-Batman #700

This giant sized commemorative issue of Batman has Grant Morrison telling four linked stories starring four generations of Batmen, the Batman of the past (Bruce in a 1960s themed style), present (Dick Grayson), future (Damian Wayne) and far future (Terry McGinnis). Its an epitaph for a long forgotten character named Professor Carter Nichols (a scientist with a time machine that appeared in many of Batman's Golden Age era comics). Its a clever inter-connected story with many call backs and homage's to Batman's history.

-Detective #651

Bullet for Bullock is a rare story starring Harvey Bullock. One of the more interesting later additions to the Batman roster, Harvey is an overweight no-nonsense police officer who doesn't always play by the rules but generally tries to do the right thing. The story has Harvey receiving a pile of threatening letters. After surviving some murder attempts, he begrudgingly goes to Batman for help and Bruce obliges. A good done-in-one story that highlights a particularly underrated character.

-Batman #153

Crazy issue from the early 60s where Batman, Robin, Batwoman, and Batgirl are transported to a weird alien world after a run in with an extraterrestrial! Unfortunately the process did not work properly for Bruce and Kathy as their spirits were transported but their bodies stayed on Earth, they have to get back to their bodies before its too late. A decidedly wacky and entertaining Batman story that's pretty representative of Batman comics of the era.

-World's Finest #176

Aliens separately make contact with Batman and Superman and each tell a different story, one says he fears a political assassination attempt, the other says he's hunting a criminal, but who's story is true? Batman and Superman go up against each other, each believing the other is being fooled. An excellent, well paced story that's full of charm.

-Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10

A group of gangsters call Batman with a makeshift bat-signal and ask for help, they killed a child murderer twenty years ago and now believe that he has come back from the grave and is picking them off one by one. This conversation sets off a string of memories in Bruce about his days in private school and the students who went missing mysteriously. Good early story from Grant Morrison with a horror tinge and a lot of interesting back story.

Batman #440-442, The New Titans #60-61

Jason Todd is dead and Batman is not taking it very well, he's pushing himself hard and getting pretty dangerously reckless. A young sleuth named Tim Drake takes it upon himself to help out and decides the best way to bring Bruce back to his senses is to get Dick Grayson to reform the dynamic duo. Whilst this is going on Two-Face makes a return. A Lonely Place of Dying gives us a brand new Robin, we get to see Dick Grayson make a nostalgic return to his childhood circus, and there's some great artwork, with some clever use of paneling to contrast Batman and Two-Face as they try to second guess each other.

-The Brave and the Bold #84

After a familiar Nazi gets the drop on him in a museum, Bruce casts his mind back to their first meeting, during a WWII mission where he had also met the legendary Sgt. Rock. The story has Bruce running into an old friend in London during a bombing raid, his pal is killed and Bruce decides to go beyond enemy lines to finish his mission. A gripping story that would foreshadow the direction the character would take in the coming years, showing that Neal Adams et al were already trying to shift away from camp by the late 1960s.

-Detective Comics #235

In this famous 1950s release we learn that Bruce's father once did some crime fighting in a Batman costume of his own! Bruce learns that his father had been seized by gangsters at a costume party and dragged into helping give medical attention to some of the injured crooks. After foiling their operation his life is subsequently threatened by the criminals. In the present, Batman comes to the conclusion that the murderer of his parents was not a mugger, but likely a hired killer, and resolves to catch the true culprit. The story gives us yet another piece in the puzzle to Batman's origin and is a fun (if fanciful) addition to the mythos.

-Batman and the Mad Monk #1-6

The multi-talented Matt Wagner handles both the art and the writing in this gothic horror-tinged story set during the first year of Bruce's life as Batman. Mad Monk is a retelling and expansion of one of the earliest issues of Detective Comics. It follows Bruce's girlfriend of the Golden Age, Julie Madison and her troubles and involvement in a Vampire cult! The book is another in Wagner's carefully researched and planned exploration of Batman's early year, directly following on from his even better "Monster Men" story arc .

-Birth of the Demon GN

Birth of the Demon tells the story of Ra's birth, his discovery of lazarus pits and his rise to power. This prestige graphic novel opens with Bruce searching for, and shutting down every lazarus pit he can find in order to stop Ra's from replenishing himself. Along the way an expedition he's funding discovers an ancient manuscript written by a long dead member of Ra's traveling companions, detailing their history together. A fascinating life story that takes place over a period of centuries and highlights one of Batman's biggest foes.