Batman is a pillar of the Anglo/American comic book world and since this is the year of Batman (The Dark Knight Rises) with Christopher Nolan completing the much anticipated 3rd film of the trilogy, we have chosen to review the Best 3 Batman Comic books ever published.

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Batman has run for over seventy years and will probably run another seventy. Over time tastes in comics have obviously evolved and so should the characters. In the original Batman a tiny bat fluttering in through an open window, inspires the character (Batman) within a page to dress up like a bat and fight injustice. Readers began to ask questions – Why? How? Since then Frank Miller has provided us with something far more religious and apocalyptic, offering a fuller and more complex explanation of why? and how? Miller has treated Batman and his world as if they were actual literary characters rather than simply four-color creations, and things haven’t been the same since.

“Year One”

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“Year One”, later referred to as “Batman: Year One”, remains the undisputed #1 Batman comic book ever produced. It originally appeared in issues #404 to #407 of DC Comics 1987. Year One was Mazzucchelli the artist early days as the illustrator of Batman and he handled it with grace. His figures are understated but also vibrant and alive. His vision of Gotham is chilly, sordid, but also more grounded in reality than the Gothic, fairytale landscape of so many Batman tales. Mazzucchelli’s flair for page design and panel layouts also elevates the book.

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Year One remains Miller’s strongest Batman work. It also happens to be the most human. Gordon has just been transferred to Gotham with the rank of police lieutenant, and is having to survive as an honest cop in the midst of a corrupt police force. His stance for honesty and justice put both himself and his family in danger and his only ally may just be the vigilante he is trying to capture!

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Meanwhile Bruce Wayne is discovering his calling and what it really takes to fight crime in Gotham City. This is the early Batman well before he becomes the seasoned veteran with a plan for every situation. He makes mistakes and suffers the consequences, experiences serious injuries and setbacks. “Year One” served as source material for a number of great comic book stories, and was drawn from heavily in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins”, movie. A MUST have for all collectors.