28 Best Batman Stories

Gotham's mob bosses are suffering serious casualties at the hands of a mysterious killer. In desperation, they call on Batman. When the identity and motive of the killer is uncovered, a dark tale emerges from Gotham's past. Bruce begins to recall a forgotten part of his childhood.

Grant Morrison truly merges Batman’s past with the present in both lore and story-telling. It feels like a detective mystery while also brining in the modern elements of Batman’s mystical rogues. This is a great place to start for any Dark Knight fan.

The Joker has always had a sick and twisted obsession with The Bat. The affair has been developing for decades and has finally reached the boiling point. The Clown Price of Crime must kill the Caped Crusader and crush his ideology in the process. It’s the Justice League vs Batman vs the Joker.

Scott Snyder is hailed as one of the definitive Batman writers. Teaming up with Greg Capullo’s art has made New 52’s Batman one of the best runs yet. This is a story for any Joker fan.

Batman is in search of an eco-terrorist with a weapon to control the weather. The Dark Knight must join forces with one of his greatest foes, Ra’s al Ghul, and his daughter Talia al Ghul to prevent worldwide devastation. Bruce’s relationship with Talia is all but complicated and he finds himself stuck between trying to stop the terrorist and protecting the mother of his unborn child.

Mike W. Barr does an incredible job creating a realist story for Batman. The character development is superb and illustrates that Bruce Wayne is more than a single-minded vigilante. Barr’s ability to provide growth for the Dark Knight while keeping to his base elements is flawless.

When a new vigilante shows up in Gotham, Batman is forced to face one of deepest regrets and a one-time Robin: Jason Todd. His old partner, back from the dead and calling himself the Red Hood, has a vendetta against the Dark Knight. Todd is violent, knows Bruce’s secrets, and is out to finish what he started with the Joker.

Judd Winick does a fantastic job bringing back Jason Todd and explaining his resurrection. Not only did Winick redeem one of the most problematic Robins, he turned him into an anti-hero that we have grown to love. This is a perfect story for all the Bat-Family and Robin fans out there.

In the year 2039 Gotham has become a police state. Citizens are now subjected to unsolicited search and seizures on a daily basis. A federal agent has been murdered in Gotham and Detective Gordon, grandson to Commissioner Jim Gordon, is on the search for “The Batman” who has all but been forgotten.

Paul Pope creates a dark, dystopian world with futuristic technology. Amidst the hunt for the fallen icon, it becomes clear that the person Gordon is looking for should not exist. This version of Batman may not have a relation to Bruce Wayne.

In an alternate timeline, Dracula descends upon Gotham and Batman is forced to confront him. It’s an army of vampires versus the Dark Knight and an unlikely ally. The Caped Crusader may not be able to stop this monster unless he joins the ranks of the undead. In doing so, Batman risks becoming the greatest threat that Gotham has ever seen.

Batman: Vampire is a dark trilogy by the creative team of Dough Moench and Kelley Jones. Originally published as Batman/Dracula: Red Rain, Batman: Bloodstorm, and Batman: Crimson Mist.

Deacon Blackfire is centuries-old, charismatic shaman that has acquired an army by brainwashing the homeless population. Outwardly, it appears as if Deacon’s army is fighting crime. That is until Gotham politicians are assassinated and Blackfire turns his legion on Batman.

Jim Starlin creates a classic Batman story that pushes the caped crusader to his limit. This powerful and dark concept of the underground army was also used in The Dark Knight Rises film.

Mysterious new figures masquerading as Batman show up in Gotham. They begin hunting and killing members of the Black Glove crime syndicate. They quickly escalate to capturing and killing Gotham City Police. In exchange for the lives of the officers, they require the life of Batman. After he is captured and tortured, Bruce falls into a deep coma.

Grant Morrison begins building up to his epic climax. All the clues and hints from the start of his run come together. The end of Batman is near.

Bruce Wayne’s life is spiraling out of control. Everything about his being seems a lie and plagued by mental illness. It’s a fate worse than death for Batman as Bruce leaves his life behind and withdraws to the streets.

Batman: R.I.P. continues where The Black Glove left off. The legendary Grant Morrison ties the Batman continuity into Final Crisis and Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul. This comic will shake Bruce Wayne to the core.

The New 52 redefines Batman’s Origin along with the entire DC Universe. When Bruce Wayne returns to his crime-ridden Gotham City after several years of absence, he finds Wayne Industries in the hands of his Uncle Kane. 5-months later, Gotham is flooded, without power, and in total anarchy.

Batman has a contingency plan for every conceivable threat including his closest allies. Now his greatest foe, Ra’s al Ghul, has obtained Batman’s secret file on the Justice League of America and systemically incapacitated every one of the. It’s up to the lone Dark Knight to save his allies.

The Joker, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, and Killer Croc have broken out of Gotham. During their re-apprehension, Batman is pushed the limits when a new, powerful foe known as Bane cripples the Dark Knight. Jean-Paul Valley (a.k.a. Azrael) replaces Bruce Wayne as Batman and tarnishes his reputation.

Chuck Dixon forever changed Batman with the Knightfall story-arc. It spanned several titles and took an entire year to complete. Not only is it the origin of Bane, but also the start of the Bat-Family.

In an alternate timeline, Bruce Wayne returns to a Victorian-era Gotham that is riddled with crime. He immediately takes of the mantle of Batman to clean his beloved city. Soon after, Bruce is framed for murder and sentenced to execution. He must discover the true identity of the Ripper before it’s too late.

Gotham by Gaslight is the first official Elseworlds publication, which puts DC characters in alternate settings and timelines. After Infinite Crisis, Gotham by Gaslight was identified as Earth-19.

After getting his faced cut off, the Joker returns to Gotham to retrieve his preserved face from the GCPD evidence locker. He provisionally reattaches his skin and begins hunting down the Bat-Family. One by one Robin, Nightwing, Red Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Alfred get captured. It’s up to Batman to save his family and survive the experience.

Most of Sean Snyder’s work on Batman has been intricately intertwined. Starting with the New 52’s Court of the Owls all the way to All-Star Batman. Death of the Family is a direct prelude to Endgame and thusly Dark Nights Metal.

Seen as the “last” Batman story for Bruce Wayne, it takes place during the “Batman R.I.P.” story arc. He has suffered severe psychological trauma in which Bruce has visions of Batman’s funeral. At the wake is several of his closest friends, allies, and enemies.

In an unprecedented event, DC Comics asked its readers whether to kill or spare the life of Jason Todd, the second Robin. The result: Jason Todd’s brutal death at the hands of the Joker. It’s an intriguing story that leads Batman and his new Robin across the Atlantic to deal with the Joker’s Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Batman’s first encounter with the Joker occurs around the events of Year One. Arkham Asylum is re-opened and a building filled with smiling corpses is discovered. Soon after the Joker appears on T.V. making death threats to Gotham’s most powerful and influential citizens including Bruce Wayne.

As the sequel to The Long Halloween, Dark Victory picks up in the early years of Batman. Gotham is ravaged by a territory war between Two-Face and the remnants of the Falcone cartel. A serial killer dubbed “The Hangman” is lose and killing Gotham City Police officers. And Batman adopts Dick Grayson as his first Robin.

Bruce Wayne has disappeared but there’s a new Batman and Robin in town. This new dynamic duo hits the mean streets of Gotham with a modern-age flying Batmobile. A mysterious new villain known as Domino Killer appears and is abducting the children of Gotham.

A new mythology for the Dark Knight is created on Earth-1. Where Bruce Wayne’s thirst for vengeance consumes him. He’s on a mission to punish his parents’ murders and the corrupt police officers that let them go free. Many obstacles will face Bruce as he becomes an even darker knight of Gotham.

Dick Grayson has taken on the mantle of Batman. A series of gruesome murders will put the new Dark Knight’s detective skills to the test and lead him into the arms of Gotham’s terrifying crime syndicate. Meanwhile, the reappearance of James Gordon, Jr keeps the former Robin on edge.

The inmates of Gotham’s most notorious prison for the criminally insane have taken hostages. They demand Batman in exchange for the hostage’s live. With no other choice, the Dark Knight is forced to live out his rogues’ personal nightmares while running through an impractical gauntlet.

A series of callous murders leads Batman to the Underground. He unearths a conspiracy dating back to his childhood and possibly before Gotha’s existence. The urban legend of the Court of Owls could be the source of all Gotham’s crime and corruption.

The Joker, Riddler, Killer Croc, Ra’s Al Ghul, and more of Batman’s rogues and allies are backed by an anonymous. They are wreaking havoc on Gotham to bring down the Dark Knight one notch at a time. Bruce will have to overcome his injuries and identify this hidden mastermind before the fate of Gotham is sealed.

In an alternate reality Gotham’s crime is unchecked, society is beginning to collapse, and Batman has been in retirement for nearly a decade. He’s still haunted by the memories of his parent’s death and his failure to clean the streets of Gotham. In a fit of rage, Bruce breaks free of his self-imposed chains bringing his own brand of justice.

Soon he is joined by a new Robin, Carrie Kelley, and proves to be just as formidable as her predecessors. Batman and Robin pull out all the stops to take down their deadliest of foes. This time they may have gone too far. The United States government must send their secret weapon to deal with the out-of-control vigilante.

18 years after the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne finally returns to Gotham. He finds the city overwhelmed with crime. At the same time, Lt. James Gordon recently transferred from Chicago to the GCPD. The lieutenant quickly learns how corrupt the Gotham City Police Department is.

After several struggled attempts at crime fighting, Bruce dawns the Batman guise. With Batman fighting in the streets and Gordon through the police department, the corrupt politicians begin to panic. Lt. Gordon is then forced to choose between stopping Gotham’s masked vigilante and saving salvaging his career.

The Joker is out to prove a point: that anyone could be pushed passed the breaking point with “one bad day”. He arrives at Commissioner Gordon’s residence and shoots his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl) leaving her permanently paralyzed. The Joker proceeds to kidnap the commissioner and attempts to break him down psychologically.

Batman is out for blood. He must rescue James Gordon and avenge Barbara.

Although technically out of continuity, this controversial story had huge ramifications for the DC Universe. Barbara Gordon became Oracle in main continuity and Joker’s origin has been referenced several times since.

In the Early days, Batman has a near gauntlet-style run-in with his rogues. All while trying to find a mysterious killer that murders on holidays. The story keeps you on edge while Batman races against the clock to stop “The Holiday” before he claims another victim.