For more almost eighty years, Batman has stood as one of the most recognizable and successful comic book characters in the medium. Bruce Wayne has an endless library of adventures ranging from psychological horror to murder mysteries, even captivating fans of the darker side of comics. And that ability is reflected in his best comic stories.

Batman's extensive case files have documented his never-ending war on organized crime, his origin story, and his alliances as he defends his city from violence and chaos. From his Golden Age introduction to his latest battle against the likes of Failsafe, readers have flocked to Batman for the best storytelling and talent in the industry. However, some of the Caped Crusader's tales stand out ahead of the rest, and represent the very best of Batman stories, and the potential of The Dark Knight and his surrounding characters.

20 JLA: Tower of Babel (2000)

Mark Waid, Howard Porter and Drew Geraci

"Tower of Babel" follows the Justice League as they're thrown into disarray by Ra's al Ghul, who steals Batman's secret contingency plans against his fellow heroes. Deploying these to great effect, the Demon's Head successfully immobilizes his rivals, even driving The Dark Knight over the edge by stealing the corpses of his parents from their graves.

Although technically a Justice League arc, "Tower of Babel" has been hugely influential on Batman's characterization in years since. While the character had always been written as having a scheming, secretive streak to him, as seen in his formation of the Outsiders, this took it to new heights. From his secret probing of the Dark Multiverse to his creation of the Brother Eye satellite, all of his modern "contingency plan" stories have built from this JLA arc.

19 Batman vs Ra's al Ghul (2019)

Neal Adams

Batman vs Ra's al Ghul follows Ra's al Ghul in his latest attempt to destabilize Gotham City, using a series of terrorist attacks to position himself to infiltrate the city from within. Deploying an impostor Batman to tarnish The Dark Knight's good name, the villain almost brings the city to its knees, forcing a confrontation with the World's Greatest Detective. Taking on an almost psychedelic tone at times, the miniseries showcases the unique storytelling of Neal Adams.

As a comic both written and drawn by Neal Adams, Batman vs Ra's al Ghul achieves two feats in one: Not only was it the final story of a comic book legend, but also a spiritual conclusion to arguably the greatest creative run in Dark Knight history. A sequel to Adams' 2018 Dean miniseries, this comic combines a mystical and psychological mystery with one of Bruce Wayne's greatest rivalries.

18 Batman: Dark Moon Rising (2006)

Matt Wagner

In 2005, Matt Wagner kicked off his "Dark Moon Rising" story, beginning with Batman and the Monster Men and concluding in 2006's Batman and the Mad Monk. The first story follows the hero going up against his first villain, Hugo Strange, and his hulking monster men. After conducting genetic experiments on these men, Strange loses control, and the creatures run amok in Gotham City. Shortly after, Wagner returned to The Dark Knight in "The Mad Monk," which follows the vampiric leader of a cult, who abduct Gothamites for their rituals.

While it technically refers to two different miniseries, "Dark Moon Rising" combines Matt Wagner's tenure on Batman, modernizing two classic Golden Age comics in a longer format. Through his unique storytelling, Wagner delivers some of the best, darkest and most underrated Batman series in DC history.

17 Batman: Under The Red Hood (2005)

Judd Winick, Doug Mahnke, and Eric Battle

Judd Winick’s Batman: Under the Red Hood stands as one of the most compelling Batman stories ever told, offering a profound exploration of the Dark Knight’s character through his complex relationship with Jason Todd. The narrative challenges Bruce Wayne’s unyielding moral code in unprecedented ways, presenting Under the Red Hood as a definitive examination of Batman’s ethos.

Through its portrayal of the ideological clash between father and son, Winick forces readers to question Batman’s choices while underscoring the tragedy of one of Bruce's most character-defining bonds. This powerful story reshaped the dynamics of the Bat-Family and left a lasting mark on Batman’s mythos.

16 Batman: Hush (2002)

Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee

"Batman: Hush" follows The Dark Knight as he's targeted in Gotham by a mysterious new villain, the bandaged figure known as Hush. Realizing that a mastermind is orchestrating a slew of attacks by his classic rogues gallery, the hero sets out to find the culprit, as Bruce Wayne rebuilds a friendship with his childhood friend, Thomas Elliot.

"Hush" delivered modern readers a fresh entry point to the world of Batman, serving as much as a tour of Gotham and its villains as a compelling mystery. Not only does the story deliver a fan-favorite fight between the Caped Crusader and Superman, but it also delves into the Bat/Cat romance, not to mention a great depiction of Riddler as the mastermind that he is.

15 Batman #232: "Daughter of the Demon" (1971)

Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano

Batman #232 begins when, after a night fighting crime, Robin is kidnapped by gunmen. Shortly after, Ra's al Ghul makes his debut, demanding a team-up with The Dark Knight to find both Dick Grayson and his daughter, Talia. On a globe-trotting adventure that takes them on a perilous path through treacherous mountains to find their loved ones. After finally finding refuge in the caves, the hero realizes he's been had -- and the Al Ghuls are more sinister than he realized.

"Daughter of the Demon" is best enjoyed alongside stories like "Into the Den of the Death-Dealers" and "The Demon Lives Again," building up an Al Ghul-centric saga. As one of Batman's greatest foes, this introduction remains one of the best Bronze Age stories of all time, opening the door to the Demon's Head's search for a worthy successor.

14 Batman: The Man Who Laughs (2005)

Ed Brubaker, Doug Mahnke

In Batman #1 (by Bob Kane & Bill Finger), readers were introduced to Joker as he went on a crime spree, murdering wealthy Gothamites and stealing their jewels. Under Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke, the story was reimagined, spinning a relatively short tale into a murder mystery graphic novel exploring Batman's first encounter with the villain.

Batman: The Man Who Laughs is a great look at the relationship between Batman and Joker, while also delivering a solid retelling of the original tale. While there's no mystery to the story, as readers already have a good understanding of the villain, it does serve as a modern origin for their rivalry. In addition, it showcases the hero's strengths as a detective as he learns of Joker's endgame and outsmarts his new nemesis.

This reimagining was named for The Man Who Laughs (1928), starring Conrad Veidt as the permanently dsfigured 'Gwynplaine' who would provide inspiration for the iconic DC supervilliain.

13 Batman R.I.P. (2008)

Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel

The “Batman R.I.P.” storyline concludes the first arc of Grant Morrison’s ‘Bat-Epic’ with a twisted game of cat and mouse that truly challenges the Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne is pushed beyond his limits as he faces off against the Black Glove, an international criminal cabal of elites who gamble with the lives of innocent people. Morrison and Tony Daniel craft a compelling narrative as Bruce struggles to survive this attack on his body and mind, all of which leads up to an explosive ending that ties directly into Final Crisis while setting up Dick Grayson’s tenure as the Dark Knight.

12 Batman: White Knight (2019)

Sean Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth

While Batman's core series house some of his best tales, it's actually through DC's various Elseworlds books where the hero has been given some of his best stories. In 2017, Sean Gordon Murphy turned in an instant modern classic: Batman: White Knight. In this continuity, an increasingly brutal Batman restores Joker's sanity when he force-feeds him psychotropic drugs, allowing the personality of "Jack Napier" to reassert itself. In response, the now level-headed Gothamite declares a run for public office -- running on a platform to bring down the Dark Knight.

Batman: White Knight and its sequels offer a new look at the ethics behind the Dark Knight and his impact on the city, specifically his psychological relationship with Joker. The story keeps readers hooked by the prospect of the Clown Prince of Crime returning to the surface, with an incarcerated Batman leaving Gothamites to wonder about the future of their city. The series and its continuity reimagines a variety of characters, such as Duke Thomas, and doubles up as a fun political thriller as well as a Batman story. With Sean Murphy handling both story and art, it's one of the most visually-stunning stories in the hero's history.

11 Batman: No Man's Land (1999)

Bob Gale, Dennis O'Neil, Greg Rucka, Devin Grayson, Ian Edginton, Alex Maleev, Roger Robinson, Dale Eaglesham, Frank Teran, Jason Pearson, Jon Bogdanove, Phil Winslade

The "No Man's Land" event takes place in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Gotham, one that leaves the city in a state of lawless disarray. Naturally, Batman steps in to aid the effort to restore law and order. With his rogues gallery carving up the territory, taking a piece for themselves and establishing their own small empires. The story also focuses on other characters and how they deal with the events, some assisting in the recovery efforts while others struggle to stay alive in the eye of the storm.

"No Man's Land" combines genres like disaster, neo-Western, dystopia and the typical action-packed stories associated with the Dark Knight. Here, Batman serves as a sheriff-like figure, dispensing justice amidst the chaos, and helping the government slowly take the city back, one piece at a time. For readers who want to see what would happen in a Gotham without a functioning state, this is their best story.