Year One: Batman / Ra's al Ghul

In this 2006 DC one-shot, writer Devin Grayson and artist Paul Gulacy present a tense, self-contained exploration of the first encounter between Batman and the immortal Ra's al Ghul. Rather than a sprawling origin, the story focuses on the tactical and philosophical clash that defines their rivalry, with Gulacy's detailed, cinematic artwork capturing the global scope of Ra's al Ghul's ancient network. It stands as a key entry in the "Year One" tradition, offering a definitive, character-driven take on how the Dark Knight's most formidable intellectual adversary entered his world.