Hey everybody! AM here and I figured I’d start my own guide section based on my favorite things. To start it off, we are going to discuss Batman. Everybody knows Batman. He is the Dark Knight of Gotham City. His real name is Bruce Wayne. His partner is Robin. Duh. But how much of him do you really know? Let’s start at his fictional beginning. He is the son of Thomas and Martha Wayne, who are the wealthiest family in Gotham City. One day when Bruce was young, he went with his parents to the movies to see Zorro. After the movie, his parents were shot and killed before his eyes by a low life thug named Joe Chill. Swearing upon his parent’s graves, he vowed to bring down the criminal element of Gotham City. After years of training, he finally returned to Gotham where he and his butler Alfred Pennyworth prepared for his crusade. After a dismal first try, Bruce looked to his father’s image for guidance. Suddenly, a bat crashed through the window. And thus Batman was born. Well that’s fine and dandy. After that, he, young hero cop James Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent brought down the corrupt police and the mobster element. However, when the mob began to fall, the freaks came out to play. The first was Catwoman, who appeared in Batman’s first year, attacking the mobster Carmine “The Roman” Falcone. She and Batman started an on and off relationship. Shortly after that, the Joker came to be. He attempted to poison Gotham’s water supply, but was stopped by Batman. Soon more and more appeared, including Poison Ivy, The Penguin, The Riddler, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, and Mad Hatter. In his second year, he lost an ally and gained a foe. Harvey Dent was scarred by Sal “The Boss” Maroni under orders of The Roman. Dent became the villainous Two-Face. Two-Face killed the Roman that Halloween, dealing a major blow to the Gangster element. It was around this time that Bruce adopted a young ward, Dick Grayson. He soon became Robin, the Boy Wonder. They were soon joined by Gordon’s niece and later daughter, Barbara Gordon, who assumed the role of Batgirl. Eventually, Dick and Bruce split up, with him becoming Nightwing. He was later replaced by Jason Todd. By this time, Batman had already started a relationship with Superman, whom he respected as a rival of kinds. Of all the Batman’s foes, his three biggest threats are Two-Face, Ras Al Ghoul, and the Joker. Ras is an eco terrorist who is near immortal, staying alive throughout the years with a mystical device called the Lazarus Pitt. His daughter, Taila, loves Bruce. It is this desire and Batman’s skill as a detective that prompts Ras to wish Bruce as his heir. But while Ras is extremely deadly and Two-Face is an ally lost, the Joker is the most evil of them all. Joker’s past is shrouded in mystery. All that is known is that he was once a criminal known as the Red Hood. He confronted Batman in his first few months and fell into a vat of chemicals, driving him insane. The Joker preformed many horrible acts over the years. He shot Barbara Gordon in the chest, paralyzing her, and proceeded to strip her down and take pictures of her. He then kidnapped Commissioner Gordon and attempted to drive him insane by torture. He failed, but dealt a lasting blow to the Batman family. His next act of villainy was when he went to Iran to sell a missile. Batman and Jason Todd were there and attempted to stop him. The Joker caught Robin and beat him with a crowbar. He then blew him up, leaving him to die. This would haunt Batman for many years. He did not take a new Robin for a long time, until Tim Drake deduced his identity and was given the mantel. It was shortly after Tim’s promotion that a man named Bane came to Gotham. He set free all of Arkham Asylum’s inmates and waited for the Batman to tire down. When he did, he attacked him and broke his back. Bruce would eventually heal, but the blow was still there. Soon after, Gotham was devastated by an Earthquake. Gotham was declared a No Man’s Land and Batman fought to return order to the City. It is in this time that Cassandra Cain took the mantle of Batgirl. In the last days of No Man’s Land, Christmas Day none the less,the Joker and his new girlfriend Harley Quinn kidnapped every baby born in NML and attempted to kill them. Gordon’s wife, Sarah Essen found the Joker and was killed. The Joker surrendered. Batman and Catwoman had started their relationship again at this point. However, the two were linked in a plot by the newcomer Hush. It is in this time that Bruce revealed himself to Selina Kyle, the alias of Catwoman. At the end, it is revealed that Jason Todd had returned from the grave and was angry that the Joker was not killed. At the end, it was revealed that the Riddler was the mastermind behind it all. Harvey Dent was healed as well, finally shedding the Two Face persona. I will stop talking about Batman’s history at this point, as doing so would spoil many of the newer stories, like Infinite Crisis. However, I will leave you with my top 10 villain list and my top 10 Batman Graphic Novels. *Catwoman is excluded from the list* Top 10 Villains: Honorable Mention: Black Mask 10) Harley Quinn 9) Bane 8) Scareface and Ventriloquist 7) Poison Ivy 6) Riddler 5) Scarecrow 4) Mr. Freeze 3) Ras al Ghoul 2) Two Face 1) The Joker Top 10 Batman Graphic Novels Honorable Mention: No Man's Land 10) Arkham Asylum. 9) Under the Hood 8) The Man Who Laughs 7) Knightfall 6) A Death in the Family 5) Hush 4) The Dark Knight Returns 3) The Long Halloween/ Dark Victory 2) The Killing Joke 1) Batman Year One I am AM, and I hope you enjoyed my little guide on Batman.