01. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
We think you'll be hard pushed to find a list of essential Batman comics that doesn't list this amazing genre classic in the number 1 spot. Frank Miller again reinvents the superhero genre with a gritty, adult tale about a world where Batman is no longer a hero and guys like the Joker are seen in a sympathetic light by the populace. Aged and hurt Batman returns from his self imposed exile to once again clean up the streets of Gotham, and expose his old nemesis as the psychotic clown he really is. But this is a very different Gotham where gang culture is rife and heroes are long forgotten. This is a Batman like never before. He's old and fallible and filled with self-doubt. If Year One was Miller's look at Batman's beginnings then this is certainly look at his final moments. You will not be able to put this down - an absolute must have for comic fans everywhere.