Batman: Year One
Collecting Batman #404-407, the story of Bruce’s first year fighting crime acts as an origin for the alliance between Batman and Lieutenant Jim Gordon. Vowing to clean up the crime-infested streets of Gotham City, the vigilante declares war on corrupt cops and mob boss Carmine Falcone. To become the greatest crime-fighter the world has ever known, Bruce Wayne becomes what frightened him as a boy: a bat.
Batman: The Long Halloween
In the early days of the Dark Knight’s crusade, the triumvirate of Batman, Jim Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent wage a war on crime and Carmine “The Roman” Falcone. Taking place over several months as Batman battles the calendar to solve the mystery of the elusive Holiday killer, Batman: The Long Halloween evolves Batman’s rogue’s gallery of costumed criminals — lunatics like the Joker, Riddler, Scarecrow, and Dent, whose descent into madness births the villain Two-Face.
Batman: Shaman
Collecting Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5, Batman: Shaman sees Bruce Wayne return to Gotham after his travels abroad and 12 years of preparing to become Batman. Vengeance personified, the Batman brutally beats a gang of street thugs before issuing a warning to the city’s underworld: “Tell them the streets belong to the Batman.” This detective tale takes a more mystical dive into the bat behind the Batman as part of Bruce’s life-saving encounter with a healing shaman.
Batman: Ego
In Batman Ego: A Psychotic Slide into the Heart of Darkness, a criminal’s suicide triggers a crisis of faith in Batman. In this psychoanalytical story exploring the duality between Bruce Wayne (the super-ego) and the monstrous Batman (the id), Bruce/Batman considers quitting his crusade before accepting the truth: Bruce’s sacrifice of a normal life means Batman is both terrifying symbol to the underworld — and a symbol of hope to the people of Gotham.
