Batman was originally introduced as a ruthless vigilante who frequently killed or maimed criminals, but evolved into a character with a stringent moral code and strong sense of justice. Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers, instead relying on his intellect, fighting skills, and wealth.

Batman has been featured in many ongoing series, annuals, miniseries, maxiseries, one-shots, graphic novels, trade paperbacks and intercompany crossovers published by DC Comics. These titles have been handled or coordinated through a single editorial section at DC Comics.

The first graphic novels. While it is almost impossible to identify any one text as the original graphic novel, many hold Eisner's A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories (1978) to be one of the most important early examples of the graphic novel in the United States.

The usual, long-standing recommendation to get a start on Batman's story is to read the seminal 1987 storyline “Year One”, which ran in “Batman” #404 v1 to “Batman” #407 v1 and is always available as one collection.

The Batman dives deeper into class warfare, violence, and the socio-political ills that ail Gotham city. Here's a look into what these themes mean. Matt Reeves' The Batman is symbolically dense, exploring themes of vengeance, class, and violence while helming a noir detective story.

For most of the film, the underlying theme is vengeance, because both Batman and Riddler pursue revenge against the city that wronged them - but they were wronged in different ways.

Superhero Batman (comic book)

Graphic novels are similar to comic books because they use sequential art to tell a story. Unlike comic books, graphic novels are generally stand-alone stories with more complex plots. Collections of short stories that have been previously published as individual comic books are also considered graphic novels.

"Graphic Novel" is a format, not a genre. Graphic novels can be fiction, non-fiction, history, fantasy, or anything in-between. Graphic novels are similar to comic books because they use sequential art to tell a story. Unlike comic books, graphic novels are generally stand-alone stories with more complex plots.

There are five predominant types of graphic novel:

• Manga.
• ​Superhero Stories.
• Non-superhero Stories.
• Personal Narratives.
• Non-fiction.

The reading order for Batman comics changes depending on how readers want to approach the comic book history of The Dark Knight. Some start with his very first appearance back in 1939's Detective Comics #27 while others start with the more recent and well-known Batman tales, like The Dark Knight Returns.

The Top 27 Best Batman Comics and Graphic Novels

1. The Dark Knight Returns. Creator: Frank Miller.
2. Batman: Year One. Creators: Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli.
3. The Killing Joke.
4. Batman: The Long Halloween.
5. Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth.
6. Batman: Son of the Demon.
7. Batman & Dracula: Red Rain.
8. Batman: Year 100.

But the real-life inspiration for Batman can be found in two other crime-fighting legends: the Shadow and Zorro. Best known as a pulp swashbuckler with a habit of monogramming his enemies, Zorro led a double life: foppish rich boy by day, defender of justice by night.

His motivation was born in grief and anger, but it has become so much more over the years. He wants to end crime. Not just fight it, but end it. The total impossibility of this goal does not stop him from continuing to pursue it.

Because his struggles are more relatable, Batman is the more relevant hero to most audiences. This has ultimately made his films resonate more strongly with audiences, and thus has made the character more successful on camera.

Batman protects Gotham City, he is the caped crusader of the night. Batman puts away criminals that seek to do harm against innocent people. This makes Batman incredibly important to the people of Gotham, and sometimes, even the world.