Looking for some good Batman comics.

[Mystic Muse]

Now, keep in mind, I have a specific idea of what I'm looking for when I say good. I want something with a happy ending, or the potential for a happy ending. Frankly, I'd like some sort of story where a member of Arkham ends up a not entirely insane criminal (Wasn't there like a Harley and Ivy series based off of that idea?). However, just a "The future looks bright" type of ending would be good. Keep in mind, I'm really not asking for much here. Even an ending like the one in "Crimson Mist*" could qualify.

I have Batman:Haunted Gotham and Batman: The Black Casebook at the moment and was wondering if I should return them. Are they going to be Dark with no real closure like "Arkham Reborn" (Which I did not like) or are they going to at least have an ending, even if it's not necessarily a happy one?

Essentially, I'm looking for a book (Or a series of them) that just has an ending that has the potential to plausibly end well.

I'd just watch the old animated series, but I can't get it on Netflix, and am unable to find the episodes I care about on youtube.

And by "Return" I mean that I got them at my library.

Crimson Mist Spoilers*

Spoiler

Show

It's an Elseworlds comic where the ending is essentially "Everybody is dead." the people of Gotham are still alive, but Batman, Alfred, Gordon, and everybody the story considered relevant in his Rogues gallery was murdered. Robin, Batwoman, ETC. don't exist in it as far as I recall. Like I said, I'm not asking for much here.

[H Birchgrove]

The Must Haves
Batman Chronicles (several volumes) by Bob Kane et al
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller et al
Year One by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli et al
The Killing Joke by by Alan Moore, Brian Bolland et al

Other good comics
Batman Collection volumes 1-3 by Neal Adams et al
Strange Apparitions by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers et al
Dark Detective by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers et al
The Cult by Bernie Wrightson et al
Blind Justice by Sam Hamm (writer of the Tim Burton films), Denys Cowan (The Question artist) et al
Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison (very high brow, post modern, Freudian, Jungian etc) and Dave McKean (gorgeous but creepy art)
Joker: Devil's Advocate by Chuck Dixon et al

Elseworlds
Gotham by Gaslight by Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola et al
Tales of the Multiverse: Batman Vampire by Doug Moench, Kelley Jones et al

[Kindablue]

Now, keep in mind, I have a specific idea of what I'm looking for when I say good. I want something with a happy ending, or the potential for a happy ending. Frankly, I'd like some sort of story where a member of Arkham ends up a not entirely insane criminal (Wasn't there like a Harley and Ivy series based off of that idea?).

I think you're thinking of Gotham City Sirens, which I've never read so I can't comment on.

[Fri]

I wholly recommend batman year one.

[ThePhantasm]

If you are looking for something along the lines of Batman the Animated Series, Paul Dini (who wrote many BTAS episodes) has written some comics.

Check out

Batman: Private Casebook
Batman: Heart of Hush

Those were the two Batman comics I started with and I really enjoyed them.

Lots of the Batman comics that are known as "classics" try to reinvent the wheel too much IMHO and lose that sense of fun that someone like Dini preserves, while keeping the story still dark and moody.

P.S. Both of the above give some pretty happy endings - as happy as Batman's endings can get in his dark world, anywho. They aren't really downers.