Today I will be starting my the countdown of my Top 5 Batman stories!
No secret here, Batman is my favorite character for a number of reasons. First, he is often the darker presence in DC's crowd of heroes that are a bunch of boy/girl scouts. He is the original gritty hero, a man that is constantly trying to save a dark world (Gotham) and bring it back to the light. This is the exact opposite of Superman, a hero who can do seemingly anything that is constantly trying to preserve a dream of a harmonious world (Metropolis) that many largely feel does not exist. Also, he has one vow he will not break, that is to kill. His villains are constantly pushing him to be forced into that decision, it just makes for great storytelling. Finally, the Batman franchise is one of the Rolls Royce titles in all of comics. As a result, it is constantly attracting great writers, both established and young/hungry.
Some context for the criteria I used for this countdown, I only considered stories where Batman is the star. So while, Batman has been a supporting character in many great story arcs, those ultimately are not under consideration for our purposes here. As a result of my love for Batman, I now bring you the start of my countdown of my Top 5 Batman stories:
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Dave McKean
This is just a downright great book, for a number of reasons. First, the art in this book sells the story that you are reading. You feel that you are in the bowls of Arkham Asylum when you look at this book. It is gritty, dirty, and downright scary at points. However, that does not mean it is sloppy. It is the exact opposite in fact, there is so much care put into the look of this book, that characters even have their own unique dialogue bubbles and text. This little touch alone really sells the story and the versions of the characters that Grant Morrison wrote.
For example, the Joke's dialogue is blood red and written in a style that is akin to Ralph Steadman's work with Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. You can see an example of the art below:
The art of this piece paved the way for imitators in comics for years. I feel that without this work, you would not have 30 Days of Night.
The grittiness of the art is matched by Grant Morrison's story. Batman must go into Arkham after the patients have taken over and descend into the darkness that is Arkham Asylum. This story progresses simultaneously with a fascinating story Amadeus Arkham and the founding of Arkham Asylum. Though the story has many moving parts and characters, there is little waste as far as panel content is concerned. Every character is essential to telling Morrison's story. With a Two-Face twist at the ending, Arkham Asylum is so unlike any Batman story you will read.
Thanks for reading and next time I will be revealing my number 4 story on the Top 5 Batman Story Countdown Extravaganza!
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