Batman is one of the most published characters in DC Comics’ entire catalog, with numerous ongoing stories happening simultaneously across multiple titles. These stories have all helped to build the mythology of the Dark Knight and make him one of the greatest superheroes of all time. Naturally, to reach such a legendary status, some of the best writers and artists in the comic book industry have worked to craft immaculate stunning comic runs. The best Batman comic book runs have both expanded the hero’s lore, while also offering deep-dive studies on his complicated history and psychology. Without these creative geniuses, Batman wouldn’t be nearly the icon as he is today.
The Batman character has existed for over 80 years, with his popularity never waning, in large part thanks to these beloved, quality comic book writer/artist runs.
Writer and artist Frank Miller is definitely inconsistent when it comes to his time with the Batman franchise, having written some of the character’s best and worst stories. While his later stories, like All-Star Batman and Robin and The Dark Knight Strikes Again, were poorly received, his earlier works were among the best in DC Comics history. Miller’s Batman: Year One became the definitive version of Batman’s origin and a starting point for new readers after the Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot. Meanwhile, Miller’s Dark Knight Returns is considered by many to be one of Batman’s most impactful stories because its gritty nature and overt political themes showed people that comics were maturing and capable of telling darker stories.
Instead of depicting Batman as an all-knowing and almost spectral entity, writer Alan Grant and artist Norm Breyfogle’s run in Detective Comics went in a much more grounded direction. The creative pair primarily had Batman deal with pulpy and street-level crimes and mysteries. The third Robin, Tim Drake, also received greater focus and development in this series, including his now-iconic costume. Grant and Breyfogle also introduced many chilling and unique villains, including the Ventriloquist, Victor Zsasz, Anarky, and Ratcatcher. The pair’s run brought the Caped Crusader back to his street-level roots while also offering grounded yet fantastical tales.
After the success of Morrison’s original Batman and Robin series, DC Comics passed the torch to writer Peter Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason. This creative pair didn’t skip a beat in creating quality stories centered on the Dynamic Duo. One of the best runs of the New 52 era, Tomasi and Gleason’s run saw Batman working alongside his son Damian Wayne. The run was the first to extensively examine Batman’s parental abilities and relationship with his biological son. At the same time, Damian undergoes a character arc becoming more humble and building a close bond with his father. Tomasi and Gleason’s run truly defined the father-and-son duo in a way few other writers have managed to replicate.
For three years, writer Doug Moench and artist Kelley Jones worked together to create some of Batman’s spookiest adventures. The duo first worked together on the Elseworlds story Batman: Red Rain, where the Dark Knight becomes a bloodthirsty vampire. They would also create two sequel series, equally nightmarish, called Batman: Bloodstorm and Batman: Crimson Mist. Still, not all of Moench and Jones’ work centered on a vampiric Caped Crusader, as they also worked on the main Batman series from issues 516 to 558. Like their vampire Batman trilogy, Moench and Jones put a significant horror spin on their work on the main universe Batman series. They were also an important part of the iconic “Knightfall” storyline that saw Bane break Batman’s back.
Before writing comics, Paul Dini co-created one of the greatest animated shows of all time, Batman: The Animated Series. After writing some of the show’s most iconic episodes and co-creating Harley Quinn, Dini got his chance to work his magic in comic book form with the official Dark Knight. Dini wrote many amazing stories in Detective Comics and Batman: Streets of Gotham. Like many of Dini’s best episodes, his greatest comic stories involved gripping mysteries and character explorations of Batman’s rogues’ gallery. He also told amazing tales of Dick Grayson’s time as Batman. Although Dini’s work on Batman: The Animated Series is better known and more impactful, his comics added many new layers to numerous Batman characters.
Despite working together on only six issues of Detective Comics, writer Steve Englehart and artist Marshall Rogers made a huge impact that has been felt for decades. The duo put greater emphasis on Bruce Wayne’s suave, ladies’-man persona to contrast the scowling, serious nature of his Batman persona. Additionally, they reinvented many long-forgotten Batman villains, turning them into the icons they are today, including Deadshot and Hugo Strange. “The Laughing Fish” is considered to be one of the wackiest and best Joker stories of all time and even inspired an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Despite some of the sillier stories, Englehart and Rogers helped lay the groundwork for the more serious Batman that future writers would expand upon.
Instead of working on ongoing Batman titles, writer Joseph Loeb and artist Tim Sale collaborated on several miniseries featuring the Caped Crusader. Easily their most beloved and influential work is the murder mystery Batman: The Long Halloween, which cemented his role as the World’s Greatest Detective. Loeb and Sale’s other Batman works, Batman: Dark Victory, Catwoman: When In Rome, and their three Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials also have complex writing and striking art styles that help them stand out from other creators at the time. Loeb and Sale perfected blending horror with gritty noir atmosphere in their Batman stories.
After the 1960s, when Batman primarily engaged in campy, lighthearted adventures, writer Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams were among the first creative duos to return the Caped Crusader to his dark roots. Together, O’Neil and Adams brought about many significant changes that took the Dark Knight in a far more serious direction. The Joker was portrayed as a terrifying threat; Two-Face reemerged after decades’ absence; Batman spent less time with Robin; and the Dark Knight undertook more detective-noir-style missions. O’Neil and Adams also created Batman’s now iconic foes Ra’s al Ghul and his daughter Talia. Some of their best Batman stories include “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge” and the “Ra’s al Ghul Saga.”
The New 52 was a controversial reboot for DC Comics, but one of the best things to come out of it was its reinvention of Batman. This rebooted Dark Knight was overseen primarily by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo. Together, they created incredible stories such as “The Court of Owls,” “Zero Year,” “Death of the Family,” and “Endgame.” Snyder and Capullo offered some of the best depictions of Batman’s early years and his evolution into a more experienced vigilante. Their biggest contribution was the villainous secret society, the Court of Owls, which has become a staple of Batman lore. The pair would also work together on Dark Nights: Metal and Dark Nights: Death Metal, which, despite both being Crisis events, were still heavily focused on Batman.
Grant Morrison is responsible for some of the greatest Batman comics of all time. Working with numerous artists across several titles, Morrison took the Batman mythos in bold new directions, completely redefining the character for the 21st century. Some of his best narrative decisions include making Dick Grayson Batman and introducing Damian Wayne. His stories often took big risks with Batman in terms of storylines, characters, and tones that paid off exponentially, like Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, “Batman R.I.P.,” Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn, and Batman Incorporated. Morrison combined the best elements of the Caped Crusader’s long history while introducing something new that would inspire all future Batman writers.
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