Has anyone read The Cult? That was another favorite of mine. I was kind of surprised with how dark it was for a Batman comic. And Jason Todd actually wasn't annoying in that one.
Wasn't much a fan of that myself. Maybe I'm insane, but it felt like a poor man's Frank Miller to me—the Batmobile even underwent a ridiculous reconstruction in it.
One aspect I adore about
The Cult is the art—and even more impressive than the line art is the coloring, which most people apparently abhor about the miniseries but I think it's wonderful. But yeah, the writing just isn't so hot, IMO...and it's by the same dude who wrote that piece of shit
A Death in the Family. Only good thing to come out of that was
Under the Red Hood—the animated movie more specifically, as the comic only struck me as OK.
I'm a Miller fanboy, so I adore all his stuff, including
The Dark Knight Strikes Again. I'll admit
All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder had me scratching my head a bit, but it was still pretty cool and I eagerly anticipate the rest of it (if it ever gets made). You simply can't beat
The Dark Knight Returns and
Batman: Year One, IMO.
Although my favorite Batman story ever is
Mask of the Phantasm. Fantastic movie, and the best origin for the character. Just wish the animation had been better, considering the TV show had some truly astounding episodes in terms of animation (mostly the ones directed by Kevin Altieri, the anime nut of the bunch; he knew the right direction and studios to pick).
I love Batman. Man, who doesn't?? I just wish Bill Finger and Bob Kane had continued on in the direction they originally set out with, where Batman killed criminals when necessary and all that. Then Robin was introduced and it all got pretty lame.