The 15 Best Batman Comics Of All Time, Ranked

There have been thousands of comic book superheroes over the years, but few have the readership and love from fans that Batman does. The Dark Knight has been around for a long time, having made his debut in “Detective Comics” #27 in 1939, and it wasn’t long before Batman became regarded as one of the greatest comic book characters of all time.

Because Batman has been in print for the better part of a century, a plethora of writers and artists have put their unique marks on the saga of the Caped Crusader. Indeed, the character has changed considerably since his introduction, and his rogues’ gallery has grown to include some of the best villains in the business. Due to this, some of the greatest Batman stories are also among the finest comics ever published.

Whether it’s a story within a single issue or a graphic novel consisting of multiple comics, there are plenty of amazing Batman books to choose from. Opinions differ on what’s the best, so the 15 greatest Batman stories of all time are presented based on fan reception and their impact on the character and his publishing history.

Writer Grant Morrison and artist Tony Daniel teamed up with famed comic book cover artist Alex Ross in 2008 to unleash “Batman R.I.P.” in the pages of “Batman” #676-681. The story is one of the best Batman stories that many fans haven’t read, which is a shame, as it’s a riveting tale. Batman is faced with an enemy organization intent on destroying his entire world, and they largely succeed.

Batman doesn’t bite the bullet in this story, despite what the title implies, though his world does come crashing down when the Black Glove storms the Batcave. They drug him with heroin and crystal meth before leaving him on the street with his memory wiped. It takes time, but Bruce finds himself again through an interesting manifestation of his Batman personality.

“Batman R.I.P.” ties into a larger storyline of “Batman” comics and DC’s leadup to “Final Crisis,” but the revelation of the villain is what makes the story special. To read it in full, you can follow a reading order list, or grab a collected edition, which landed on the New York Times chart of best-selling graphic novels.

In 1988, writer Jim Starlin and illustrator Jim Aparo worked with cover artist Mike Mignola on one of the most divisive Batman stories ever told. “A Death in the Family” ran in “Batman” #426-429, and while it was and still is controversial, it’s one of the most important stories featuring the Dark Knight and his sidekick, Robin.

The story is fascinating because of the manner in which it was written, as the decision to kill or save Robin — who was Jason Todd at this point — was left to the fans. The concept was primarily brought about by Starlin, who disliked the idea of a superhero fighting crime alongside a child.

DC set up a 900 number for readers to cast their vote on whether Jason would live or die. Of the 10,614 votes cast, the majority, which came via a margin of only 72 votes, resulted in the brutal death of Robin. The repercussions of killing a main character in such a manner were widespread. Starlin was out of DC a few months later, and Jason Todd eventually returned, though it would take 17 years.

Judd Winick and Doug Mahnke teamed up as writer and illustrator of “Batman: Under the Hood,” which was published in “Batman” #635-641, #645-650, and “Batman Annual” #25. The story is important in Batman’s history, as it tells the tale of the return of Jason Todd, the second Robin.

After he was brutally murdered in “A Death in the Family,” Todd did something unusual — he stayed dead. That’s rare for a comic book character, but he returned in “Under the Hood,” and not only was this a surprise to the readers, but it also completely upended Batman’s view of the world. After Todd’s death, Batman changed, and the loss impacted the character and his stories for nearly two decades.

When Todd returns, he isn’t a kid or a good guy anymore. Instead, he became the antihero known as the Red Hood, and his methods are more brutal than those of Batman, which put the two at odds. In the years since his return, the Red Hood has evolved significantly as a character, becoming a more violent version of his former self.

When DC Comics rebooted its characters in “The New 52,” the first Batman story introduced a new group of criminals to Gotham City. The Court of Owls first appeared in “Batman” #1-7, written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Greg Capullo. The Court is a collection of Gotham’s most influential and richest elites, so why isn’t Bruce Wayne a member?

That’s because the Court knows his identity and has operated under his cowl for decades. The Court has a long history and is largely believed to be a legend. Bruce even investigated rumors that it was responsible for his parents’ deaths, though he found no evidence.

But what was once a legend rears its ugly head as a relentless cabal of criminals, all of whom are incredibly wealthy, and they easily capture Batman and torture him in a labyrinth designed to kill. It’s rare that a new villainous organization is introduced and makes a meaningful impact on Batman’s lore like the Court did. The story leads into the “Night of the Owls” crossover event, the first of “The New 52” universe.

Harley Quinn is one of the greatest villains introduced in “Batman: The Animated Series,” and she eventually found her way into the comics as well. In “The Batman Adventures,” set in the same universe as the show, Harley takes center stage in the 1994 story “Mad Love.” This is an important tale for Harley, but it’s also impactful for the themes it explores.

The comic, written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Bruce Timm, won both the Eisner and Harvey Awards for best single issue. It recounts Harley’s origin story, establishing many of the tropes that remain associated with the character, while themes such as domestic violence are explored as Harley gets close to the Joker.

The comic was so well-received that it inspired an animated adaptation in an episode of “The New Batman Adventures.” In an interesting twist, a character introduced in one cartoon inspired a pivotal story in a comic book one-shot, which in turn inspired an animated adaptation in a different cartoon. Future depictions of Harley take much inspiration from “Mad Love,” which is arguably the character’s most significant story.

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The 1990s saw many pivotal changes in DC Comics, including the death of Superman. Batman suffered as well, and one of his most fateful encounters came in “Batman: Knightfall,” published in dozens of titles from 1993 to 1994. DC kicked off the crossover with the introduction of Bane, who has a dark history in the DC Universe.

“Knightfall” is an extensive, complex saga, but at its core, it’s a Batman vs. Bane tale that is divided into two parts. In the first, Bane breaks the Bat’s back — literally. This puts Batman and Bruce Wayne out of commission, leaving the vigilante Azrael to take up the mantle for a while. Unfortunately, Azrael is far more brutal in his crimefighting methods than the OG Batman, who relentlessly tries to cure his paralysis.

Batman finally overcomes his injuries and returns in the final part of the story, “KnightsEnd,” which sees Bruce retake the mantle of Batman. The story was a significant moment in Batman’s history on the page, while also influencing the action in “The Dark Knight Rises,” in which Bruce (Christian Bale) faces a similar struggle to recover after Bane (Tom Hardy) breaks his back.

DC Comics’ Elseworlds comic books are stories that take place outside of the DC Universe’s main continuity, and the very first of these was “Gotham by Gaslight” in 1989. The one-shot comic was written by Brian Augustyn and illustrated by Mike Mignola, and unlike regular Batman stories, it’s set in 1889 and reimagines the real-life serial killer Jack the Ripper, bringing him to Gotham City.

Around the time Jack comes to Gotham, Bruce Wayne is beginning his career as Batman (who is initially believed to be the killer). While the setting is different, much of Batman’s lore remains similar in “Gotham by Gaslight,” which is an excellent Batman mystery akin to the tales told throughout his early career, albeit considerably darker in tone.

Not only did the one-shot retroactively establish Elseworlds as a means of publishing non-canonical Batman stories, but it also inspired a whole new style of Batman storytelling. In 2024, the concept was revived with a 12-issue miniseries, “Batman: Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age,” set four years before the events of the original narrative.

In “Batman: Hush,” the Caped Crusader finds himself going up against a new villain, Hush, who takes on the vigilante from afar. This adds to the mystery surrounding the character and also makes him more challenging than his usual rogues, like the Joker, who enjoy the spotlight. The story ran from 2002 to 2003 in the pages of “Batman” #608-619, written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Jim Lee.

The story begins like many Batman tales, with him handling the likes of Poison Ivy, Riddler, Joker, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Killer Croc. But Bats realizes that his villains are acting out of character, and it’s revealed that Hush is orchestrating everything from the shadows. This adds to the mystery, and the revelation of Hush’s identity is truly surprising.

The arc was an incredible success, and the Hush character returned for more misadventures in subsequent issues of “Detective Comics” via the “Heart of Hush” storyline. In 2019, an animated adaptation was released with a star-studded cast, though some changes were inexplicably made from the source material — including the identity of the villain, which isn’t who you’d expect.

Before “The New 52” kicked off in 2011, which reorganized nearly everything in DC continuity, a final story was released in what was the Post-Crisis DC Universe. “Batman: The Black Mirror” was written by Scott Snyder, with illustrations by Francesco Francavilla and Jock, in “Detective Comics” #871-881 in 2011. At this time in Batman’s history, Dick Grayson, the original Boy Wonder, is serving Gotham as Batman.

The tale reveals that James Gordon Jr., Barbara Gordon’s half-brother, is a killer. This comes about after Batman is nearly killed fighting a criminal who takes Man-Bat serum while also dosing the Caped Crusader with a nerve toxin. Much of the story revolves around Dick’s concern that he can’t handle the challenge of living up to his mentor’s example.

The storyline is easily one of the best-written of the Post-Crisis continuity, though “The New 52” effectively supplanted what takes place in it. Three separate events come together in the end to fully establish Dick as the new savior of Gotham, though when “The New 52” kicks off, Bruce is back wearing the cape and cowl once more.

While many excellent Batman stories come from graphic novels and miniseries, “Night of the Stalker,” from “Detective Comics #439,” is an example of a standalone story that is more than capable of being cited as one of the best in Batman’s library, written by Steve Englehart with illustrations by Vin and Sal Amendola.

While Batman is on the prowl one night, he witnesses a couple being gunned down in front of their child, causing a flashback to his own parents’ tragic fate. He manages to grab one of the killers, while three others escape. He chases them out of the city and has a dark confrontation with the criminals, driven by his own painful memories.

The story pits two Batmen against each other: the one that demands justice at all costs and the one that seeks vengeance for his parents’ murder. It’s a brilliant vignette that delves into Batman’s past while exploring the nature of his beliefs and why he does what he does, ensuring “Night of the Stalker” is a Batman story every fan should read.

Writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale created “Batman: The Long Halloween” as an early adventure in the Caped Crusader’s crimefighting career. It continues a few months after “Year One,” and focuses largely on Batman’s bad guys. Back in the day, Batman would go up against crooks and mobsters, but “The Long Halloween” depicts how his enemies gradually evolve into supervillains.

The story takes place over a single year and centers around the crime lord Carmine Falcone and his attempts to thwart the Dark Knight. To do so, he hires people he considers to be “freaks”: Poison Ivy, the Mad Hatter, the Riddler, and Scarecrow. Unfortunately for him, he learns the hard way that they are the new bosses of Gotham City, while he’s a bit more old school.

The tale was so well-received that it unofficially became “Batman: Year Two,” knocking the original “Year Two” storyline out of canon. It also inspired “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” which sees the Bat bust up the mob so much that they hire the Joker — a so-called “freak” — to combat the threat to their business.

“The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge” is another single-issue story, first published in the pages of “Batman” #251. Not only is the story written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Neal Adams — two of the best when it came to the Bat — but it also features one of the Dark Knight’s most iconic covers. 

The story focuses on the Joker, who releases himself from Arkham Asylum on his own recognizance to exact revenge. The Clown Prince of Crime identifies five members of his gang who ratted him out to the cops, so he sets about finding, torturing, and killing them. Only Batman can thwart the Joker’s vengeance, even though the Joker manages to kill most of his targets.

This leads to a confrontation between Joker and Batman that is one for the ages. The story has since been reprinted and adapted into animation, and it also helped reintroduce the Joker as a serious villain, separating him from his earlier characterization as an annoying clown rather than a psychopathic murderer. This issue changed all of that, reshaping the character for a new generation of readers.

While Batman had existed in print for several decades by the time writer Frank Miller came to work on the title, he took the character in new directions, not by looking forward, but by looking back. Miller’s story and David Mazzucchelli’s illustrations in “Batman: Year One” combine to create one of the greatest Batman stories ever put to print.

It tells the tale of Batman’s first year as a crimefighter, which went on to inspire nearly every depiction of the Caped Crusader that followed. The story is gritty and includes the introduction of mob boss Carmine Falcone, while detailing parts of Bruce’s story that hadn’t been told, or are retold in a darker manner. “Year One” was highly influential and a huge success for “Batman,” which ran it in issues #404-407 in 1987.

In many ways, “Year One” rekindled Batman’s popularity by reimaging his origin in a similar manner to how John Byrne revamped Superman in “The Man of Steel” the year prior. That title and “Batman: Year One” helped usher the DC universe into the Post-Crisis continuity and helped to make Batman the modernized character he is today.

Venerated comic book scribe Alan Moore barely touched the Dark Knight, having only worked on “Batman Annual” #11 and a crossover while he wrote “Swamp Thing.” The only other book he penned is easily one of the greatest Batman stories ever told: “Batman: The Killing Joke.” The one-shot graphic novel was published in 1988, and it explores the relationship between Batman and the Joker.

Of course, that’s putting it mildly, as this incredibly violent tale finds the Joker attempting to convert James Gordon to his way of thinking. He does this by brutally assaulting his daughter Barbara, shooting and paralyzing her. This puts Batman on his trail and leads to an inevitable confrontation — that ends with a joke.

“The Killing Joke” is widely regarded as one of the best comic books ever printed, and while it’s a Batman story at its core, it explores the psychology of the Joker in ways no writer had attempted prior to Moore. It also depicts the Joker and Batman as two sides of the same coin, one being good and the other evil.

It’s unlikely that many fans will disagree with placing “The Dark Knight Returns” at the top of any survey of the best Batman stories of all time. The tale, written and illustrated by Frank Miller, is easily the best of Batman’s publishing history. Opening with Bruce Wayne in retirement, the implication is that Batman quit sometime after the death of Jason Todd, with crime running rampant.

At this point, Bruce is an elderly man, but when the Joker returns and the need for the Dark Knight arises again, he suits up once more. This inadvertently leads to a confrontation with Superman in a fight for the ages, as the two great icons of DC Comics go head-to-head in a brutal, all-out battle following a nuclear explosion that Superman barely survives.

The story was incredibly influential for Batman (and the medium) moving forward, and it led Miller to write “Batman: Year One” the following year. The story has since been adapted into a two-part animated film, while also serving as the inspiration for “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and many other Batman adventures published in the years that followed.