Written by Jeph Loeb, illustrated by Jim Lee. Most everyone who has read the Batman stories written by the legendary Jeph Loeb with The Long Halloween being arguably his best seems to think that Hush, his later effort with artist Jim Lee, falls a bit short. But a mediocre Jeph Loeb book still makes for a hell of a comic, and Hush is deserving of a spot amongst the Top 10 greatest Batman stories ever told. Loeb has a penchant for rolling out as many rogues from Batmans famous gallery as he can manage, and admittedly the effect is much more contrived here than in The Long Halloween. But Hush does what Dark Victory, the direct sequel to Halloween, fails to do: it escapes the shadow of the original book, very clearly forges a new path as a book unto itself, giving us new characters and new surprises along the way. The titular villain and his connection to Bruce Wayne is where the real magic lies. Say what you want about Loeb stuffing the entire rogues gallery into his books his real talent is in creation, not recycling, and many Batman writers today seem too afraid to make up new villains. The villain Hush is a breath of fresh air, but he also will stand the test of time and be included in future non-Loeb Batman books (he already has). The artwork in Hush deserves mention, too, as Jim Lee is one of the finest, most thorough comic book artists working today.
9. A Death In The Family (1988-89)
Written by Jim Starlin, illustrated by Jim Aparo. One of the most famous story arcs in Batman history is "A Death in the Family", the story that killed off Jason Todd, the second Robin. Jason Todd was never a fan favorite, but that fact didn't make his death any less shocking. The story arc opened with an argument between Bruce and Jason before moving on to Jason's quest to find his mother. The Joker, of course, captures the young Boy Wonder, brutally beating him with a crowbar and then setting the fuse on a bomb. At this point, DC pulled what some label purely as a publicity stunt: they set up a 900 hotline and had readers vote on whether Robin should live or die. Votes were cast and the bomb went off, and a part of the Batman mythology everyone thought was untouchable was blown to smithereens. "A Death in the Family" quickly became one of the most iconic arcs in Batman comic history, and the Bat himself considered the death of Robin II to be his greatest failure. Like him or hate him, Jason Todd's death resonated in the DC Universe for years to come.
8. Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth (1989)
Written by Grant Morrison, illustrated by Dave McKean. Not unlike Jason Todd, writer Grant Morrison seems to be either loved or despised by comic book readers. He produced a strange and epic run on Batman before the New 52 kicked off, but his earlier work is much more accessible to the casual reader. His 1989 book "Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth" is his best, and never before has the madness and terror of the famed Asylum been captured so completely. Dave McKean's brilliantly moody paintings lend much to this, but Morrison is the one in the driver's seat. A quick excerpt from his introduction to the 15th Anniversary edition can articulate the effect of the book better than I could hope to:
"The intention was to create something that was more like a piece of music or an experimental film than a typical adventure comic book. I wanted to approach Batman from the point of view of the dreamlike, emotional and irrational hemisphere, as a response to the very literal, 'realistic', 'left brain' treatment of superheroes which was in vogue at the time, in the wake of "The Dark Knight Returns", "Watchmen", and others."
So don't expect anything but the unexpected when you pick up "Arkham Asylum". Sweet dreams!
7. A Lonely Place Of Dying (1989)
Written by Marv Wolfman, illustrated by George Perez and Jim Aparo. After the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, few readers felt the need to have yet another young lad take up the mantle of The Boy Wonder and no one felt more strongly about it than Bruce Wayne himself, having counted the death of his second protégé as his greatest failure. And yet, in 1989s A Lonely Place of Dying, a convincing argument is made for the necessity of the young sidekick. Young Tim Drake differs from his predecessors in an important way: he actively seeks the mantle of Robin and sees a need for the hero in Batmans war on crime, rather than stumbling into the role by accident. A Lonely Place of Dying is self-aware in that the argument for or against another Robin extends beyond the fourth wall. The arc has been collected into a single volume, but if you're the type to hunt down the individual issues then you may already know that the letters to the editor at the end of each issue are nearly as entertaining as the story itself. People are viciously adamant that there should not be another Robin, they practically cry into an envelope and send it to DC, and not all of them come around by the end of the arc. After the 900-number stunt during "A Death in the Family", it's refreshing to see DC stand by their choices and bring a new character into the fold despite protest. And with the gift of hindsight, we now know how integral Tim Drake is to the DC Universe as a whole.
