2019 marks the 80th anniversary of one of the oldest and most enduring superheroes ever. What better time to update our list of the 25 best Batman comics and graphic novels ever published?

The 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels of All Time 26 IMAGES

A few criteria before we get started. This list of essentials is meant to focus on Batman comics that provide a compete, standalone reading experience rather than spotlighting individual issues or long comic runs. They don’t have to have originally been published in graphic novel form, but they do need to be available to read in a single collected edition now. We’re also limiting our focus to stories where Batman himself is the star of the show. Classics like Mad Love and Batgirl: Year One are must-read stories set in the world of Batman, but you won't find them on this list.With that out of the way, here are the 25 best and most influential Batman graphic novels of all time. These are the comics that belong on any Bat-fan’s shelf.

25. Batman: Earth One

24. Flashpoint: Batman - Knight of Vengeance

23. Batman: The Man Who Laughs

22. Batman: Venom

21. Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying

19. Batman: The Cult

18. Batman: The Court of Owls

17. Batman: Strange Apparitions

16. Batman: Gothic

15. Batman: Knightfall

14. Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles

Geoff Johns & Gary FrankIf Batman: Year One were written today, it would be Batman: Earth One. It’s a modern retelling of Batman’s early years where he’s not an infallible master detective who moves like a shadow -- a point driven home when, while chasing a crook over the city rooftops, his grappling gun malfunctions and he lands in a pile of trash below. Also, instead of being best buds with Jim Gordon, he winds up socking him in the face.The crucial element that makes this story work is the overhaul of Alfred Pennyworth’s character. No longer a kindly butler, Alfred is an ex-MI-6 agent who, instead of serving him tea and tending to his wounds, beats the crap out of Bruce to teach him a lesson. It’s a refreshing spin on the classic dynamic that lets us appreciate how Batman would adapt to a world with more realistic limitations.To date, Earth One has spawned one sequel, and we’re looking forward to release of Book 3 once Geoff Johns and Gary Frank wrap up their work on Doomsday Clock.Brian Azzarello & Eduardo RissoFlashpoint marked a critical chapter in DC’s history, paving the way for the rebooted New 52 universe and everything else that followed. But as it turns out, the best part of this massive crossover didn’t involve The Flash himself, but rather Batman.In this alternate timeline, Thomas Wayne became Batman after his son was murdered in front of him. The result is a vigilante who manages to top even Bruce Wayne in the brooding and scowling department. Knight of Vengeance showcases a darker, meaner Gotham City that plays perfectly to Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s storytelling strengths.Though this book technically serves as a piece of a much larger crossover, it also reads perfectly well on its own. It also features one of the most haunting endings you’ll find in any Batman comic.Ed Brubaker & Doug MahnkeA mad man is targeting Gotham's elite and next on his hit list is millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. This is Batman's introduction to his most nefarious villain, the Joker. Where Alan Moore's The Killing Joke tells the origin of the Clown Prince of Crime, The Man Who Laughs details the first tussle between Joker and Batman.Brubaker is one of the best crime writers in comics. He manages to bring some of that noir flair to The Man Who Laughs while maintaining the proper tone and pace for a good Batman yarn. To my knowledge this is the only story to ever suggest that, like Bruce Wayne, the Joker had to practice to perfect his art. And that's ultimately what makes the Joker so frightening. His psychosis is not chaotic, not as random as you might think. There's a methodology and a purposefulness to many of his actions.Denny O’Neil & Trevor Von EdenVenom opens with one of the biggest failures in Batman's career. A little girl is trapped. Drowning. And Batman isn't strong enough to save her. Distraught, the Dark Knight finds a new alternative to strength training -- a little pill that triples his strength. Of course, it's highly addictive and the always-in-control hero loses his grip, nearly assassinating Jim Gordon just to get his fix. It's a look at a side of Batman we rarely see.Venom is one of those stories that is a struggle to rank. The premise is stronger than the actual writing. Batman fights a shark. So, there's that. But there are moments, strong moments, where O'Neil tests the limits of Batman's commitment to his crusade. And it's enough to make Venom one of the more memorable Batman stories ever told.Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Jim Aparo & Tom GrummettDick Grayson and Jason Todd became Robin out of circumstance. They didn't really choose the role, it was chosen for them. Tim Drake is different. He takes an active role in becoming the third Robin. A Lonely Place of Dying isn't just an origin tale of Robin #3, it's the best response to the question: "Why does Batman need Robin?"The answer, it turns out, isn't to keep Batman from the dark side or as some subconscious way of restoring Bruce Wayne's lost youth. When Batman has to consider the safety of a young sidekick, he's more likely to think things through. He'll take more precautions. He'll be safer. Robin, just by virtue of being at his side, keeps Batman alive a little longer. Now, if that doesn't make you want to read the only worthwhile Robin origin, you just don't like Batman stories.Matt WagnerA year into his crime-fighting career, Batman has only faced mobsters, thugs, and a few crazies. Monster Men is Batman's first encounter with anything super-human. Hugo Strange is creating monstrous creatures, stronger than the Dark Knight and with a mindless thirst for blood. Now, Batman must adapt to a new kind of villain. This is the moment where Batman goes from street legend onto the path of superhero.The best Batman books push the Caped Crusader to his limits. This story is about Bruce Wayne learning he has limits.Jim Starlin & Bernie WrightsonWhile it doesn’t feature Bane as the villain, Batman: The Cult is easily one of the heaviest influences on The Dark Knight Rises. Let’s just say that the Nolan brothers know a good Batman comic when they see one.The Cult showcases Batman at his most psychologically vulnerable. In this story he’s captured by Deacon Blackfire and his cultists and subjected to torture and brainwashing. The result is an unnerving and even psychedelic Batman tale that uses Bernie Wrightson’s gorgeous art to convey the instability of Batman’s unraveling mind.The Cult has proven to be a divisive story, in large part because it doesn’t portray Batman as the tough, capable hero he normally is. But his failures in The Cult only make his eventual victory that much more satisfying.Scott Snyder & Greg CapulloScott Snyder and Greg Capullo had a tall order to fill when they took the reins of DC’s relaunched Batman comic in 2011. They had to assuage the fears of those fans nervous about DC’s New 52 reboot and somehow follow the impossible act that is writer Grant Morrison. And somehow they succeeded in both goals.Snyder and Capullo kicked off their run by introducing a brand new group of villains to Gotham City - the Court of Owls. This centuries-old, shadowy organization forced Batman to confront the fact that he doesn’t know his own city nearly as well as he thought. That fueled a personal odyssey that dragged Batman through the depths of Gotham and pitted him against a new archrival from a very unexpected source.“The Court of Owls” immediately established Batman as one of the best comics of the New 52 era and Snyder and Capullo as one of the most effective teams working in comics.Steve Englehart, Len Wein, Marshall Rogers & Walt SimonsonIf you haven't read Strange Apparitions, chances are you've never heard of Bruce Wayne's best love interest, Silver St. Cloud. She's smart enough to deduce Batman's true identity and strong enough to break the Batman's heart. And that's just part of the mix in this great tale from the late '70s featuring underappreciated lunatic Hugo Strange (back from the dead) and the Joker (creating more dead). Plus, as a bonus, you get to see Hugo Strange dressed as Batman.Batman: Year One gets a little too much credit for "reinventing Batman." The truth is that there were great Batman stories before Year One. This is the best you'll find from the pre-Year One era that's been collected in a TPB. And it serves as a worthwhile introduction to Hugo Strange.Grant Morrison & Klaus JansonWhere did Bruce Wayne go to school? We know about Wayne's training to become the Batman, but in Gothic, we get a glimpse into Bruce Wayne's life before his parents were murdered. This ties into a series of grisly murders in Batman's early days in the cape and cowl.Gothic is a detective story, a horror story, and a thriller that teams Morrison with the great Klaus Janson. Religion and Batman aren't married in comics as often as they should be. Morrison plays it perfectly. For those a little worried about a "Morrison head-trip," relax. Nothing in these pages will damage your brain… too much.VariousKnightfall is an example of a story that overcomes the shortcomings of its art and writing, which were flawed if only because of several change-ups over its publication. The story is so essential to Batman’s character that it was the main inspiration for The Dark Knight Rises movie, further expanding its popularity and cementing it as a classic.In Knightfall, Bane breaks out all of Arkham Asylum’s criminals to exhaust Batman. Once the Caped Crusader is exhausted physically and mentally, Bane breaks his back over his knee. Ouch. What follows next is why the story made this list. Batman hands over the mantle to Jean-Paul Valley, aka Azreal, who soon loses his mind and starts killing criminals. Batman must train and rebuild himself from the ground up with help from Lady Shiva, and then he returns to Gotham to reclaim his mantle from Azreal.The story shows why Bruce Wayne’s morality makes him the ideal Batman. He is uniquely suited to be the kind of hero that Gotham needs, which is made plain by juxtaposing him with the murderous Azreal.Tom King, Mikel Janin & Clay MannPlenty of Batman comics have flashed back to the early days of Bruce Wayne’s costumed career, but few have done it as successfully as “The War of Jokes and Riddles.”In this extended flashback saga, writer Tom King and artists Mikel Janin and Clay Mann explore a Batman just young and naive enough to think he’s on the verge of cleaning up Gotham City for good. A devastating gang war between Joker and Riddler shows him just how wrong he is. This story stands out both because it pushes Batman to the psychological brink and because it showcases so many iconic villains. And somehow, D-List baddie Kite-Man outshines them all.While “The War of Jokes and Riddles” has its place as part of King’s larger, 100-issue Batman run, it also stands alone as a compelling glimpse into one of the most formative periods in Batman’s war on crime.