Up to this point, I've read

Year One
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
The Dark Knight Returns
Hush Volumes 1 and 2
Heart of Hush
Gothic
The Man Who Laughs

Of these, I really liked the artwork/color palette in Hush and the build up. The resolution of the Hush character wasn't that great in my opinion. I read Heart of Hush afterward, and that would've really strengthened the Hush storyarc if it had been included in the Hush graphic novels.

Year One, The Long Halloween, and Dark Victory were...okay. They didn't beg for a re-read like the Hush arc.

Some rogues I'd like a bit more exposure to are Black Mask, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and Clayface. I thought that might help with some of yall's suggestions, but if you know of a good story, mention it regardless of whether or not it features any of those rogues.

I also have a question about No Man's Land: I've read that Gothamites were given a choice whether to stay in Gotham after the earthquake or evacuate. Is a reasonable explanation given for why anyone other than the villains would hang around after the tragedy?