The one and only Caped Crusader himself, the Batman, is one of the most popular superheroes of all time. Existing in the comic book space since the very early days of 1939—in Detective Comics #27 (1939)—Bruce Wayne has had quite a bit of time to build himself up as an iconic hero. With this much history behind him, there are so many stories he’s experienced that are commonly considered amazing.
Over the years, Batman has gotten the honor of being drawn and written by some of the comic book industry’s most talented creatives. With how much great quality there is in the character’s long-running mythology, it feels like an impossible task to rank the best of the best. However, there are certainly some stories that stand out strongest against the rest.
9
‘Robin: Year One’ (2000)
One of The Dark Knight’s best graphic novels comes not as a story that is solely centered around Bats, but his ever-iconic sidekick, Robin—aka the young Dick Grayson. The Robins (and the Bat-Family as a whole) have added so much to the hero’s character over the years, and the likes of Robin: Year One (2000) helps really capture that. Not only does this depict the origin and adventures of the last Grayson from a new perspective, but it really takes time to hone in on Bruce Wayne attempting to be a father.
Artist Javier Pulido does an excellent job bringing this story to life. It’s a shining example of the classic comic book look, which aids the more lighthearted aspects of this run in feeling more effective. For anyone who is a fan of the Dynamic Duo, Robin: Year One (2000) is everything that said fan would want, and also serves as a perfect introduction to the character for more general readers.
8
‘Batman: The Court of Owls’ (2011)
Collecting issues 1–7 of the Batman (2011) run, this graphic novel collects what’s known as “The Court of Owls” storyline. The villains known (as the title suggests) as The Court of Owls make their big debut here—a debut that changed the Batman comic space quite a bit. Not only are they some of the most engaging villains for the Caped Crusader in quite some time, but they shifted the mythology of not just Gotham City, but the Wayne family, forever.
Engineered by legendary writer, Scott Snyder, to be a secret society beneath Gotham City that had deep ties even with the Wayne family, which gets Batman involved not just as a superhero, but personally, too. Snyder wrote this story to be a good entry point for new readers, while still being the introduction to a new league of villains, showcasing the mastery behind the writer’s skills, which puts this story at the tall pedestal it sits on.
7
‘Batman: Knightfall’ (1993)
With a film adaptation of this story coming soon, it’s not hard to convince someone that the “Knightfall” storyline isn’t awesome. With even the gigantic 2012 movie, The Dark Knight Rises, taking inspiration from it. It’s arguably one of the most iconic Bane stories ever put to page. This story does something that isn’t seen too much in this era of Batman.
It’s here that the hero was truly broken for the first real time, with the humongous villain breaking the Bat’s back over his knee. But this isn’t the core of the story—no, it’s only the act that leads to Jean Paul-Valley, aka Azrael, becoming Batman as Bruce recovers. This really shook up the Batman mythos at the time and not only showcased that the hero isn’t invincible (as some want to believe), but also why Bruce is THE Batman, and no one could live up to his legacy.
6
‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’ (2005)
Of the many Robins that this DC Comics superhero has had over the years, one of the most popular is, without a doubt, his second one, Jason Todd. For a while, he had notoriety because he was the “one that died”—by reader vote, at that. However, he became as popular as he is now because of one story in particular: “Under the Red Hood,” written by the ever-talented Judd Winick.
The writer turned a character who was once just “the dead one,” into a multi-layered and genuinely thought-provoking character. Initially presenting himself as “Red Hood,” Jason Todd returns from the grave to exact revenge and justice from Joker and Batman. This plot had a plethora of emotional stakes and moral complexity, leading to an unforgettable tale that rebirthed an incredible character.
5
‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’ (1989)
No, this is not the video game also known as Batman: Arkham Asylum—this comic book actually came first. Written back in 1989, this book—also known as Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth—takes a horror direction with the Caped Crusader and his foes. With how horrific some of the hero’s villains truly are, this ended up being an absolutely groundbreaking lens to look at the Batman mythos through.
Batman: Arkham Asylum—the comic—can be genuinely chilling and even horrifying at times. The art by Dave McKean is gorgeous and truly brings the creepy nature of Grant Morrison‘s story to life. The exploration of Arkham Asylum brought some great worldbuilding to DC Comics and brought a whole new style to Batman storytelling.
4
‘Absolute Batman: The Zoo’ (2025)
One of the most famous comic books of the modern age is, easily, Absolute Batman (2025), and is a must-read for any fan of not just Batman, but comics in general. The first volume, collecting the storyline known as “The Zoo,” is the perfect introduction to this new “Absolute” universe (obviously). Written by the astounding Scott Snyder, this new iteration of the Bat is something that many consider even better than most modern adaptations of the superhero.
What makes Absolute Batman (2025) so special is that it breaks down the character’s roots to be different—a living mother, having no wealth, no Alfred as a butler (but a secret agent he works with, instead), and more—while keeping him true to who he always has been. This Caped Crusader is far bigger than he’s ever been, too, being a hulking bodybuilder that seems like an unstoppable force. The villains reimagined for the Absolute Universe are just as interesting, making for the perfect concoction of factors that leads to it being one of the best Batman stories ever told.
3
‘Batman: The Long Halloween’ (1996)
Batman: The Long Halloween (1996) has gained a lot of attention in the 2020s, thanks to the fact that it not only got two animated movies of the same name, but the extremely popular Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson film, The Batman, notably took huge inspiration from it. Written by the legendary Jeph Loeb and drawn by the ever-recognizable Tim Sale, this 13-issue series has gone down as one of the best Batman stories ever written.
This plot is not only executed in a simply great manner, but it finds a way to incorporate a huge majority of the dark hero’s villains in some way, shape, or form. At the end of the day, the story takes Bruce Wayne back to his foundations, focuses on mystery storytelling, and has art that utilizes shadows in an incredibly stylistic manner.
2
‘Batman: Year One’ (1987)
Another major story that Reeves’ The Batman took inspiration from is none other than Batman: Year One (1987). Taking Batman back to his, well, first year and tells the story with a major focus on his pal in the Gotham City Police Department, Jim Gordon. While the famous super-detective is commonly depicted as someone who has it all together and is the master of every situation he’s in, that is not the case with Batman: Year One (1987).
This is part of what makes the 1987 comic book feel special. Dealing with a “year one” Batman means that people can really see him grow up and learn lessons the hard way. He may be super experienced in the modern day, but how did he get there? That’s the big question that this title asks as he jumps into Gordon’s world for the first time.
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‘The Dark Knight Returns’ (1986)
While everyone has different opinions on their favorite Batman media, there’s no doubting that The Dark Knight Returns (1986) is the story that fans most commonly claim to be the best Batman comic of all time. Taking place in an alternate far future, this 1986 Frank Miller story—both in writing and in art—helped redefine the character for the rest of his long-running tenure.
Before this, Batman still had a very campy vibe and was not where he is currently. It was The Dark Knight Returns (1986) that helped bring him to where he is now—The Dark Knight. It brought a realistic, gritty, dark, and mature tone to the character’s storytelling style, and people, clearly, fell in love with it. The writing from Miller is complex and layered, bringing out one of the greatest characterizations of Batman of all time.
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