3. The Court of Owls
The Court of Owls storyline was written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo, and served as the first story for DC's "Batman" title in the New 52. The story ran from December 2011 to September 2012 and pitted Batman against a secret society that has existed in Gotham for over a century. They are composed of some of Gotham's oldest and wealthiest families, who use their wealth and power to wield political influence in the city, using highly trained assassins known as Talons. The Court of Owls is considered an urban legend, told only through whispers and a nursery rhyme. Bruce begins investigating the Court after he's attacked by a Talon, and begins to uncover the truth about the society while finding that they may have had a larger part in his past than he could have imagined. It's an interesting, bold storyline that brings out the detective side of Batman in a great new way. The story also predominantly features Gotham City as a character itself, giving us an intriguing look at the Batman mythos. The artwork in the book is superbly done by Capullo, and is completely deserving of an animated adaptation.