Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. Still one of the cleanest and well-executed origin stories out there to me. What I love most about it is how grounded it all feels. Batman isn’t a myth yet, he’s screwing up, learning, figuring it out. Meanwhile, Gordon’s out there fighting his own war, showing that even the “good guys” are messy sometimes. Mazzucchelli’s art carries so much weight in this run. Every panel brings such emotion with it and really makes you feel like you are in Gotham City.

Not everything lands. Selina Kyle feels a little thrown in for filler, and the Gordon cheating subplot doesn’t hit as hard as it could. But when this story is locked in and in the zone, it’s amazing.