020

Legends of the Dark Knight Detective

There’s SO MUCH BATMAN! So many interpretations. Where to begin? Oh, how I envy you. Overall, I like the beginnings. Not your thing? Click a link and read the description. See what piques your interest. But please forgive me for going relatively in order. I’m not going to talk about every single volume, because there’s so much, and I honestly haven’t read everything here in quite a while.

Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths
I’ve read very little Pre-Crisis stuff. For the most part, the writing styles don’t work for me. However, 1980’s Untold Legend of the Batman was the first real comic book I ever read, and it still holds up despite no longer being in continuity.

The Untold Legend of the Batman
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JXBXZMG

(Also featured in Tales of the Batman by Len Wein, PP 520-586, which is totally worth it for the Walt Simonson Peanuts homage immediately after TULotB)
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Batman-Len-Wein-ebook/dp/B00PHHY9MQ/

Post-Crisis
Here we go. Batman Year One is so breathtakingly perfect that it was the template for the Batman Begins movie. The Man Who Laughs picks up directly afterward. Haunted Knight, the Long Halloween, and Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale Forms a disjointed trilogy with moody art.

Year One (There is a "deluxe" version of this, but the coloring has been severely corrupted.)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Year-One-Frank-Miller-ebook/dp/B0064W65SO/

The Man Who Laughs (Also includes the story Made of Wood, which should be read after No Man’s Land)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Laughs-Deluxe-Detective-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B08KL5KT56/

Haunted Knight
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Haunted-Knight-Legends-Dark-ebook/dp/B07JD39Z1K/

Gothic
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Gothic-Deluxe-Legends-Knight-ebook/dp/B00ZKA8LTM/

Blink
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Blink-Legends-Dark-Knight-ebook/dp/B00S70Y8NK/

Dark Knight, Dark City
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Dark-Knight-City-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B00S70Y8DU/

Year Two

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Anniversary-Deluxe-Detective-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B0773TMM3K/

The Long Halloween

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Halloween-Deluxe-Jeph-Loeb-ebook/dp/B09G3H15CF/

Dark Victory

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Long-Halloween-Deluxe-Sequel-ebook/dp/B09NS1NJFZ/

Catwoman: When In Rome

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Long-Halloween-Catwoman-2004-2005-ebook/dp/B09SM54B2M/

Batman: The Long Halloween Special (2021)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Long-Halloween-Special-1-ebook/dp/B09H3FJ3P5/

Year Three
(See below, The Caped Crusader vol 2, PP 149-246)

Arkham Asylum
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-Asylum-Grant-Morrison-ebook/dp/B08B7RZKJJ/

The Demon Trilogy (Ra's al Ghul)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Demon-Trilogy-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B08HBGY9SB/

Second Chances (Introducing the Post-Crisis Jason Todd)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Second-Chances-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B00ZKA8ODK/

The Dark Knight Detective vols 1-6
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Detective-Detective-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B07BN46JCD/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Detective-Detective-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B07J185GY4/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Detective-Detective-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B084D1C9PZ/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Detective-Comics-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B08R63CS3T/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Detective-Comics-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B093J5C1L5/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Detective-Comics-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B09X622GN8/

It’s hard to recommend a book that the author has disavowed. The artwork is fantastic. The recoloring, however, is terribly literal. The story itself isn’t bad. What happened to Barbara Gordon is unconscionable. What becomes of Barbara afterward is wonderful.
The Killing Joke
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Killing-Joke-Deluxe-New-ebook/dp/B07XQK1C12/

A Death in the Family/A Lonely Place of Dying (Exit Jason Todd, enter Tim Drake)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Death-Family-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B009POHHQ2/

The Caped Crusader vols 1-6 (so far)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Caped-Crusader-Vol-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B07FYV85P4/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Caped-Crusader-Vol-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B07MZGZ2VT/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Caped-Crusader-Vol-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B07XVP5SKN/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Caped-Crusader-Vol-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B0882PW53V/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Caped-Crusader-Vol-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B08R5GT9N4/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Caped-Crusader-Vol-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B09PVPB7GH/

I own these volumes in hardcover, too. I’ll read anything this man worked on. Batman by Norm Breyfogle vols 1-2
https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Dark-Knight-Breyfogle-Detective-ebook/dp/B00ZKA8OEE/

https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Dark-Knight-Breyfogle-Detective-ebook/dp/B07K6ZP2JG/

Batman: Gotham Nights vols 1 & 2

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman:_Gotham_Nights_Vol_1

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman:_Gotham_Nights_II_Vol_1

Shadow of the Bat vols 1-4
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Shadow-Bat-Vol-1-ebook/dp/B01EZG32VS/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Shadow-Bat-Vol-2-ebook/dp/B074Q239L9/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Shadow-Bat-Vol-3-ebook/dp/B077YGL2RL/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Shadow-Bat-Vol-4-ebook/dp/B07NJ9WN4B/

Knightfall
Venom
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Venom-DENNIS-J-ONEIL-ebook/dp/B009POHIJS/

The Sword of Azrael (PP 1-110)
https://www.amazon.com/Azrael-Vol-Fallen-Angel-1995-2003-ebook/dp/B01BLZX180/

Prelude to Knightfall

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Prelude-Knightfall-ebook/dp/B07CQ78PVX/

Knightfall vol 1

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightfall-Vol-25th-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B07GQ61PG7/

Knightfall vol 2

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightfall-Vol-25th-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B07H3BF8HY/

Knightquest: The Crusade vol 1; This volume leads directly into the ongoing Robin series

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightquest-Crusade-Vol-Knightfall-ebook/dp/B07HGHMYD5/

Knightquest: The Crusade vol 2 (optional)

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightquest-Crusade-Vol-Knightfall-ebook/dp/B07HKP6JQN/

Knightquest: The Search

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightquest-Search-Knightfall-ebook/dp/B07K71DYKG/

KnightsEnd

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightsend-Knightfall-Chuck-Dixon-ebook/dp/B07KJLTLVZ/

Prodigal

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Prodigal-Knightfall-Chuck-Dixon-ebook/dp/B07LC3J3ZR/

Troika

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Troika-Knightfall-Doug-Moench-ebook/dp/B07MSL6SPT/

Zero Hour
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Zero-Hour-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B0728DL6N9/

Tales of the Batman by JH Williams III
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Batman-J-H-Williams-III-ebook/dp/B00KWNBE2S/

Disasters

Contagion

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Contagion-1940-2011-Chuck-Dixon-ebook/dp/B01BLZX1DU/

Legacy vols 1-2

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Legacy-Detective-Comics-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B06XT89ZYQ/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Legacy-Detective-Comics-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B0799C6L3Y/

Cataclysm

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Cataclysm-New-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B00YB296K8/

There is Before NML, and After NML. Gotham is never the same. This year-long arc has some of the best short stories in superhero comics.

No Man's Land

https://www.comixology.com/Batman-Road-to-No-Mans-Land-Vol-1/digital-comic/291243

https://www.comixology.com/Batman-Road-to-No-Mans-Land-Vol-2/digital-comic/389577

https://www.comixology.com/Batman-No-Mans-Land-Vol-1-New-Edition/digital-comic/195339

https://www.comixology.com/Batman-No-Mans-Land-Vol-2-New-Edition/digital-comic/195351

https://www.comixology.com/Batman-No-Mans-Land-Vol-3/digital-comic/195357

https://www.comixology.com/Batman-No-Mans-Land-Vol-4/digital-comic/195369

https://www.comixology.com/Batman-Bruce-Wayne-Murderer/digital-comic/78281

https://www.comixology.com/Batman-Bruce-Wayne-Fugitive-New-Edition/digital-comic/113685

I cannot recommend Batman: Hush. Written by Jeph Loeb, drawn by Jim Lee. If you’ve never read a single Batman comic ever before in your life, or had never seen a cartoon or movie, then go for it. If you HAVE consumed any other Bat-media, then you will find the story to be predictable and formulaic. I rarely find Jim Lee’s art attractive, especially when it’s inked by Scott Williams.

Batman: Family #1-8

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman:_Family_Vol_1