3. Batman: Gothic
Before Grant Love Him Or Hate Him Morrison became (in)famous for saving/ruining Batman (delete according to level of tolerance for loopy meta hijinks), and after his celebrated trip to A Serious House On A Serious Earth, he turned out this spooky little number. Its a standalone Legends of the Dark Knight adventure that draws on the work of Edgar Allan Poe to create a grim supernatural yarn, making memorable use of the occult underpinnings of the D.C. Universe as well as a fiercely hard-edged interpretation of Batman. A supernatural serial killer is butchering his way through the criminal element, seemingly settling old scores with a posse of sweaty wiseguys. At first, Batman is largely indifferent to the fates of his despised enemies, blowing them off with the awesome line You and your kind have turned Gotham City into a hell. Now rot in it. Told you this version was hard-edged. However, the demented Mr. Whisper is more than just a vengeful business partner, and Batman finds himself tested to the limit to save his city from a mysterious monster. This ones especially noteworthy for its pitch-dark themes and its eager use of the age-old tradition of putting the Caped Crusader through the wringer.