05. Knightfall
Easily the most important of the Batman stories given its links to the plot of The Dark Knight Rises. The Knightfall Trilogy was a major DC story arc that told the story of a mentally and physically drained Bruce Wayne/Batman who is attacked and defeated by a gigantic masked maniac who successfully breaks Wayne's back rendering the Dark Knight obsolete for a year. With Batman out of the picture a new hero rises, Jean-Paul Valley aka Azrael, but his attempts to live up to the mantel of the bat corrupt his very soul, turning him into the very antithesis of the hero he holds in such high regard. As Wayne recovers he returns to his role as Gotham's protector but finds a very different enemy awaits him. Unforgettable. Classic pencil work, a year long plot line, Bane, Azrael - what more could you ask for from a Batman comic than this? OK so Bane doesn't stick around for the entirety of the story but this is classic Batman none-the-less. As already mentioned, The Dark Knight Rises will take much of its inspiration from this series which makes it the must read comic of the moment. Think you love Batman? If you haven't read this then you don't even come close.