The Dark Knight Rises: 10 Essential Batman Graphic Novels You Must Read First

07. The Dark Knight Strikes Again Frank Miller turned the DCU on its head when he wrote The Dark Knight Returns in 1986 and much the same with this follow up, written in 2001. After yet another self-imposed exile Batman returns from the shadows with his own highly trained army of avengers, but finds out quickly that his heroic style is in direct conflict with the ruling American Empire, a dictatorship lead by none other than Lex Luthor, the nemesis of Batman's old rival Superman. The Dark Knight Strikes again differs greatly in style from it's predecessor and was met with largely mixed reviews but we argue that it remains one of the better graphic novels out there and deserves a spot in our top ten - it was, after all, one of the biggest selling comics of all time!