Batman: Ego

Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Publisher: DC
Published: 2000

This is one of the best one-shot stories issued on Batman in the last decade. The story has Bruce Wayne forced to face the monster he's created: The Batman. The issue opens with Batman attempting to interrogate a criminal for info on the Joker. The criminal is so scared of both of Joker and the Joker's wrath against him and his family, he ends up taking his own life in front of Batman.

This act starts Bruce's journey into his own mind and questioning if his choice to create Batman was a correct one. At this point, the embodiment of Batman appears, and begins terrorizes Bruce. He tries to force Bruce to let him take control, and that only true justice and inner peace can be achieved if they kill the Joker. Bruce is tempted, but in the end decides that killing is what separates them from the criminals, and the two form a mutual alliance.
If after this quick summary and you're not starting to think Batman Begins or The Dark Knight, then you my friend are no Batman fan, man. These themes are the same themes that Bale and Nolan's sourced to create the Batman of the 00's. Of course, I would be amiss to cite Cooke as the sole originator of these ideas, but I like Cooke's work so much that I'm inclined to think this.