Written and illustrated by various. The massive megaseries No Mans Land is set in an isolated Gotham City cordoned off from the rest of the United States following a series of catastrophic disasters, including a plague (in the storyline Contagion) and an earthquake (in Cataclysm and Aftershock). No Mans Land, which spanned the better part of 1999 and used every Bat-Family series in publication at the time, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by DC Comics. Understandably, because of its incredible length, there are points at which No Mans Land really drags but for the most part, this is a story thats simultaneously a game-changer and a classic Batman epic.
24. JLA: Tower Of Babel (2000)
Written by Mark Waid, illustrated by Howard Porter. While not technically a Batman title, this may very well be the Justice League story that is the most Batman-centric. When the members of the Justice League are systematically incapacitated by Ras al Ghul, it is revealed that the plans specifying the precise ways to defeat each JLA member were created by one of their own: Batman. Conceived as a failsafe should any members of the League be compromised, the plans worked to devastating effect in the hands of Ras. Tower of Babel was adapted into the animated feature Justice League: Doom, which made some significant changes from the original comic Vandal Savage replaces Ras al Ghul, Cyborg replaces Aquaman and Plastic Man, and the exact methods for defeating each member are altered. However, the point is made clear in each case: Batmans knowledge, cunning, and incessant contingency planning make him as powerful as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern or The Flash, and despite his lack of superpowers he is indeed a superlative hero.
23. The Joker's Five-Way Revenge! (1973)
Written by Dennis O'Neil, illustrated by Neal Adams. Held up as a comic that redefined a major villain for a new era of readers, "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!" brings the Joker away from campy, tiptoeing mischief-making and into territory more recognizable to most readers today. The murderous roots to which Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams return the Joker are made clear, with multiple murders as the modus operandi in place of annoying little pranks. But another element that has cemented itself into the character is the interdependence of Batman and the Joker, the inextricable dance that the adversaries will find themselves locked in from this point forward. This was a theme driven home in the last Joker scene of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, with the villain musing on destiny and their unstoppable force/immovable object relationship. This scene, and countless other Batman/Joker scenes in comics and movies, owe a debt of gratitude to "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!".
22. Under The Hood (2005-06)
Written by Judd Winick, illustrated by Doug Mahnke. When the mysterious Red Hood suddenly appears in Gotham, Bruce Wayne discovers that the criminal knows all there is to know about his Batman alter ego. If youre at all familiar with Bat-books, chances are good you already know whos operating under the eponymous red hood. I wont spoil it just in case, but the secret identity isnt the whole point anyway: the story is well-told and its a story worth telling. Red Hoods identity irks a lot of diehard fanboys, but theres no denying that it wasnt just a pointless cameo or a cheap appearance to sell more issues. The story comes first, and its a breakneck, rapid-fire tale with action and drama galore. So dont believe all the negative reviews youll find on the internet; Under the Hood is a terrific book.
21. Blood Secrets (1989)
Written by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn, illustrated by Val Semeiks. Blood Secrets was the storyline for the Annual 2 issue of Detective Comics in 1989, and its a Batman story like no other. The Dark Knight visits an unnamed man (Youre back, are the mans first lines, You always come back) and takes him to a graveyard, narrating a flashback tale along the way. As the story unfolds, the mystery of the unnamed man and of Batmans purpose unfolds as well. This little story relies on no major villains, no soggy Gotham City setting, and no cheap twists. Blood Secrets is a detective story, through and through, and its not one to be missed.
