The Spectre: Crimes and Punishments


John Ostrander - 1993
    Retold and redefined in this volume is the origin of the Spectre, the most powerful being in the universe. As the Wrath of God bonded on a human soul, the Spectre roams the Earth in order to confront evil and avenge the unavenged dead as a form of penance. Paying for his earthly sins, the Spectre must not only oppose evil but also understand why men commit it. Once this metaphysical journey is completed, his mortal soul will be freed and another will be called upon on this holy mission of redemption.

Batman: Strange Apparitions


Steve Englehart - 1978
    Now available in a single volume, Batman: Strange Apparitions featuring an introduction by Englehart and a new cover by Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin. Reprinting Detective Comics #469-476, #478, and #479 (which also includes work by writer Len Wein and artist Walter Simonson), these stories chroniclize Batman's struggles with a corrupt city government headed by "Boss" Rupert Thorne along with battling classic villians such as Hugo Strange, the Penguin, Deadshot, Clayface, Dr Phosphorus, and the Joker. This classic run was the blueprint for the first Tim Burton Batman movie and Batman: The Animated Series.Originally published in single magazine form as DETECTIVE COMICS #469-479.

Batman: Venom


Dennis O'Neil - 1991
    After Batman fails to save a young girl, he begins taking the drug in order to lift his limitations; however, when the Dark Knight becomes addicted to the substance, his entire life begins to spiral out of control. The drug Venom later goes on to play a major role in the KNIGHTFALL storyline that sees the villain Bane breaking Batman's back. Collects BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #16-20.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying


Marv Wolfman - 1989
    Taking unnecessary risks and actions. Only Dick Grayson or a very young boy named Tim Drake can calm him.Collects BATMAN #440-442 and The NEW TITANS #60-61.

Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul


Grant MorrisonFreddie E. Williams II - 2008
    Batman's immortal foe, Ra's Al Ghul, should be dead at last — so how has he returned to haunt The Dark Knight? Find out in this 256-page hardcover volume collecting the intense tale originally presented in BATMAN ANNUAL #26, BATMAN #670-671, ROBIN #168-169, ROBIN ANNUAL #7, NIGHTWING #138-139, and DETECTIVE COMICS #838-839! Ra's al Ghul is back…but what does his return have to do with Batman's teenaged son, Damian — whose mother is Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Talia? It will take the combined skills of Batman, Robin and Nightwing to get to the bottom of these mysteries and stop Ra's al Ghul's insidious plans!

Batman: White Knight


Sean Murphy - 2018
    Until now…Set in a world where the Joker is cured of his insanity and homicidal tendencies, The Joker, now known as “Jack,” sets about trying to right his wrongs. First, he plans to reconcile with Harley Quinn, and then he’ll try to save the city from the one person who he thinks is truly Gotham City’s greatest villain: Batman!Superstar writer and artist Sean Murphy (PUNK ROCK JESUS, THE WAKE) presents a eight-issue miniseries of a twisted Gotham City with a massive cast of heroes and villains that, at its heart, is a tragic story of a hero and a villain: Batman and The Joker. But which is the hero—and which the villain?COLLECTING: Batman: White Knight 1-8

Batman: Ego and Other Tails


Darwyn Cooke - 2007
    This volume also includes stories from Gotham Knights #23 and #33, and Solo #1 and #5. Older teens.

The Batman Adventures


Kelley Puckett - 1992
    The Joker enlists the help of the Penguin and Catwoman to bring his dastardly plot to air a televised unmasking of the Batman about. Also includes two more complete storylines-one in which Batman foils the Scarecrow's nefarious doings, and another in which Bruce Wayne is embroiled in a murder plot.

Superman: Emperor Joker


Jeph LoebDuncan Rouleau - 2007
    In this topsy-turvy tale of a world gone wrong, the Man of Steel is a hunted villain, while his imperfect duplicate, Bizarro, is hailed as a champion. With the heroes of the JLA altered almost beyond recognition, it's up to Superman to help his allies rediscover their true selves in an incredible struggle against the Joker, Emperor of the Universe.

Batman Beyond: Batgirl Beyond


Adam Beechen - 2014
    But a new hero has entered into town, one that has caught the attention of Commissioner Barbara Gordon: Batgirl! Who is this new vigilante and what role will she play in the future of Neo-Gotham? Plus, Terry McGinnis faces a familiar foe and teams with the Metal Men to take them down!Collects Batman Beyond digital chapters #19-28.

Batman in the Sixties


Rick TaylorDick Sprang - 1999
    The Dynamic Duo is joined by Batgirl and Bat-Mite as they go up against some of Batman's most classic foes, including the Joker, Clayface, Poison Ivy and Blockbuster. Including a gatefold map of the 60s version of the Batcave, this book also features an introduction by the man who played Batman on TV during this same time period, Adam West!

Daredevil Noir


Alexander C. Irvine - 2009
    When gangster Orville Halloran arrives on the scene, fresh from a stretch in Sing Sing and eager to stretch his wings, Hell's about to get hotter. For P.I. Foggy Nelson and his loyal assistant Matt Murdock, it all starts when a desperate woman comes to their office with an irresistible story about her and Halloran. To Foggy, she's a client - to Murdock, she's enough to make Halloran Daredevil's next target. But Murdock is about to find out that half-truths are poison truths, and that the Kitchen is full of history that will put him on a collision course with both the old Kingpin and the man who wants to replace him. Collects Daredevil Noir #1-4.

Batman: False Faces


Brian K. VaughanMark Pennington - 2008
    Vaughan Art by Scott McDaniel, Scott Kolins, Rick Burchett, Marcos Martin, Karl Story, Mark Pennington and others Cover by McDaniel & Andy Owens Don't miss this hard-hitting volume from award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan (EX MACHINA, Y: THE LAST MAN, Lost), collecting BATMAN #588-590, DETECTIVE COMICS #787, WONDER WOMAN #160-161 and BATMAN GOTHAM CITY SECRET FILES #1. In the first of these tales of the DCU, Bruce Wayne adopts the guise of Matches Malone - the seedy identity he uses to infiltrate the Gotham underworld. But when Matches is shot, it's up to Batman to determine what really happened...and how Scarface is involved! Plus, in other stories, Batman takes on the Mad Hatter, and Wonder Woman and Donna Troy square off against Clayface!

Batman: Collected Legends of the Dark Knight


James Robinson - 1993
    Trade paperback.

Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 1


Bob Gale - 1999
    (And fans of Rucka--assuming they get around to reading this at all--will still likely hold the opinion that Atticus Kodiak could take Batman in a standup fight any day.) DC shook up Gotham--literally--in its 1999 Batman plot arc: a 7.6 earthquake rocked Gotham City, wreaking enough destruction to bring the broken, crime-ridden, runt kid-brother of Metropolis and New York to its knees. In the story line's most indulgent liberty, those fat cats in Washington decide to write off Gotham, à la Escape from New York, blowing up the connecting bridges, mining the surrounding waterways, and signing into law the Federal Declaration of No Man's Land, which makes it a crime to even set foot in the city. The usual suspects from Arkham Asylum, Two-Face and the Penguin, the Riddler and Dr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Mr. Zsasz, file out to begin running the show, strong-arming and manipulating the block-by-block turf battles that envelop the now-ultraviolent city. A conflicted Batman shows up fashionably late, only to find that these lunatics are the least of his worries: Lex Luthor, Superman's archfoe, has nefarious designs on Gotham too. Could this possibly get any better? Sure, No Man's Land is derivative fiction, but the appeal of Rucka--and, of course, Batman--can make this one worth the read. --Paul HughesCollecting BATMAN: NO MAN'S LAND #1, BATMAN #563-564, BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #83-84, DETECTIVE COMICS #730-731 and BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #116.