10 Criminally Overlooked Batman Comics Fans Must Read

Darwyn Cooke's 'Ego' is required reading for anyone who loves Batman or comics in general.

From the first page Cooke makes it clear that his interest lies in getting to what makes the man under the mask tick rather than telling a straightforward superhero story. Which can also be said about many of the other entries on this list, but none do it better than 'Ego'.

After a truly terrible night of crime-fighting gone wrong combined with years of exhaustion, Bruce sincerely considers throwing away the cowl for good. However, Batman won't go down without a fight, dragging him down the dark corridors of his own mind and forcing him to question everything he thinks he knows about himself and his mission.

The narrative follows an internal battle inside Bruce's own mind against Batman. "Is it realistic this obsession? Is it sane?" is a question Bruce asks himself early on in the comic, or to put it better, is one Cooke asks. You'd think the answer would be obvious given that Bruce is in need of some severe therapy, but it's far more complicated than that.

To unravel the immensely complex character study going on in 'Ego' would take a college level lecture, several more than likely. So, pick this one up and give it a read or a re-read if you already have. This is Batman storytelling at its finest. Yet, despite its greatness, there's one more that takes the edge in the overlooked department.