• Year One | #404-407 | 1987 | Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | #784-786 | 2005 | Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | #1-13 | 1996-1997 | Loeb
• Dark Victory | #0-13 | 1999-2000 | Loeb
• A Death in the Family | #426-429 | 1988 | Starlin, Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | GN | 1988 | Moore
• Arkham Asylum | GN | 1989 | Morrison
• Knightfall | Batman #484-515, Detective Comics #654-682, etc. | 1993-1994 | Moench, Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | #563-574, etc. | 1999-2000 | Gale, Rucka, et al.
• Hush | #608-619 | 2002-2003 | Loeb
• Under the Red Hood | #635-641, 645-650 | 2004-2006 | Winick
• Batman | #655-658, 663-669, 672-683 | 2006-2008 | Morrison | Reading Order
• Battle for the Cowl | #1-3, etc. | 2009 | Daniel
• Time and the Batman | Batman #700-702 | 2010 | Morrison
• The Return of Bruce Wayne | #1-6 | 2011 | Morrison
• Batman and Robin | #1-16, etc. | 2009-2011 | Morrison
• Batman, Incorporated | #1-8, 1-13, etc. | 2011-2013 | Morrison
• The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871-881 | 2010-2011 | Snyder
• Batman | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Snyder
• Batman and Robin | #0-40, Annual 3 | 2011-2015 | Tomasi
• The Dark Knight Returns | #1-4 | 1986 | Miller
• Batman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | King

General

• Animal Man | #1-26 | 1988-1990 | Morrison
• Animal Man | #1-29 | 2011-2014 | Lemire
• Aquaman | #1-40, 48-52 | 2011-2016 | Johns, Parker, Abnett
• DC: The New Frontier | #1-6 | 2004 | Cooke | Start here if indecisive
• The Flash | #0, 62-129, 142-159, 162, 231-236, etc. | 1992-2008 | Waid
• The Flash | #164-225, #1-12, etc. | 2000-2011 | Johns
• Gotham Central | #1-40 | 2002-2006 | Brubaker, Rucka
• Green Arrow: Year One | #1-6 | 2007 | Diggle
• Green Arrow | #17-34 | 2013-2014 | Lemire
• Green Lantern | GL: Rebirth #1-6, GL #1-67, GL #1-20, etc. | 2004-2013 | Johns | Reading Order
• Justice League: The World's Greatest Superheroes | one-shots | 1998-2003 | Dini
• JLA (Justice League) | #1-60 | 1997-2001 | Morrison, Waid
• Justice League | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Johns
• Kingdom Come | #1-4 | 1996 | Waid
• Omega Men | #1-12 | 2015-2016 | King
• Suicide Squad | #1-66 | 1987-1992 | Ostrander
• Secret Six (Suicide Squad) | #1-36 | 2008-2011 | Simone
• Superman: Birthright | #1-12 | 2003-2004 | Waid
• Superman: All-Star Superman | #1-12 | 2005-2008 | Morrison
• Saga of the Swamp Thing | #20-64 | 1983-1987 | Moore
• Swamp Thing | #1-40 | 2011-2015 | Snyder, Soule
• New Teen Titans | #1-58 | 1980-1985 | Wolfman
• Watchmen | #1-12 | 1986-1987 | Moore
• Wonder Woman | #195-226 | 2003-2005 | Rucka
• Wonder Woman | #1-35 | 2011-2014 | Azzarello

Batman

• Year One | #404-407 | 1987 | Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | #784-786 | 2005 | Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | #1-13 | 1996-1997 | Loeb
• Dark Victory | #0-13 | 1999-2000 | Loeb
• A Death in the Family | #426-429 | 1988 | Starlin, Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | GN | 1988 | Moore
• Arkham Asylum | GN | 1989 | Morrison
• Knightfall | Batman #484-515, Detective Comics #654-682, etc. | 1993-1994 | Moench, Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | #563-574, etc. | 1999-2000 | Gale, Rucka, et al.
• Hush | #608-619 | 2002-2003 | Loeb
• Under the Red Hood | #635-641, 645-650 | 2004-2006 | Winick
• Batman | #655-658, 663-669, 672-683 | 2006-2008 | Morrison | Reading Order
• Battle for the Cowl | #1-3, etc. | 2009 | Daniel
• Time and the Batman | Batman #700-702 | 2010 | Morrison
• The Return of Bruce Wayne | #1-6 | 2011 | Morrison
• Batman and Robin | #1-16, etc. | 2009-2011 | Morrison
• Batman, Incorporated | #1-8, 1-13, etc. | 2011-2013 | Morrison
• The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871-881 | 2010-2011 | Snyder
• Batman | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Snyder
• Batman and Robin | #0-40, Annual 3 | 2011-2015 | Tomasi
• The Dark Knight Returns | #1-4 | 1986 | Miller
• Batman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | King

• Year One | #404-407 | 1987 | Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | #784-786 | 2005 | Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | #1-13 | 1996-1997 | Loeb
• Dark Victory | #0-13 | 1999-2000 | Loeb
• A Death in the Family | #426-429 | 1988 | Starlin, Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | GN | 1988 | Moore
• Arkham Asylum | GN | 1989 | Morrison
• Knightfall | Batman #484-515, Detective Comics #654-682, etc. | 1993-1994 | Moench, Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | #563-574, etc. | 1999-2000 | Gale, Rucka, et al.
• Hush | #608-619 | 2002-2003 | Loeb
• Under the Red Hood | #635-641, 645-650 | 2004-2006 | Winick
• Batman | #655-658, 663-669, 672-683, 700-703 | 2006-2010 | Morrison | Reading Order
• Battle for the Cowl | #1-3, etc. | 2009 | Daniel
• The Return of Bruce Wayne | #1-6 | 2011 | Morrison
• Batman and Robin | #1-16, etc. | 2009-2011 | Morrison
• Batman, Incorporated | #1-8, 1-13, etc. | 2011-2013 | Morrison
• The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871-881 | 2010-2011 | Snyder
• Batman | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Snyder
• Batman and Robin | #0-40, Annual 3 | 2011-2015 | Tomasi
• The Dark Knight Returns | #1-4 | 1986 | Miller
• Batman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2018 | King

• Year One | #404-407 | 1987 | Miller
• The Dark Knight Returns | #1-4 | 1986 | Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | #784-786 | 2005 | Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | #1-13 | 1996-1997 | Loeb
• Dark Victory | #0-13 | 1999-2000 | Loeb
• A Death in the Family | #426-429 | 1988 | Starlin, Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | GN | 1988 | Moore
• Arkham Asylum | GN | 1989 | Morrison
• Knightfall | #491-510, etc. | 1993-1994 | Moench, Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | #563-574, etc. | 1999-2000 | Gale, Rucka, et al.
• Hush | #608-619 | 2002-2003 | Loeb
• Under the Red Hood | #635-641, 645-650 | 2004-2006 | Winick
• Batman | #655-658, 663-669, 672-683 | 2006-2008 | Morrison | Reading Order
• Battle for the Cowl | #1-3, etc. | 2009 | Daniel
• Time and the Batman | Batman #700-702 | 2010 | Morrison
• The Return of Bruce Wayne | #1-6 | 2011 | Morrison
• Batman and Robin | #1-16, etc. | 2009-2011 | Morrison
• Batman, Incorporated | #1-8, 1-13, etc. | 2011-2013 | Morrison
• The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871-881 | 2010-2011 | Snyder
• Batman | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Snyder
• Batman and Robin | #0-40, Annual 3 | 2011-2015 | Tomasi
• Batman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | King

Heart of Hush by Paul Dini is the sequel.

Batman Essentials Checklist

• Year One | #404-407 | 1987 | Miller
• The Dark Knight Returns | #1-4 | 1986 | Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | #784-786 | 2005 | Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | #1-13 | 1996-1997 | Loeb
• Dark Victory | #0-13 | 1999-2000 | Loeb
• A Death in the Family | #426-429 | 1988 | Starlin, Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | GN | 1988 | Moore
• Arkham Asylum | GN | 1989 | Morrison
• Knightfall | Batman #484-515, Detective Comics #654-682, etc. | 1993-1994 | Moench, Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | #563-574, etc. | 1999-2000 | Gale, Rucka, et al.
• ~~Hush | #608-619 | 2002-2003 | Loeb~~
• Under the Red Hood | #635-641, 645-650 | 2004-2006 | Winick
• Batman | #655-658, 663-669, 672-683 | 2006-2008 | Morrison | Reading Order
• Battle for the Cowl | #1-3, etc. | 2009 | Daniel
• Time and the Batman | Batman #700-702 | 2010 | Morrison
• The Return of Bruce Wayne | #1-6 | 2011 | Morrison
• Batman and Robin | #1-16, etc. | 2009-2011 | Morrison
• Batman, Incorporated | #1-8, 1-13, etc. | 2011-2013 | Morrison
• The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871-881 | 2010-2011 | Snyder
• Batman | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Snyder
• Batman and Robin | #0-40, Annual 3 | 2011-2015 | Tomasi
• Batman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | King

• Year One | #404-407 | 1987 | Frank Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | #784-786 | 2005 | Ed Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | #1-13 | 1996 | Jeph Loeb
• Dark Victory | #0-13 | 1999 | Jeph Loeb
• A Death in the Family | #426-429 | 1988 | Jim Starlin & Marv Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | GN | 1988 | Alan Moore
• Arkham Asylum | GN | 1989 | Grant Morrison
• Knightfall | #491-510, etc. | 1993 | Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | #563-574, etc. | 1999 | Bob Gale, Greg Rucka, et al.
• Hush | #608-619 | 2002 | Jeph Loeb
• Under the Red Hood | #635-641, 645-650 | 2004 | Judd Winick
• Battle for the Cowl | #1-3 | 2009 | Tony S. Daniel
• Batman, Batman and Robin | #655-703, #1-16 | 2009 | Grant Morrison | Reading Order
• The Black Mirror (Detective Comics) | #871-881 | 2010 | Scott Snyder
• Batman | #1-52 | 2011 | Scott Snyder
• Batman and Robin | #1-40 | 2011 | Peter Tomasi
• The Dark Knight Returns | #1-4 | 1986 | Frank Miller
• Batman: Rebirth | #1-ongoing | 2016 | Tom King

Batman

• The Dark Knight Returns | #1-4 | 1986 | Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | #784-786 | 2005 | Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | #1-13 | 1996-1997 | Loeb
• Dark Victory | #0-13 | 1999-2000 | Loeb
• A Death in the Family | #426-429 | 1988 | Starlin, Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | GN | 1988 | Moore
• Arkham Asylum | GN | 1989 | Morrison
• Knightfall | Batman #484-515, Detective Comics #654-682, etc. | 1993-1994 | Moench, Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | #563-574, etc. | 1999-2000 | Gale, Rucka, et al.
• Hush | #608-619 | 2002-2003 | Loeb
• Under the Red Hood | #635-641, 645-650 | 2004-2006 | Winick
• Batman | #655-658, 663-669, 672-683 | 2006-2008 | Morrison | Reading Order
• Battle for the Cowl | #1-3, etc. | 2009 | Daniel
• Time and the Batman | Batman #700-702 | 2010 | Morrison
• The Return of Bruce Wayne | #1-6 | 2011 | Morrison
• Batman and Robin | #1-16, etc. | 2009-2011 | Morrison
• Batman, Incorporated | #1-8, 1-13, etc. | 2011-2013 | Morrison
• The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871-881 | 2010-2011 | Snyder
• Batman | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Snyder
• Batman and Robin | #0-40, Annual 3 | 2011-2015 | Tomasi
• Batman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | King

Superman

• The Man of Steel | #1-6 | 1986 | John Byrne
• Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, For the Man Who Has Everything | Superman #423, Action Comics #583, Superman Annual #11 | 1984-1986 | Moore
• The Death and Return of Superman | Death, Return | 1992-1993 | Jurgens, Stern, et al.
• For All Seasons | #1-4 | 1998 | Loeb
• Action Comics: What's so Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way? | #775 | 2001 | Kelly
• Red Son | #1-3 | 2003 | Millar
• Birthright | #1-12 | 2003-2004 | Waid
• Secret Identity | #1-4 | 2004 | Busiek
• Up, Up, and Away! | Superman #650-653, Action Comics #837-840 | 2006 | Busiek, Johns
• Kryptonite | Superman Confidential #1-5, 11 | 2006-2008 | Darwyn Cooke
• Action Comics: Superman and the Legion of Superheroes | #858-863 | 2007-2008 | Johns
• Action Comics: Brainiac | #866-870 | 2008 | Johns
• Action Comics (New 52) | #1-18 | 2011-2013 | Morrison
• American Alien | #1-7 | 2015-2016 | Max Landis
• Action Comics (Rebirth) | #957-ongoing | 2016-2017 | Dan Jurgens
• Superman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | Peter Tomasi

General Recommendations

• Animal Man | #1-29 | 2011-2014 | Lemire
• Aquaman | #1-40, 48-52 | 2011-2016 | Johns, Parker, Abnett
• DC: The New Frontier | #1-6 | 2004 | Cooke
• The Flash | #0, 62-129, 142-159, 162, 231-236, etc. | 1992-2008 | Waid
• The Flash | #164-225, #1-12, etc. | 2000-2011 | Johns
• Gotham Central | #1-40 | 2002-2006 | Brubaker, Rucka
• Green Arrow: Year One | #1-6 | 2007 | Diggle
• Green Arrow | #17-34 | 2013-2014 | Lemire
• Green Lantern | Rebirth #1-6, #1-67, #1-20, etc. | 2004-2013 | Johns
• JLA (Justice League) | #1-60 | 1997-2001 | Morrison, Waid
• Justice League | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Johns
• Kingdom Come | #1-4 | 1996 | Waid
• Omega Men | #1-12 | 2015-2016 | King
• Swamp Thing | #1-40 | 2011-2015 | Snyder, Soule
• Watchmen | #1-12 | 1986-1987 | Moore
• Wonder Woman | #195-226 | 2003-2005 | Rucka
• Wonder Woman | #1-35 | 2011-2014 | Azzarello

Batman

• Year One | #404-407 | 1987 | Miller
• The Dark Knight Returns | #1-4 | 1986 | Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | #784-786 | 2005 | Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | #1-13 | 1996-1997 | Loeb
• Dark Victory | #0-13 | 1999-2000 | Loeb
• A Death in the Family | #426-429 | 1988 | Starlin, Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | GN | 1988 | Moore
• Arkham Asylum | GN | 1989 | Morrison
• Knightfall | #491-510, etc. | 1993-1994 | Moench, Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | #563-574, etc. | 1999-2000 | Gale, Rucka, et al.
• Hush | #608-619 | 2002-2003 | Loeb
• Under the Red Hood | #635-641, 645-650 | 2004-2006 | Winick
• Batman | #655-658, 663-669, 672-683 | 2006-2008 | Morrison | Reading Order
• Battle for the Cowl | #1-3, etc. | 2009 | Daniel
• Time and the Batman | Batman #700-702 | 2010 | Morrison
• The Return of Bruce Wayne | #1-6 | 2011 | Morrison
• Batman and Robin | #1-16, etc. | 2009-2011 | Morrison
• Batman, Incorporated | #1-8, 1-13, etc. | 2011-2013 | Morrison
• The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871-881 | 2010-2011 | Snyder
• Batman | #1-52 | 2011-2016 | Snyder
• Batman and Robin | #0-40, Annual 3 | 2011-2015 | Tomasi
• Batman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | King

Green Lantern

• DC: The New Frontier | Darwyn Cooke
• Green Lantern | Johns | Reading Order
• Omega Men | King
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth | Robert Venditti
• Green Lanterns | Sam Humphries

Batman #647 collected in Batman: Under the Red Hood