Batman: No Man's Land - Devin K. Grayson & Bob Gale

A great slice of Batman fun in which Gotham's population is reduced to a few stragglers who form clans and go around fighting each other and marking their territory with spray paint. As it turned out, a great follow-up to High Rise. The characters don't spend too much time waxing philosophical (or sociological) about their situation, and when they do it's well-written and interesting. And the Joker stabs someone in the neck with a fork.

The Killing Joke - Alan Moore & Brian Bolland

Loved it. The Joker's origin story took me by surprise and worked very well as a window into his psyche without making him any less enigmatic or terrifying. Also loved the bit at the end where he acknowledges (in an obscure way) that what he's doing is wrong and for a moment shows regret, and then he makes a joke and Batman laughs at it. For a few panels they are brought together, not reconciled but not in conflict either. It's a gen of a book, short and sharp and confidently crafted.

Batman: Year One - Frank Miller & David Mazzuchelli

Very good and beautifully drawn, but perhaps a little underwhelming. Probably just because it's such a familiar story by now. After the epic crash-bang-wallop of the Nolan films - and the attendant excitement in the run-up to the third one - it's hard not to be underwhelmed by a fairly simple version of the story without much fanfare (much current fanfare, anyway). It is very well-written though, and it's easy to see how it's influenced the Nolan films' scripts. Also, I like the placing of Gordon in a more central role than usual. He makes a good, relatable counter-protagonist to Batman.

Arkham Asylum - Grant Morrison & Dave McKean

Powered through in one go (rare for me even with comics). Supremely creepy; downright scary in fact. So much symbolism and Jung and weirdness, and wonderfully dark and violent art. The script and annotations are interesting (and helpful) although they do give the impression Morrison is an insufferable smart-arse. The whole "maybe Batman's as crazy as his enemies" idea has been done to death since this book came out, but that can't be held against it.