• 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 | 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

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 Essentials

• 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

How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems

Batman

• Year One | Frank Miller
• The Man Who Laughs | Ed Brubaker
• The Long Halloween | Jeph Loeb
• Dark Victory | Jeph Loeb
• A Death in the Family | Jim Starlin & Marv Wolfman
• The Killing Joke | Alan Moore
• Arkham Asylum | Grant Morrison
• Knightfall | Doug Moenchm Chuck Dixon, et al.
• No Man's Land | Bob Gale, Greg Rucka, et al.
• Hush | Jeph Loeb
• Under the Red Hood | Judd Winick
• Battle for the Cowl | Tony S. Daniel
• Batman | Grant Morrison
• The Black Mirror | Scott Snyder
• Batman | Scott Snyder
• Batman and Robin | Peter Tomasi
• The Dark Knight Returns | Frank Miller
• Batman: Rebirth | Tom King

It's be easer to personalize recommendations if we new what characters or types of stories you are interested in. What are your favorite movies, TV shows, games, books, etc.? You mentioned a few characters in other replies, so here are some modern essentials:

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 Arrow

• Year One | #1-6 | 2007 | Diggle
• The Longbow Hunters | #1-3 | 1987 | Grell
• Green Arrow | #1-80 | 1988-1994 | Grell
• Green Arrow | #1-15 | 2001-2002 | Smith
• The Archer's Quest | #16-21 | 2002-2003 | Meltzer
• Green Arrow | #26-75 | 2003-2007 | Winick
• Green Arrow | #17-34 | 2013-2014 | Lemire
• Green Arrow (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | Percy

Other Recommendations

• Animal Man | #1-26 | 1988-1990 | Morrison
• Animal Man | #1-29 | 2011-2014 | Lemire
• Aquaman | #1-40, 48-52 | 2011-2016 | Johns, Parker, Abnett
• Batwoman: Elegy | Detective Comics #854-860 | 2009-2010 | Rucka
• Birds of Prey | #1-15 | 2010-2011 | Simone
• DC: The New Frontier | #1-6 | 2004 | Cooke | Start here if you can’t decide
• 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 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
• 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
• 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

• ~~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

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