If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. Here are another five compilations of Batman stories worth seeking out:
TALES OF THE DEMON (1991)
Tales of the Demon collects the first handful of stories Denny O’Neil wrote about Batman’s notorious (if somewhat tragic) eco-villain Ra’s al Ghul and his deadly daughter Talia, in the seventies. The mysterious al Ghul clan was a formidable creation, constantly forcing the Dark Knight out of his comfort zone both geographically and emotionally. Indeed, these are absolute classic comics that have influenced countless creators and storylines over the past decades.
Denny O’Neil, whose early work vigorously reinforced the Caped Crusader’s pulp credentials, instilled the tales with a spirit of go-for-broke adventure reminiscent of old serials (the kind that would later inspire the Indiana Jones franchise). Within the pages of this book, Batman travels around the globe, fights dangerous animals and assassins, escapes from deathtraps, has a doomed romance, and ultimately saves the world – all magnificently rendered by the elegant pencils of Bob Brown, Neal Adams, Irv Novick, Michael Golden, and Don Newton.
EGO AND OTHER TAILS (2007)
Spotlighting one of the industry’s greatest talents, Ego and other tails collects half-dozen dynamic stories written and/or drawn by Darwyin Cooke. Given his signature proto-noir style and unmatched sense of pace, it’s tempting to call these stories ‘cinematic,’ but that wouldn’t do them justice – this is pure comics magic!
Although less ambitious than Cooke’s DC: The New Frontier, the book is full of gems. The title story is a compelling character study in which Batman has an existential discussion with his own dark side. Other high points include ‘Selina’s Big Score’ (one hell of a heist thriller and a kick-ass Catwoman tale to boot) as well as ‘Déjà vu’ (Cooke’s awesome remake of ‘Night of the Stalker!’).
LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT: ALAN DAVIS (2012)
Collecting all the Batman comics illustrated by Alan Davis (except for his work on Batman and the Outsiders), this colorful book bursts with joy and energy channeled through humorously-designed expressions and eye-catching set pieces. Since every tale is written by Mike W. Barr, this also works as a showcase for Barr’s paradoxical mix of nostalgic playfulness and twisted undercurrents.
During their fan-favorite eighties’ run on Detective Comics (featuring an upbeat Jason Todd as Robin, the Boy Wonder), the team of Davis and Barr was behind such beloved stories as ‘Fear for Sale’ and ‘The Doomsday Book,’ which by themselves are worth half of this collection’s cover price. The completist among you may also appreciate the inclusion of the first chapter of Batman: Year Two and its sequel Full Circle.
LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT: NORM BREYFOGLE (2015)
This collection devoted to the Batman artwork of Norm Breyfogle – the only one so far, but hopefully the first of many – is a breathtaking display of fluid layouts, vibrant lines, and freaky character designs. It opens with an uneven compilation of extremely diverse tales by Mike W. Barr, Max Allan Collins, Robert Greenberger, and Jo Duffy (including a crossover with 1988’s Millennium, DC’s intercompany event about a widespread alien robot conspiracy), before settling on almost twenty issues of hardcore Dark Knight goodness written by Alan Grant.
Breyfogle is the perfect partner in crime for Grant’s brand of badass, fist-pumping action and sick sense of humor… Their Batman keeps jumping around across the pages like a hyperactive athlete. Their Gotham is a city of outrageous psychopaths lurking among the sprawling urban decay – kind of like the New York of The Warriors or After Hours.
Seriously, this Detective Comics run by Norm Breyfogle and Alan Grant – initially in collaboration with writer John Wagner – is easily one of my favorite Batman runs of all time. Just their first dozen issues together introduced gloriously deranged villains such as the Ventriloquist, the Ratcatcher, the Corrosive Man, Mortimer Kadaver, and Cornelius Stirk… and that was before they unleashed their long-lasting takes on Etrigan and Clayface into an unsuspecting world!
DARK KNIGHT, DARK CITY (2015)
Finally, here is a suggestion for those who like their Batman adventures weird and unsettling and with a dash of the supernatural. Dark Knight, Dark City collects five haunting tales written by Peter Milligan, with art by Kieron Dwyer, Jim Aparo, and Tom Mandrake. In the titular horror story, narrated by Gotham City itself, the Riddler tries to raise a demon by manipulating the Caped Crusader into doing all sorts of black magic rites – such as performing a tracheotomy on a baby! That story became a Batman cult classic (especially after Grant Morrison incorporated it into The Return of Bruce Wayne) but it’s not the only reason to get this book.
Milligan imbues each tale with the notion that Gotham is a city haunted by ancient evils and messed up memories. For example, the second longest story is a thoughtful two-parter about an old Holocaust survivor who brings a golem to life – and it’s damn well-executed, even if the topic is hardly unique (Gotham’s streets have seen at least one other golem, in Ragman, and there have been a number of great post-Holocaust stories, most famously ‘Night of the Reaper’).
Now, if only DC would get around to collecting the rest of Peter Milligan’s Batman comics…