“You were close,” was the response we received from creative director Eric Holmes when he contacted games™ this month, setting the record straight with his own list for consideration. “These are five tales that defined – or redefined – the characters and their relationships. They’re not stories that are represented in the game but rather inspirational stories…”
1. BATMAN: YEAR ONE
Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s classic that tossed Batman into the gutter of a grittier, dirtier Gotham than you thought would ever hit print. It’s the granddaddy of all ‘early career’ Batman stories, showing Bruce Wayne learning what he has to do in order to make a difference. He has to find the voice of Batman. He has to earn the name. What else can be said about Year One that hasn’t already been said better by others? Read it. If you’ve read it, read it again. Side note: Cliff Bleszinski once used my loaned copy of this amazing story to wedge a door open as he collected his mail. I saw him do this through the door of my office and called him out on it. His response: ‘It’s not like it’s a first edition.’ It was a first edition.
2. BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN
Overly recommended when anyone asks for must-read lists, but absolutely worth bringing up one more time. Ultra-dense, rich exploration of Batman in his early career space. Many characters carry over from Year One. Not all of them make it out. Not many people can make Batman’s cape work like Sale. An enormously influential piece of storytelling and not just in comics – clearly has some scenes that inspired Chris Nolan in his work.
3. BATMAN: THE MAN WHO LAUGHS
Ed Brubaker’s retelling of how Batman met the Joker for the first time. You can feel the shock value of Bruce Wayne – someone who has dedicated his life to fighting crime – as he finds someone he simply doesn’t understand.
4. BATMAN: THE MAN WHO FALLS
This is a story I’ve read – and re-read – at different times in my life, appreciating something new each time. There aren’t a lot of stories of Bruce Wayne as he trains himself to become the Batman – this is a window into that. It’s somehow everything you need to know about Batman in one moment that is him, in his entirety. Heartfelt. And I’m a sucker for anything that plays with structure – this does.
5. THE JOKER (Azzarello and Bermejo)
A lot of the books I’ve mentioned are classic Batman. Fans won’t get a lot out of them because I can pretty much guarantee that they’ve read every one of them. They’ve defined who Batman has been for an era. The Joker book is interesting because, like the character, it shakes things up. Characters are spiritually who you know, but visually are shaken up, rethought. The same but different. The narrative perspective is fresh – Azzarello gives us a view of The Joker through the eyes of one of his goons. Visually inventive. Narratively shocking. If you haven’t picked up a Batman book in a few years, this is a great place to start again. And if you like this one, also pick up Bermejo’s Batman: Noel, where A Christmas Carol and Gotham somehow crash together under his pen.
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