Written by Alan Grant, illustrated by Norm Breyfogle. As Batman readers know, the now-famous arc A Lonely Place of Dying is the official introduction of Tim Drake, the young boy who would become the third to take the mantle of Robin after the untimely death of Robin II, Jason Todd. While that story marks the first appearance of this new character, Identity Crisis (not to be confused with the larger DC crossover event of the same title) is as much his origin story as any other arc. When the lives of both Batman and Nightwing are threatened by (Two-Face), Tim has to decide whether to disobey Bruces direct orders or to follow his instincts. Sound corny? Maybe it is. But its as convincing an argument for the necessity of Robin as A Lonely Place of Dying, and it solidifies Tim Drake into a pantheon of heroes that until then had seemed all but set in stone.
19. The Man Who Laughs (2005)
Written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Doug Mahnke. Batmans first encounter with his ultimate nemesis: Joker. The villains first crimes in Gotham city are brutal, with warehouses full of smiling corpses and plots to poison the entire Gotham water supply (you thought Nolan and Goyer came up with that one, did you?) alongside televised threats. Theres a method to the madness, as they say and thats rarely so clear in the case of the Joker as it is in The Man Who Laughs. There is a fine line drawn between chaos and structure, spontaneity and planning, and the Joker teeters on that line with destructive and murderous results.
18. Prey (1990-91)
Written by Doug Moench, illustrated by Paul Gulacy and Terry Austin. Another early tale from the original Legends of the Dark Knight series - the first handful of arcs are all great and deserve the recent reprintings they've received, and "Prey" is no exception. Featuring one of the best Professor Hugo Strange stories ever written, the character is taken to a whole new level of self-interest and egomania. There are plenty of villains that are obsessed with their respective heroes, but Hugo Strange's obsession with Batman is both logical and completely mental. Many have complained about the slow pace of "Prey", but this is the kind of story that needs to take its time, burn slowly, really ingrain these elements of madness into the villain. It's the care taken with the characterization of Strange - alongside the awesomely jarring panels of the bald Professor dressed up as Batman - that makes "Prey" so compelling.
17. The Origin Of The Batman (1948)
Written by Bill Finger, illustrated by Bob Kane. "Have you ever wondered why Bruce Wayne, a society blue-blood, chose the dangerous career of the Batman? Here is the answerthe inside story of a boy who made a grim vow" So beings the original origin story of Batman, drawn by Bob Kane and written by his uncredited Batman co-creator Bill Finger. After years of training, Bruce Wayne finally tracks down Joe Chill, the man who murdered his parents. All of the traditional origin story elements are present here, but the best part is the way in which Chill meets his demise: having learned the identity of the Dark Knight, Chill runs to his posse and proclaims himself the reason for the existence of Batman. The crooks promptly shoot him for creating the force that would foil so many of their dastardly plans. I would've probably made Chill tell me Batman's identity first, but I suppose racketeering cronies just don't think of these things.
16. Dark Victory (1999-2000)
Written by Jeph Loeb, illustrated by Tim Sale. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale follow their groundbreaking story The Long Halloween with Dark Victory, a similarly-structured murder mystery that also serves as origin story for Dick Graysons Robin. Initially, Sale was hesitant to agree to the project, as he felt his dark and moody Batman would be compromised by the inclusion of a little kid in neon green tights. His hesitation is certainly understandable, but Loeb managed to convince him that Robin was necessary to the story and necessary to the Bat-myth as a whole. Thankfully, Sale came around. Make no mistake: Dark Victory is cant miss, classic Batman, and the only reason it doesnt fall higher on the list is because of the the inevitable derivations from its older brother The Long Halloween.
