@ProfessorMatrix: Don't confine yourself to just the new 52!!! Batman has decades of good stories behind him. Personally I think his stories started getting particularly interesting when Dennis O'neil (writer) and Neal Adams (artist) started handling the character (separately and together) back in 1970.
Some TradePaperBack recommendations (all of which most will agree are fantastic Batman stories) for you are:
Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb (art by Tim Sale) A great murder mystery. This story features much of Batman's rogue gallery as well as the transformation of Harvey Dent from crusading district attorney into the homicidal criminal mastermind Two-Face.
The Demon Trilogy which includes-
Batman:Birth of the Demon by Dennis O'neil (art by Norm Breyfogle) This story features Ras Al Ghul's history.
Batman: Son of the Demon by Mark W Barr (art by Jerry Bingham) (go ahead and skip Bride of the Demon)
Batman: Year One by Frank Miller (are by Dave Muzzecchelli) This story retold and revised Batman's origin. It would set the status quo for the character for the next 20 years
Batman: Gotham By Gaslight by Brian Augustyn (art by Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame) The story see's a Batman born in the 19th century take on Jack the Ripper. Stories like this which are set in alternate universes are known as "ElseWorlds"
Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb (art by Jim Lee who is responsible for designing much of the DCU we've seen since the new 52 relaunch)
Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope (art by Paul Pope) An ElseWorlds tale set in 2039, exactly 100 years after Batman's debut in Detective Comics 27
Batman: No Man's Land by various authors (art by various artists) This story introduced Cassandra Cain (Batgirl for over a decade), Harley Quinn (Joker's gf), and Mercy Graves (Luthor's trusted body guard) to the DCUniverse. The story also saw the death of a few prominent characters and had ramifications that would effect Batman books for years to come. The recent film "The Dark Knight Rises" also heavily borrows from this storyline
Batman: Knightfall (which also includes Knights Quest and Knights End) by various authors and artist. This story see's Bane come to Gotham and break Batman, Jean Paul Valley take over the mantle of the Bat, and Bruce Wayne's struggle to recover and reclaim his title. The recent film "The Dark Knight Rises" also heavily borrows from this storyline.
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (art by Lynn Varley) This story see a retired Batman return to crime fighting after 10 years of being out of the game. Written in the late 80's this book would seriously influence future Batman stories and writers. The TPB is often listed number 1 on lists of all time greatest Batman TPB's. An interesting fact is that the story features a deceased Jason Todd several years before he would die in the main continuity.
Batman: A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin (art by Jim Aparo) This is the story where fan's called in and voted whether or not to kill the current Robin Jason Todd. I think you probably know by now how they voted. This was one of the biggest deaths of all time in comics and would affect Batman stories for years to come
Well Professor Matrix, that should get you started. As one of the most popular characters on the planet in ANY media, Batman has had the honor of some of the best writers and artist working on his books. Welcome to the vine!
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