Since 1939, Batman has stood out as one of DC's darkest heroes, a fact that grew stronger after Frank Miller took over the character. With the company assigning some of its star creative team to the hero, each writer released their own spin on the character. While some creators are trying to give The Dark Knight a lighter touch, others are trying to outdo each other to see how grim the story they can write.
Batman may be considered one of DC's darkest heroes, but that wasn't always the case. Before the Bronze Age, the Caped Crusader was a relatively light-hearted figure whose adventures were closer to the Adam West show than to modern stories. In the 1970s, it returned to its darker Golden Age roots, and the company hasn't looked back since. As a result, he starred in some of the darkest comic book stories of all time.
10 Legends of the Dark Knight: Venom
Dennis O'Neil, Russell Brown and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
1989 years Legends of the Dark Knight Star was developed with the intention of giving creative teams the freedom to tell great Batman stories outside of continuity. One of the most popular stories in the series is the five-part story “Venom”, which follows the hero who turns to Bane's super serum to help him fight crime. But the more he uses it, the more aggressive he becomes, threatening criminals with death and alienating Alfred.
“Venom” is a clear exploration of how drug addiction affects the user, to the impact on loved ones and the difficulty of recovery. The story pushed Batman to his psychological limits, culminating in the hero asking Alfred to keep him in the Batcave for a full month to overcome his addiction.
9 Batman: Death of the Innocents
Dennis O'Neil, Joe Staton and Bill Sienkiewicz
Death of the Innocents It follows Batman as he travels to the fictional, war-torn country of Kravia to rescue the orphaned daughter of a Wayne Enterprises employee who was killed by a mine. There, the threat of hidden explosive devices becomes devastatingly personal for the Caped Crusader as he travels the country in search of the girl. Throughout the story, his title is quite literal.
Death of the Innocents created for a single purpose: to raise awareness about the dangers of landmines. After conflicts such as the Bosnian War, the threat of unexploded ordnance became very real, and efforts by the United Nations to rid various countries of the threat continued. This PSA-style graphic novel shows readers the raw, heartbreaking reality of what people living in conflict zones have to live with, and concludes with a direct appeal to the reader.
8 Black Mirror
Scott Snyder, Jock and Francesco Francavilla
As the story that put Scott Snyder on the map for DC fans, Black Mirror follows Dick Grayson as Batman. The Last Crisis (Grant Morrison and JG Jones). After the death of Bruce Wayne, the city spirals into a darker place than before, and Dick investigates a villain called the Dealer, who sells classic artifacts from Gotham's villains to wealthy citizens.
“Black Mirror” alternates between Dick Grayson's exploration of how to fill his adoptive father's shoes, as well as the return of James Gordon Jr., whose troubled past returns. The story set the stage for Snyder and Capullo's legendary run on Batman and answered readers' long-standing question about how the original Robin would react to the loss of Bruce Wayne.
7 Death in the Family
Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Mike DeCarlo and Mike Mignola
“A Death in the Family” begins with Joker taking Jason Todd hostage and beating him to near death with a crowbar before letting the explosion finish the job. With vengeance in his heart, Batman sets out to find the Clown Prince of Crime and bring him to justice. For the Modern Age, the story is notable for being one of the few canonical stories that suggested Bruce was drawn to lethal force, which thankfully he didn't follow through on.
“A Death in the Family” is notable in DC history for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that readers voted to kill Todd. Coupled with the fact that the story revolved around the murder of a child and sidelined Batman, it pushed the boundaries for its time and significantly raised the stakes for 80s comics.
6 Batman laughing in one shot
James Tynion IV and Riley Rossmo
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo Dark Nights Metal The event follows the arrival of a small group of Nightmare Batman variants from the Dark Multiverse in a war against reality for Barbatos. As the main story is told, readers are also given an investigation into the origins of various evil Batmans. This is the main jewel of the ties Smiling Batman.
Smiling Batman Bruce Wayne investigates the creation of the title character as he is corrupted by the Joker's toxin after his death. As the chemicals begin to take hold, they turn the Caped Crusader's mind, resulting in him killing the entire Bat-family. To make matters worse, he uses Black Kryptonite to drive Superman and John Kent insane, resulting in them dying from Lois and her effects.
5 Death of the family
Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Gail Simone, Ed Benes, Peter J. Tomasi, Eddy Barrows, Daniel Sampere, Tom DeFalco and more.
The New 52 went down as one of the darkest tonal shifts in DC history, which was especially true for Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Batman run away In the story “Death of the Family”, the Joker returned to Gotham City, where he targeted the entire Bat-family, believing that his assistants were holding Batman. Beginning with the gruesome reveal of the villain, who surgically reattaches his face and gives him a monstrous appearance, the story is an excellent illustration of Snyder's brutal style.
“Death of the Family” follows the Joker as he takes over Arkham Asylum and begins capturing and psychologically torturing various Batman allies. From Alfred to Batgirl, the story made it clear that no one is safe and took the villain's attachment to Batman to a whole new level. The story effectively combines elements of classic stories, e.g Arkham Asylum and “Death in the Family” and takes them to extremes.
4 Arkham Asylum: A Serious House in a Serious Place
Grant Morrison and Dave McKean
As the centerpiece of Gotham City's war on crime, Arkham Asylum has been the focal point of some of Batman's best stories. In Serious House on Serious Earth, the Joker leads a rebellion at the asylum, taking its employees hostage and forcing the Caped Crusader to respond. What follows is the horrifying discovery of the building and its patients as the hero struggles to get things under control.
Serious House on Serious Earth As Morrison's psychological plot is transformed into a surrealist horror story by Dave McKean, it brings readers one of the best creative pairings. The story itself shows just how terrifying Gotham's villains are, especially when the inmates are trapped inside a building where they literally take over the asylum.
3 Batman Got Damned
Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo
Batman Damned begins with a wounded Batman learning that the Joker may be dead, and the idea that the hero himself is responsible quickly spreads. The Caped Crusader, who sets out to find out the truth about the events he has erased from his memory, is joined by John Constantine, who leads him to investigate the supernatural side of Gotham. As their journey continues, Bruce begins to question his sanity and guilt.
Batman Got Damned DC Comics' own creative team hit the Black Label imprint on the perfect note, turning into a terrifying exploration of the character's psychological and spiritual side. Leaving readers on a completely uncertain note, the three-issue miniseries stands out as one of the best collaborations between Azzarello and Bermejo, complete with the famous “Bat-wang” panel.
2 Batman: The Cult
Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson
Batman: The Cult It follows the hero's investigation of a killer cult in Gotham City, led by the fanatical Deacon Blackfire. While on the cult's trail, the Dark Knight is captured and brainwashed, then conditioned to help them slaughter the city's homeless population. By a stroke of luck, Wayne is able to get away from the killers and begin to regain his senses. Along with Robin, he returns to take down the cult.
Batman: The Cult It explores the effects of psychological trauma on the hero, who has to deal with PTSD, and the memory of what he did for the cult. The miniseries explores the character at his most vulnerable, showing that despite the reputation he holds today, The Dark Knight is still just a man.
1 Batman: The Killing Joke
Alan Moore and Brian Bolland
Batman: The Killing Joke The Joker's origin is explored as a former failed comedian who becomes a villain after entering a chem tank. In the present day, the Clown Prince of Crime tries to sideline Batman by targeting those closest to him in hopes of breaking his rival's moral code.
A killing joke it's a book so dark that even Alan Moore regrets writing it, and laments its impact on the industry as younger writers try to replicate its success. From the heavily implied sexual assault of Barbara Gordon to the psychological torture of Jim, the comic has plunged Batman into the darkest story of all time. Although he stands out as a fan favorite, he is responsible for making the Bat-books increasingly brutal. Readers should also note that the story received a long-requested sequel by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok. Batman: The Three Jokers.