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''Batman'' is an ongoing
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
series featuring the
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
as its main protagonist. The character, created by
Bob Kane Robert Kane (born Robert Kahn ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created Batman (with Bill Finger) and most early related characters for DC comics. He was inducted into the comi ...
and
Bill Finger Milton "Bill" Finger (February 8, 1914 – January 18, 1974) was an American comic strip, comic book, film and television writer who was the co-creator (with Bob Kane) of the DC Comics character Batman. Despite making major (sometimes, signatu ...
, first appeared in ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #27 (
cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
d May 1939). Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication with a
cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
of spring 1940. It was first advertised in early April 1940, one month after the first appearance of his new sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder. Batman comics have proven to be popular since the 1940s. Though the ''Batman'' comic book was initially launched as a quarterly publication, it later became a bimonthly series through the late 1950s, after which it became a monthly publication and has remained so ever since. In September 2011, ''
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
'' rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, the original ''Batman'' series ended and was relaunched with a new first issue. In 2016, DC Comics began a second relaunch of its entire line of titles called ''
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the D ...
'' that continued continuity from The New 52. ''Batman'' (vol. 3) #1 (August 2016) was the debut twice-monthly relaunch of the comic book series. In March 2021, DC Comics initiated another major relaunch called ''
Infinite Frontier Infinite Frontier is a 2021 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles in 2021. It is the follow-up to the 2016 DC Rebirth relaunch. The relaunch and event was sheph ...
'', beginning with issue #106 of the flagship Batman title.


Publication history


The Golden Age

The character of Batman made his first appearance in the pages of ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #27 in May 1939. In the spring of 1940, ''Batman'' #1 was published and introduced new characters into Batman's pantheon, most notably those of
Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
and Batman's eventual nemesis, the Joker.
Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, ...
, the Wayne family butler, was introduced in issue #16 (April–May 1943). Editor Whitney Ellsworth assigned a ''Batman'' story to artist
Dick Sprang Richard W. Sprang (July 28, 1915 – May 10, 2000)Richard Sprang
United States
in 1941. Anticipating that Bob Kane would be drafted to serve in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, DC inventoried Sprang's work to safeguard against delays. Sprang's first published Batman work was the Batman and Robin figures on the cover of ''Batman'' #18 (Aug.-Sept. 1943), reproduced from the art for page 13 of the later-published ''Detective Comics'' #84 (Feb. 1944). Sprang's first original published Batman work, and first interior-story work, appeared in ''Batman'' #19 (Oct.-Nov. 1943), for which he drew the cover and the first three Batman stories, and penciled the fourth Batman story, inked by Norm Fallon. Like all Batman artists of the time, Sprang went uncredited as a ghost artist for Kane. Villains which debuted during this early era included the
Mad Hatter The Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and its 1871 sequel ''Through the Looking-Glass''. He is very often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Ca ...
in issue #49 (October 1948) and
Killer Moth Killer Moth (Drury Walker) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as an adversary and dedicated original foil personality of Batman (prior to the creations of Wrath, Prometheus, and Hush). Like Batman, he has ...
in issue #63 (February 1951). In 1953,
Sheldon Moldoff Sheldon Moldoff (; April 14, 1920 – February 29, 2012) was an American comics artist best known for his early work on the DC Comics characters Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" (uncredited collaborator ...
became another one of the primary Batman ghost artists who, along with
Win Mortimer James Winslow Mortimer (May 1, 1919 – January 11, 1998) Note: The Marvel Comics 1978 Calendar merchandise lists Mortimer's birth date as June 23 and ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' lists it as May 23 per was a Canadian comic book and comic strip arti ...
and Dick Sprang, drew stories credited to Bob Kane, following Kane's style and under Kane's supervision. Bill Finger and Moldoff introduced
Ace the Bat-Hound Ace the Bat-Hound is a superhero dog appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is commonly featured as the canine crime-fighting partner of Batman and the mentor of Krypto, Streaky and the Dog Star Patrol. Kevin Hart voices t ...
in #92 (June 1955).


The Silver Age

The early part of the era known to comics fans and historians as the
Silver Age of Comic Books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an int ...
saw the ''Batman'' title dabble in science fiction. New characters introduced included
Mr. Freeze Mr. Freeze is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dave Wood, Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Batman'' #121 in February 1959 as the ice-based criminal Mr. Ze ...
and Betty Kane, the original Bat-Girl. In 1964,
Julius Schwartz Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various t ...
was made responsible for reviving the faded Batman titles. He jettisoned the sillier aspects that had crept into the series such as Ace the Bat-Hound and
Bat-Mite Bat-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Depicted as a small, childlike man in an ill-fitting Batman costume, Bat-Mite possesse ...
and gave the character a "New Look" that premiered in ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #327 (May 1964). Schwartz's first issue of the ''Batman'' title was #164 (June 1964) which was written by France Edward Herron and drawn by Sheldon Moldoff. The Riddler returned after an 18-year absence in #171 (May 1965). Among the new villains introduced during this period was Poison Ivy in #181 (June 1966). In the 1960s, Batman comics were affected by the popular ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' television series, with campy stories based on the tongue-in-cheek premise of the series. After the ''Batman'' television program's influence had died down, writer
Frank Robbins Franklin Robbins (September 9, 1917 – November 28, 1994) was an American comic book and comic strip artist and writer, as well as a prominent painter whose work appeared in museums including the Whitney Museum of American Art, where one of his p ...
and artist
Irv Novick Irving Novick (; April 11, 1916 – October 15, 2004) was an American comics artist who worked almost continuously from 1939 until the 1990s. Career A graduate of the National Academy of Design, Irv Novick got his start in the workshop of Harry " ...
sent Dick Grayson off to attend college and moved Batman out of Wayne Manor in issue #217 (December 1969).


1970s

In 1971, writer
Dennis O'Neil Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...
and artist
Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Supe ...
came aboard the title and re-infused it with the darker tones of the 1940s. O'Neil and Adams introduced a new villain named
Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
, and would also revitalize the Joker by bringing him back to his roots as a homicidal maniac who murders people on a whim. ''Batman'' #237 (December 1971) featured a
metafiction Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasises its own narrative structure in a way that continually reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and story ...
al story by O'Neil and Adams which featured several comics creators appearing in the story and interacting with Batman and Robin at the
Rutland Halloween Parade The Rutland Halloween Parade is an annual event held on (or around) Halloween in the city of Rutland, Vermont, since 1960. The parade has a strong superhero theme and has been the setting for a number of fictional comic book adventures. Local of ...
in
Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to: *Rutland (city), Vermont * Rutland (town), Vermont *Rutland County, Vermont *West Rutland, Vermont West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...
. O'Neil said his work on the ''Batman'' series was "simply to take it back to where it started. I went to the DC library and read some of the early stories. I tried to get a sense of what Kane and Finger were after." Comics historian
Les Daniels Leslie Noel Daniels III, better known as Les Daniels (October 27, 1943 – November 5, 2011), was an American writer. Background Daniels attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wrote his master's thesis on ''Frankenstei ...
observed that O'Neil's interpretation of Batman as a vengeful obsessive-compulsive, which he modestly describes as a return to the roots, was actually an act of creative imagination that has influenced every subsequent version of the Dark Knight." Issues #254-261 (Jan.–Feb. 1974-March–April 1975) of the series were in the 100 Page Super Spectacular format. The series reached its 300th issue with a June 1978 cover date and featured a story by writer
David Vern Reed David Vern Reed (born David Levine; 13 December 1914 – 11 August 1994), was an American writer, best known for his work on the '' Batman'' comic book during the 1950s in a run that included a revamp of the Batplane in ''Batman'' #61 and the i ...
and artists
Walt Simonson Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' ''Thor'' from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned w ...
and Dick Giordano.
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ( ...
became the writer of the series with issue #307 (January 1979) and in his first issue, created Wayne Foundation executive
Lucius Fox Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that s ...
, later portrayed by
Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director, and narrator. He is known for his distinctive deep voice and various roles in a wide variety of film genres. Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received ...
in the movies ''
Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam ...
'', ''
The Dark Knight ''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero, Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' (2005) and the second insta ...
'', and ''
The Dark Knight Rises ''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is th ...
''. Julius Schwartz ended his tenure as editor of the series with issue #309 (March 1979).


1980s

Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's ''The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's '' The New Te ...
briefly wrote ''Batman'' and co-created the
Electrocutioner The Electrocutioner is an alias used by three fictional characters in the DC Universe, all minor enemies of the superhero Batman. Publication history The first Electrocutioner (known only as Buchinsky) appeared in ''Batman'' #331 (January 1981) ...
in issue #331 (Jan. 1981).
Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
had a brief stint on the series as well. Writer
Gerry Conway Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, t ...
and artist
Don Newton Don Newton (November 12, 1934 – August 19, 1984) was an American comics artist. During his career, he worked for a number of comic book publishers including Charlton Comics, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics. He is best known for his work on The Phan ...
introduced
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in '' Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partn ...
in ''Batman'' #357 (March 1983). Todd would assume the costumed identity of Robin in issue #368 (February 1984). Writer
Doug Moench Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, '' Electric Warrior'' and '' Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critica ...
began his run on the title with issue #360 and he and artist
Tom Mandrake Tom Mandrake (born 1956) is an American comics artist, perhaps best known for his collaborations with writer John Ostrander on several series, including ''Grimjack'' (from First Comics) and ''Firestorm'', ''The Spectre'', and ''Martian Manhunter'' ...
created the Black Mask character in ''Batman'' #386 (August 1985). Moench's longtime collaborator, artist
Paul Gulacy Paul Gulacy (; born August 15, 1953) is an American comics artist best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 '' Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species'', ...
made his DC Comics debut with a two-part story in issues #393-394. The title reached its 400th issue in October 1986 and featured work by several popular comics artists and included an introduction by novelist
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
. Due to the events of ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...
'', the continuity of DC Comics was altered. Established characters were given the opportunity to be reintroduced in new ways. While the ''Batman'' series was not rebooted, writer
Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...
, who had previously worked on the limited series ''
The Dark Knight Returns ''The Dark Knight Returns'' (alternatively titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'') is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson, with color by Lynn Varley, and pub ...
'', and artist
David Mazzucchelli David John Mazzucchelli (; born September 21, 1960) is an American comics artist and writer, known for his work on seminal superhero comic book storylines '' Daredevil: Born Again'' and '' Batman: Year One'', as well as for graphic novels in other ...
retold the character's origin story for the new continuity in the monthly pages of ''Batman'' #404-407 (February–May 1987). The story, '' Batman: Year One'', garnered high critical acclaim for its realistic interpretation of Batman's genesis, and its accessibility to new readers who had never followed Batman before.
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
Comics ranked ''Batman: Year One'' at the top of a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying that "no other book before or since has quite captured the realism, the grit and the humanity of Gordon and Batman so perfectly." Notable comic book creators
Greg Rucka Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well a ...
,
Jeph Loeb Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series '' Smallville'' and ''Lost'', writer for the films ''Commando'' and ''Teen Wolf'', and a writer and ...
, and
Judd Winick Judd Winick (born February 12, 1970) is an American cartoonist, comic book writer and screenwriter, as well as a former reality television personality. He first gained fame for his stint on MTV's ''The Real World: San Francisco'' in 1994, before f ...
have cited ''Year One'' as their favorite Batman story. Following ''Year One'', writer
Max Allan Collins Max Allan Collins (born March 3, 1948) is an American mystery writer, noted for his graphic novels. His work has been published in several formats and his ''Road to Perdition'' series was the basis for a film of the same name. He wrote the '' Di ...
and artist
Chris Warner Christopher Alexander Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Street'' who has been portrayed by Michael Galvin since the show's first episode, making him the longest running original character. Galvin quit the ...
crafted a new origin for Jason Todd.
Jim Starlin James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, and ...
became the writer of ''Batman'' and one of his first storylines for the title was "Ten Nights of The Beast" in issues #417-420 (March–June 1988) which introduced the
KGBeast KGBeast (Anatoli Knyazev) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo, the character first appeared as an adversary of Batman. KGBeast has appeared in numerous cartoon television shows ...
. During Starlin's tenure on the title, DC Comics was becoming aware of the fanbase's growing disdain for the character of Jason Todd, Following a cliffhanger in which the character's life hangs in the balance, DC set up a
900 number Premium-rate telephone numbers are telephone numbers that charge callers higher price rates for select services, including information and entertainment. A portion of the call fees is paid to the service provider, allowing premium calls to be an ...
hotline which gave callers the ability to vote for or against Jason Todd's death. The kill option won by a narrow majority, and the following month the character was shown dying from wounds inflicted in the previous issue's cliffhanger. The story, entitled "
A Death in the Family ''A Death in the Family'' is an autobiographical novel by author James Agee, set in Knoxville, Tennessee. He began writing it in 1948, but it was not quite complete when he died in 1955 (with reputedly many portions having been written in the hom ...
", received high media exposure due to the shocking nature in which a familiar character's life had ended.
Mike Mignola Mike Mignola (; born September 16, 1960) is an American comics artist and writer best known for creating ''Hellboy'' for Dark Horse Comics, part of a shared universe of titles including ''B.P.R.D.'', '' Abe Sapien'', '' Lobster Johnson'', '' Wit ...
served as cover artist for these issues, presaging his work on ''
Gotham by Gaslight ''Gotham by Gaslight'' is a DC Comics one-shot by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, with inks by P. Craig Russell. The story revolves around a 19th-century version of Bruce Wayne making his debut as Batman just as Jack the Ripper has arrived in G ...
''. Before recent reappraisals and continuing
debates Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...
over post-1975 alterations in Foucauldian biopolitics and
genealogies Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...
, the story had been critiqued by notable scholars for
anti-Arabism Anti-Arabism, Anti-Arab sentiment, or Arabophobia includes opposition to, dislike, fear, or hatred of Arab people. Historically, anti-Arab prejudice has been an issue in such events as the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the condemnatio ...
and
Islamophobia Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism. The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...
, the latter of which can include the orientalist discourses found in the former, on two principal counts. First, Bruce Wayne initially arrived in Beirut and spoke
Farsi Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken an ...
, a language that may or may not have been more apposite for the maligned "radical Shiite captors" (e.g., early
Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
as "bandits-in-bedsheets") in control of the
Beqaa Valley The Beqaa Valley ( ar, links=no, وادي البقاع, ', Lebanese ), also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ, and Becaa and known in classical antiquity as Coele-Syria, is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon. It is Lebanon's most important ...
---his ultimate destination. The second count implicated the Joker, garbed in "Arab" attire depicted as "Iranian", Joker's reference to the "insanity" of Iran, as well as Batman's renunciation of Iran in world geopolitics. Superman's chastisement of Batman for his statements, and an encounter with Muslim (and Christian) "refugees", attempted to offset the vilification. In a 1990 issue of ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'', written by Alan Grant, a
tarot card reader Tarot card reading is a form of cartomancy whereby practitioners use tarot cards to purportedly gain insight into the past, present or future. They formulate a question, then draw cards to interpret them for this end. A traditional tarot deck con ...
contended, for an inquiring Batman, that the etymology of "joker" can be traced to the French ''échec et mat'' and, ultimately, to the Persian ''māt''---to render helpless, kill, or eliminate from a game. Writer
Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's ''The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's '' The New Te ...
, interior penciler
Pat Broderick Pat Broderick (born November 26, 1953) is an American comics artist, known for his work on the ''Micronauts'' and ''Alpha Flight'' for Marvel Comics, and ''Legion of Super-Heroes'', ''Captain Atom'' and ''Green Lantern'' for DC Comics. Broderick a ...
, and inker John Beatty subsequently introduced
Tim Drake Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in Batman: Year Three, ''Batman' ...
in ''Batman'' issue #436 for the "Batman: Year Three" storyline. The character first donned the Robin costume, and became associated with the third version of Robin, in the "A Lonely Place of Dying" sequel storyline, which culminated in issue #442, written by Marv Wolfman with cover art by
George Pérez George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' and ''The Avengers (co ...
, interior pencils by Pérez,
Tom Grummett Thomas Grummett (born 1959) is a Canadian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as '' The New Titans'', '' The Adventures of Superman'', ''Superboy'', ''Power Company'', '' Robin'', ''New Thun ...
, as well as
Jim Aparo James N. Aparo (August 24, 1932 – July 19, 2005) was an American comic book artist, best known for his DC Comics work from the late 1960s through the 1990s, including on the characters Batman, Aquaman, and the Spectre, along with famous stories ...
, and interior inks by
Mike DeCarlo Mike DeCarlo (born March 14, 1957) is an Americans, American comics artist. He is best known for his work for DC Comics in the 1980s Inker, inking the artwork of such artists as George Pérez, Greg LaRocque, Keith Giffen, and Jim Aparo. DeCarlo ...
. In addition to establishing Tim Drake as a principal character in ''Batman'' and ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'', Lauren R. O'Connor argues that "A Lonely Place of Dying" served as the dénouement of a transition from
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics' ...
's "absent sexuality", which earlier incited reader interpretations of homosexuality, to definitive heterosexual presence as a maturation narrative. O'Connor offers multiple examples from this 1989 storyline, such as Drake's encounter with Starfire and Grayson's heeding of Drake's concerns over Batman's psychology, to substantiate the notion of a heterosexual ''
bildungsroman In literary criticism, a ''Bildungsroman'' (, plural ''Bildungsromane'', ) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood ( coming of age), in which character change is impo ...
''
subplot In fiction, a subplot is a secondary strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporting c ...
.


1990s

The ensuing
Tim Drake Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in Batman: Year Three, ''Batman' ...
storylines in ''Batman'' comic books, authored by Alan Grant and penciled by
Norm Breyfogle Norman Keith Breyfogle (; February 27, 1960 – September 24, 2018) was an American artist, best known for his comic book art on DC Comics' Batman franchise from 1987 to 1995. During this time, he co-created the villains Ventriloquist and Ratca ...
, coupled with the 1989 release of Burton's ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'', spurred sales of both ''Batman'' and ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
''. For the latter title, Grant attested in 2007 that "when the ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' movie came out, the sales went up, if I recall correctly, from around 75,000 to about 675,000." 1989-90 was indeed the "Year of the Bat:" Capital and Diamond City Distributors reported that the '' Year One''-inspired '' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight'' dominated four out of the five spots for preorders (''not'' total sales and second printings). The only exception was the third preorder spot, snagged by ''Batman'' #442, the conclusion to Tim Drake's "A Lonely Place of Dying" storyline. The "Year of the Bat" continued into the first half of 1990. Preorders for ''Batman'' and ''Detective Comics'' issues featuring a revived Joker and
Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
began to compete with, and even edged out, the last three parts of
Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, w ...
's and Klaus Janson's ''
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
'' storyline in ''Legends''.
Todd McFarlane Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic book creator, artist, writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, best known for his work as the artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horro ...
's ''Spider-Man'' arrived in the second half of 1990, inaugurating six months of Spidermania (or Mcfarlamania, depending on the reader). DC closed out 1990 with vendors under-ordering issues, prompting the publisher to push ''Batman'' #457 and the first part of the ''Robin'' mini-series into second and then third printings. The next year, 1991, witnessed the ascension of
Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...
's,
Jim Lee Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
's, and Scott Williams's ''X-Men'' against
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
, as well as
Fabian Nicieza Fabian Nicieza (born December 31, 1961) is an Argentine-American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as ''X-Men'', ''X-Force'', ''New Warriors'', ''Nomad'', ''Cable'', ''Deadpool'' and '' Thunderbolts ...
's and
Rob Liefeld Robert Liefeld (; born October 3, 1967) is an American comic book creator. A prominent writer and artist in the 1990s, he is known for co-creating the character Cable (comics), Cable with writer Louise Simonson and the character Deadpool with wri ...
's ''
X-Force X-Force is a fictional team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants#New Muta ...
'', into the top of the preorder rankings. The only exception to this X-mania was, again, Tim Drake and the sequel to the ''Robin'' miniseries, the first variant issue of which garnered the third spot, firmly wedged between variant issues of ''X-Force'' and ''X-Men''. The mini-series pitted solo Robin against the Joker, in response to fan demands for a matchup since "A Death in the Family". The 1990s comics booming bust had begun. In a supplemental interview with Daniel Best, Alan Grant added that "every issue from about that time fter the 'Year of the Bat'that featured Robin sales went up because Robin did have his own fans." Although both Grant and Breyfogle initially believed that their '' Anarky'' character could potentially become the third version of Robin, they were quick to support the editorial decision to focus on Drake. The
social anarchist Social anarchism is the branch of anarchism that sees individual freedom as interrelated with mutual aid.Suissa, Judith (2001). "Anarchism, Utopias and Philosophy of Education". ''Journal of Philosophy of Education'' 35 (4). pp. 627–646. . ...
duo adopted the character as their
own Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...
in the early 1990s, during Grant's shift to
libertarian socialism Libertarian socialism, also known by various other names, is a left-wing,Diemer, Ulli (1997)"What Is Libertarian Socialism?" The Anarchist Library. Retrieved 4 August 2019. anti-authoritarian, anti-statist and libertarianLong, Roderick T. (201 ...
but prior to Grant's late 1990s emphasis on Neo Tech. Breyfogle agreed that "it was a big thing to bring in the new Robin, yes. I know my fans often point specifically to that double page splash where his costume first appears as a big event for them as fans and I usually have to point out to them that
Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Supe ...
was the one who designed the costume. The ‘R’ symbol and the staff were all that was really mine." In the "Rite of Passage" storyline for ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'', Grant and Breyfogle intertwined 1) Drake matching wits with Anarky; 2) a criminal and anthropological investigation into an apocryphal Haitian ''vodou'' cult (revealed by Batman, asserting anthropological and investigative authority, as a front for extortion and
crony capitalism Crony capitalism, sometimes called cronyism, is an economic system in which businesses thrive not as a result of free enterprise, but rather as a return on money amassed through collusion between a business class and the political class. This is ...
); 3) the murder of Drake's mother by vilified cult leaders; 4) the beginning of Drake's recurrent nightmares and
trauma Trauma most often refers to: * Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source * Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic i ...
; as well as 5) the perspective of a child of one of the cult's Haitian followers, unknowingly and inadvertently orphaned by Batman at the end of the four-issue arc. Tim Drake eventually transitioned from late preadolescence to adolescence, becoming the third Robin over the course of the storylines "Rite of Passage" and "Identity Crisis", with all issues scripted by Alan Grant and penciled by Norm Breyfogle. Story arcs that included Drake only in subplots or featured his training in criminal investigation, such as "Crimesmith" and "The Penguin Affair", were either written or co-written by Grant and Wolfman, with pencils by Breyfogle, Aparo, and M. D. Bright. Immediately afterwards, the character starred in the five-issue miniseries ''Robin,'' written by
Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life D ...
, with interior pencils by
Tom Lyle Thomas Stanford Lyle (November 2, 1953 – November 19, 2019) was an American comics artist, best known for his work on ''Starman'' and '' Robin'' for DC Comics, and ''Spider-Man'' for Marvel Comics. Career Tom Lyle's comics career began in th ...
and cover art by
Brian Bolland Brian Bolland (; born 26 March 1951)Salisbury, Mark, ''Artists on Comic Art'' (Titan Books, 2000) , p. 11 is a British comics artist. Best known in the United Kingdom as one of the definitive Judge Dredd artists for British comics anthology '' 2 ...
. The new Batman and Robin team went on their first official mission together in the story "Debut", again written by Grant and penciled by Breyfogle. Lauren R. O'Connor contends that, in early Tim Drake appearances, writers such as Grant and
Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life D ...
"had a lexicon of teenage behavior from which to draw, unlike when Dick Grayson was introduced and the concept of the teenager was still nascent. They wisely mobilized the expected adolescent behaviors of parental conflict, hormonal urges, and identity formation to give Tim emotional depth and complexity, making him a relatable character with boundaries between his two selves." In the ''Robin'' ongoing series, when Drake had fully transitioned into an adolescent character, Dixon depicted him as engaging in adolescent intimacy with a romantic girlfriend, yet still stopped short at overt heterosexual consummation. This narrative benchmark maintained Robin's "estrangement from sex" that began in the Grayson years. Erica McCrystal likewise observes that Alan Grant, prior to Dixon's series, connected Tim Drake to Batman's philosophy of
heroic Heroic may mean: *characteristic of a hero *typical of heroic poetry or of heroic verse *belonging to the Greek Heroic Age *Heroic (esports), a Danish esports organization *Heroic (horse) Heroic (1921–1939) was an Australian Thoroughbred ra ...
or
anti-heroic An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...
"
vigilantism Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
" as "therapeutic for children of
trauma Trauma most often refers to: * Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source * Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic i ...
. But this kind of therapy has a delicate integration process." The overcoming of trauma entailed distinct identity intersections and emotional restraint, as well as a "complete understanding" of symbol and self. Bruce Wayne, a former child of trauma and
survivor guilt Survivor guilt (or survivor's guilt; also called survivor syndrome or survivor's syndrome and survivor disorder or survivor's disorder) is a mental condition that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong by surviving a traumati ...
, guided "other trauma victims down a path of righteousness". Tim Drake, for example, endured trauma and "emotional duress" as a result of the death of his mother (father in a coma and on a ventilator). Drake contemplated the idea of fear, and overcoming it, in both the "Rite of Passage" and "Identity Crisis" storylines. Grant and Breyfogle subjected Drake to recurrent nightmares, from hauntings by a ghoulish Batman to the disquieting lullaby (or informal nursery rhyme), "My Mummy's dead...My Mummy's Dead...I can't get it through my head," echoing across a cemetery for deceased parents. Drake ultimately defeated his own preadolescent fears "somewhat distant from Bruce Wayne" and "not as an orphan". By the end of "Identity Crisis", an adolescent Drake had "proven himself as capable of being a vigilante" by deducing the role of fear in instigating a series of violent crimes. During his stints on ''Batman'' and ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'', Grant additionally introduced new
antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
antagonists to explore myriad conceptions of
civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.transgenerational trauma Transgenerational trauma is the psychological and physiological effects that the trauma experienced by people has on subsequent generations in that group. The primary modes of transmission are the uterine environment during pregnancy causing epige ...
and collective culpability, warrant critical appraisal. Grant recycled script rejections for ''Batman'', ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'', and canceled titles such as ''
Vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
''. For instance, a ''
Vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
'' storyline by Grant, dubbed "An American Vigilante in London", became "An American Batman in London" on
Guy Fawkes Night Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Fireworks Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain, involving bonfires and fireworks displays. Its history begins with the ev ...
for issue 590 of Grant and Breyfogle's ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
''. Partially impacted by the tone of Burton's ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'', the comics of the 1990s took a darker tone. The Tim Drake version of Robin was given a new costume designed by Neal Adams, with a redesigned "R" symbol by
Norm Breyfogle Norman Keith Breyfogle (; February 27, 1960 – September 24, 2018) was an American artist, best known for his comic book art on DC Comics' Batman franchise from 1987 to 1995. During this time, he co-created the villains Ventriloquist and Ratca ...
, in issue #457 (December 1990), the conclusion to "Identity Crisis" by Grant and Breyfogle. The main writers of the Batman franchise in the 1990s were Grant, Doug Moench, and
Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life D ...
. Moench and Dixon masterminded the ''
Knightfall "Knightfall" is a 1993–1994 Batman story arc published by DC Comics. It consists of a trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", "Knightquest", and "KnightsEnd".On the comic book covers, only the third part ...
'' crossover story arc, which saw Batman's back being broken by the super-strong villain
Bane Bane may refer to: Fictional characters * Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman * Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series * Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy * Bane the Druid, a Gu ...
. A new character, Jean-Paul Valley, takes up the Batman mantle in Bruce Wayne's absence. Valley is driven mad with power, and Wayne forcefully reclaims it after his recovery. Moench and artist
Kelley Jones Kelley Jones (born July 23, 1962) is an American comics artist best known for his work on ''Batman'' with writer Doug Moench and on '' The Sandman'' with writer Neil Gaiman. Early life Kelley Jones was born in Sacramento, California and grew up ...
co-created the Ogre and the Ape in ''Batman'' #535 (Oct. 1996). The Batman titles in 1999 were dominated by the large crossover story arc "
No Man's Land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
", which sees Gotham City ravaged by a large earthquake, leading to the U.S. government's order to evacuate the city and abandoning and isolating those who chose to remain behind. Writer
Greg Rucka Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well a ...
adapted the story into a prose novel published in 2000.


2000s


2000–2003

After the conclusion to "No Man's Land" and Greg Rucka's move to ''Detective'', the ''Batman'' title was handled for seven issues by writer
Larry Hama Larry Hama (; born June 7, 1949) is an People of the United States, American comic-book writer, artist, actor, and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s. During the 1970s, he was seen in minor role ...
and artist
Scott McDaniel Scott McDaniel (born 1965) is an American comics artist who has drawn numerous books, including Marvel Comics' " Fall from Grace" storyline for the '' Daredevil'' series. Notable artwork for DC Comics include a long run on '' Batman'' as regular ...
. At issue #582,
Ed Brubaker Ed Brubaker (; born November 17, 1966) is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and screenwriter who works primarily in the crime fiction genre. He began his career with the semi-autobiographical series '' Lowlife'' and a number of serials i ...
became the writer of the series and kept a trend of gritty crime drama that included more grounded villains such as the
Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
, Brubaker's new villain Zeiss, and
Deadshot Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) is a supervillain and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by David Vern Reed, Lew Schwartz and Bob Kane, the character made his first appearance in ''Batman'' #59 (June–July 1950). ...
. Brubaker's run received a short interruption with an arc title "Officer Down", which depicted Commissioner Gordon being shot in the line of duty and ultimately retiring from the Gotham police force. From there, writer
Brian K. Vaughan Brian K. Vaughan (born July 17, 1976) is an American comic book and television writer, best known for the comic book series '' Y: The Last Man'', '' Ex Machina'', '' Runaways'', ''Pride of Baghdad'', ''Saga'', and '' Paper Girls''. Vaughan was a ...
did a three-issue arc that focused on Batman's created crime persona Matches Malone before Brubaker returned. The next crossover, masterminded by Brubaker and Rucka and titled " Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" saw Bruce Wayne framed for the murder of his girlfriend and nearly abandoning his civilian identity altogether. For issue #600, the series moved into the next phase of Wayne's frame-up and featured three backup stories, which were presented as lost issues never before published from iconic eras in Batman's history. "Mystery of the Black Bat" is presented in the style of
Dick Sprang Richard W. Sprang (July 28, 1915 – May 10, 2000)Richard Sprang
United States
and "Joker Tips His Hat!" is an homage to the 1960s stories by artists such as
Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...
and
Carmine Infantino Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creat ...
. "The Dark, Groovy, Solid, Far-out, Right-on, and Completely With-it Knight Returns" is a humorous spin on Batman's character trying to update himself into the 1980s, and featured stand-up comedian
Patton Oswalt Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is known as Spence Olchin in the sitcom ''The King of Queens'' (1998–2007) and for narrating the sitcom '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–present) as ...
's comic writing debut. After the frame-up story concluded, Brubaker closed his run with two issues co-written with
Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serve ...
.


2003–2006

Writer
Jeph Loeb Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series '' Smallville'' and ''Lost'', writer for the films ''Commando'' and ''Teen Wolf'', and a writer and ...
and artist
Jim Lee Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
crafted a year-long story which began with issue #608. The "
Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi * ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...
" storyline was a murder mystery that delved through numerous periods in Batman's history. This storyline introduced a new character that was the story's namesake, as well as redefining the Riddler, healing
Harvey Dent Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in '' Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batma ...
and calling into question the events surrounding
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in '' Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partn ...
's death. Following the conclusion of ''Hush'', the creative team of the
Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
series '' 100 Bullets'' came aboard for a six-issue arc titled "
Broken City ''Broken City'' is a 2013 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Allen Hughes and written by Brian Tucker. Mark Wahlberg stars as a police officer turned private investigator and Russell Crowe as the mayor of New York City who hires ...
". Writer
Judd Winick Judd Winick (born February 12, 1970) is an American cartoonist, comic book writer and screenwriter, as well as a former reality television personality. He first gained fame for his stint on MTV's ''The Real World: San Francisco'' in 1994, before f ...
became the ongoing writer for the series and in a story titled " Under the Hood", explained that Jason Todd had actually returned from the dead long ago, and became an anti-hero in Gotham under the guise of the
Red Hood The Red Hood is an alias used by multiple characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The identity was first used in the 1951 storyline "The Man Behind the Red Hood!", which provides the earliest origin story for the Joke ...
. After the ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...
'' series, all the regular monthly titles of the DC Universe jumped forward in time by one year, depicting the characters in radically different situations and environments than they were in the preceding issues. " Face the Face", was written by James Robinson and saw Batman returning from a year-long overseas journey that retraced the steps he took after initially leaving Gotham City in his youth and featured the return of James Gordon to the role of Gotham City Police Commissioner.


2006–2009

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, w ...
began their long-form ''Batman'' narrative in issue #655. The first story, "
Batman and Son "Batman and Son" is a 2006 comic book story arc featuring the DC Comics character Batman. Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Andy Kubert, the story was published in four parts in the comic book '' Batman'' starting in #655 and ending in #658. ...
", reveals that Wayne is the father of a child named
Damian Damian ( la, links=no, Damianus) may refer to: *Damian (given name) *Damian (surname) *Damian Subdistrict, in Longquanyi District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China See also *Damiani, an Italian surname *Damiano (disambiguation) *Damien (disambiguation) *Dam ...
, and attempts to steer the child away from the machinations of his mother,
Talia al Ghul Talia al Ghul ( ar, تاليا الغول; ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The character was created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Bob Brown, and fir ...
. From there, Morrison began an arc that saw an evil influential organization known as the Black Glove attempt to destroy everything Batman is and what he stands for. This culminated in the storyline '' Batman R.I.P.'', where the Black Glove initially succeeds in doing so, but is thwarted by Bruce Wayne's ability to preserve his sane mind while an erratic, alternate personality takes over.Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 333: "Writer Grant Morrison and artist Tony Daniel's run on ''Batman'' reached its climax with the story arc 'R.I.P.'...with the apparent death of Batman." After stopping the Black Glove, Morrison moved Batman into their event series ''
Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely b ...
'', where Batman appears to be killed by
Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...
. In actuality, he was transported to the distant past and stranded there.
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
wrote issue #686, which was the first part of a two-part story titled '' Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?'' It served as a quasi-send off to a generation of Batman stories, intended to come off similarly to what
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...
's '' Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?'' did for
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
prior to the conclusion of ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...
''. The story continued into an issue of ''Detective Comics''. After this, the main ''Batman'' series went on hiatus while the ''
Battle for the Cowl "Batman: Battle for the Cowl" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC comics, consisting of an eponymous, three issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in ...
'' miniseries would have
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics' ...
assume the role of Batman in the wake of Bruce Wayne's disappearance from the present day DC Universe. Grant Morrison stayed involved in writing Batman, but moved to a new series titled '' Batman and Robin'', which followed the exploits of Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as the new Robin. Writer
Judd Winick Judd Winick (born February 12, 1970) is an American cartoonist, comic book writer and screenwriter, as well as a former reality television personality. He first gained fame for his stint on MTV's ''The Real World: San Francisco'' in 1994, before f ...
temporarily returned to the title for Grayson's first solo arc as Batman, before handing the writing and art duties off to
Tony Daniel Tony S. Daniel, is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on various books for DC Comics, including ''Teen Titans'', '' Flash: The Fastest Man Alive'', and ''Batman''and ''Deathstroke'' and '' Nocterra'' as well as many othe ...
.


2010s

Daniel remained the main writer on the series until issue #699. The title reached a milestone with the publication of ''Batman'' #700 (August 2010), which saw the return of Grant Morrison to the title and a collaboration with an art team that consisted of Daniel,
Frank Quitely Vincent Patrick Deighan (born 1968), better known by the pen name Frank Quitely, is a Scottish comic book artist. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison on titles such as '' New X-Men'', ''We3'', '' All-Star Supe ...
,
Andy Kubert Andrew Kubert (; born February 27, 1962) is an American comics artist, letterer and writer. He is the son of Joe Kubert and brother of Adam Kubert, both of whom are also artists, and the uncle of comics editor Katie Kubert. He is a graduate of an ...
, and David Finch. The separate stories tied together to illustrate that the legacy of Batman is unending, and will survive into the furthest reaches of time. Morrison stayed on as writer on the series through issue #702, while simultaneously writing the ''Batman and Robin'' series and ''
The Return of Bruce Wayne ''Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne'' is a 6-issue American comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by DC Comics beginning in May to November 2010, written by Grant Morrison and featuring a team of rotating artists starting wi ...
'' miniseries. Tony Daniel resumed writing and art duties with issue #704. Even after Bruce Wayne's return, Dick Grayson remained the star of this title through its final year, as well as being the main character in ''Batman and Robin'' and ''Detective Comics''. Bruce Wayne starred in two new titles, ''
Batman Incorporated Batman Incorporated (also known as Batman, Inc.) was an ongoing American comic book series published by DC Comics, featuring the superhero Batman. Written by Grant Morrison, the series debuted following the events of ''Batman R.I.P'', '' Final ...
'' and '' Batman: The Dark Knight''. On June 1, 2011, it was announced that all series taking place within the shared
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
would be either cancelled or relaunched with new #1 issues, after a new continuity was created in the wake of the '' Flashpoint'' event. ''Batman'' was no exception, and the first issue of the new series was released on September 21, 2011.


''The New 52''

DC Comics relaunched ''Batman'' with issue #1 in September 2011, written by
Scott Snyder Scott Snyder is an American author. He is known for his 2006 short story collection ''Voodoo Heart'', and his comic book writing, including ''American Vampire'', ''Detective Comics'', ''Batman (comic book)#The New 52, Batman'', ''Wytches (comics) ...
and drawn by
Greg Capullo Gregory Capullo (; born March 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on ''Quasar'' (1991–1992), '' X-Force'' (1992–1993), ''Angela'' (1994), ''Spawn'' (1993–2000, 2003–2004) and ''Batman'' (2011 ...
, as part of DC's company-wide title relaunch, ''
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
''. As with all of the books associated with the DC relaunch, Bruce Wayne appears to be about five years younger than the previous incarnation of the character. Superheroes at large have appeared only in the past five years, and are viewed with, at best, suspicion, and, at worst, outright hostility. All of the characters that have served as Robin, except Stephanie Brown, have been accounted for as still having served at Batman's side in the new continuity. The stories build on recent developments, with most of the character's previous history remaining intact, and Bruce Wayne is again the only Batman, with Dick Grayson having returned to his role as
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
. The first story arc of the title, "The Court of Owls", focuses on Batman's discovery of a secret society in Gotham City that he had never known about before, dating back to the time of Gotham's founding and his ancestor Alan Wayne, and his battles against the Talons, the agents of the Court of Owls. This led to the first major ''New 52'' crossover, "
Night of the Owls "Batman: Night of the Owls" is a comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics in mid-2012, and featuring the Batman family of characters. Primarily written by Scott Snyder, the arc is the first major crossover storyline of The New 52. Th ...
". The finale of the story sees Thomas Wayne Jr. as the head Talon of the Court of Owls in Gotham. The second arc was named " Death of the Family", a name-play on the " Batman: A Death in the Family". It picked up on the cliffhanger involving the Joker from Tony Daniel's run on ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
''. ''Talon'', a spin-off of the "Court of Owls" storyline, launched in September 2012 and focused on a rogue Talon from the Court. After a storyline involving
Clayface Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them have been depicted as List of Bat ...
and a one-shot dealing with the aftermath of "Death of the Family", Snyder's next arc was " Batman: Zero Year". This followed up on ''Batman'' #0 and retold how Bruce Wayne became Batman, not done since
Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...
's " Batman: Year One". The "
Endgame Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to: Film * ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film) * ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film * ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...
" storyline ran from October 2014 to April 2015, and concluded with the apparent deaths of both Batman and the Joker. James Gordon, having taken on the Batman mantle, became the main character of the series in June 2015. In the "Superheavy" storyline, Gordon encounters a new supervillain,
Mr. Bloom Mr. Bloom is a supervillain that appears in Batman comics, debuting in ''Batman #43'' in 2015. Mr. Bloom's creators, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, referred to him as the anti-Joker. After the character's 2015 appearances, he appeared again in ...
, who is distributing various seed-like devices that grant their users extraordinary superpowers at the cost of their lives to select few individuals. It is also revealed that Bruce Wayne is alive, with no memories of his previous life, and has started dating
Julie Madison Julie Madison is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character first appeared in '' Detective Comics'' #31 (September 1939) and was created by Ga ...
. With Gordon unable to subdue Bloom, Bruce begins to regain his memories and realizes that he is Batman. Using a machine that Batman planned to use to implant his memories into clones to continue his lineage, he regains his memories and becomes Batman again. With Gordon's help, he takes down Bloom. Gordon is made Commissioner of the GCPD once again following issue #50.


''DC Rebirth''

As part of ''
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the D ...
'', Batman was relaunched with a ''Batman: Rebirth'' one-shot issue and began shipping twice-monthly, starting with ''Batman'' (vol. 3) #1 in June 2016 (cover dated Aug. 2016). The series is written by Tom King and drawn by David Finch and Mikel Janín. The series saw the introduction of two vigilantes, Gotham and Gotham Girl, and reintroduced the romance between Batman and Catwoman. During King's run, the series explored Batman's psychological aspects, made Bane its main antagonist, and celebrated Batman and Catwoman's relationship in a long-running story arc that involved many mini-arcs. These mini-arcs included "I Am Gotham", "Night of the Monster Men", "I Am Suicide", "I Am Bane", "The War of Jokes and Riddles", "The Rules of Engagement", "The Wedding", "Cold Days", "Knightmares", "The Fall and the Fallen", and "City of Bane". The series returned to being shipped monthly in January 2020, with Tom King leaving the book with issue #85 for a 12-issue maxiseries titled ''Batman/Catwoman'', in order to conclude his Batman story. In issue #77, Bane killed Alfred,Bruce's long-time butler and father figure. Starting with ''Batman'' (vol. 3) #86,
James Tynion IV James Tynion IV (born December 14, 1987) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his work on the Batman franchise at DC Comics, his DC Black Label series ''The Nice House on the Lake'' and his independent series '' Department of ...
became the main writer of the title.


2020s


''Infinite Frontier''

Following Tynion's departure from DC Comics, Joshua Williamson, who previously wrote the backup story in issue #106, briefly became the new head writer in December 2021 starting with issue #118.
Chip Zdarsky Steve Murray (born December 21, 1975), known by the pen-name Chip Zdarsky, is a Canadian comic book artist and writer, journalist, illustrator and designer. He has also used the pseudonym Todd Diamonte. He worked for ''National Post'' for over a ...
then became the head writer with artist Jorge Jimenez returning after having previously illustrated parts of Tynion's run. Their run began with issue #125, which released on July 5, 2022 and started with "Failsafe", a six-issue story arc.


''Annuals''

The ''Batman'' series has had ''Annuals'' published beginning in 1961. Seven issues of ''Batman Annual'' were published from 1961–1964. An additional 17 issues were published from 1982 to 2000 and the numbering continued from the 1961 series. Writer Mike W. Barr and artist
Trevor Von Eeden Trevor Von Eeden (born July 24, 1959) is a Guyanese-American comics artist, actor and writer known for his work on such titles as ''Black Lightning'', ''Batman'', ''Green Arrow'', '' Power Man and Iron Fist'', and the biographical series ''The Orig ...
crafted ''Batman Annual'' #8 (1982) and Von Eeden has noted that it is "the book I’m most proud of, in my 25 year career at DC Comics. I was able to ink it myself, and also got my girlfriend at the time,
Lynn Varley {{Infobox comics creator , name = Lynn Varley , image = , imagesize = , caption = , birth_name = , birth_date = , birth_place = Michigan, United States , death_date = , death_place = , nationality = American , write = , pencil = , i ...
, to colour it - her first job in comics." Four more ''Annuals'' were published from 2006 to 2011, again with the numbering continued from the previous series. In 2012, a new ''Annual'' series was begun with a #1 issue.


Maturity of the content

The first stories appearing in the ''Batman'' comic book were written by
Bill Finger Milton "Bill" Finger (February 8, 1914 – January 18, 1974) was an American comic strip, comic book, film and television writer who was the co-creator (with Bob Kane) of the DC Comics character Batman. Despite making major (sometimes, signatu ...
and illustrated by
Bob Kane Robert Kane (born Robert Kahn ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created Batman (with Bill Finger) and most early related characters for DC comics. He was inducted into the comi ...
, though Finger went uncredited for years thereafter. These early stories depicted a vengeful Batman, not hesitant to kill when he saw it as a necessary sacrifice. In one of the early stories, he is depicted using a gun and metal bat to stop a group of giant assailants and again with a group of average criminals. The Joker, a psychopath who is notorious for using a special toxin called Joker venom that kills and mutilates his victims, remains one of the most prolific and notorious Batman villains created in this time period. By the end of the Joker's second appearance in the series, Batman has, since his debut in 'Detective Comics' killed round nineteen people and one vampire in all, with the Joker having killed only thirteen people, and Robin one. Later, during the Silver Age, this type of supervillain changed from disturbing psychological assaults to the use of amusing gimmicks. Typically, the primary challenges that the Batman faced in this era were derived from villains who were purely evil; however, by the 1970s, the motivations of these characters, including obsessive-compulsion, child abuse, and environmental fanaticism, were being explored more thoroughly. Batman himself also underwent a transformation and became a much less one-dimensional character, struggling with deeply rooted internal conflicts. Although not canonical,
Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...
's ''
The Dark Knight Returns ''The Dark Knight Returns'' (alternatively titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'') is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson, with color by Lynn Varley, and pub ...
'' introduced a significant evolution of the Batman's character in his eponymous series; he became uncompromising and relentless in his struggle to revitalize Gotham. The Batman often exhibited behavior that Gotham's elite labeled as excessively violent, as well as antisocial tendencies. This aspect of the Batman's personality was also toned down considerably in the wake of the DC-wide crossover ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...
'', wherein Batman experienced a nervous breakdown and reconsidered his philosophy and approaches to his relationships. Currently, the Batman's attributes and personality are said to have been greatly influenced by the traditional characterization by
Dennis O'Neil Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...
and
Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Supe ...
' portrayals during the 1970s, although hints of the Miller interpretation appear in certain aspects of his character.


Significant issues


First appearances


Collected editions


''Batman'' (1940–2011)


''The New 52'' (2011–2016)


''DC Rebirth'' (2016–2021)


''Infinite Frontier'' (2021–present)


''Batman'' (collected with ''Detective Comics'')

* ''
The Batman Chronicles ''The Batman Chronicles'' is a series of comics published by DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comic ...
'' ** Volume 1 includes ''Batman'' #1, 192 pages, April 2005, ** Volume 2 includes ''Batman'' #2-3, 224 pages, September 2006, ** Volume 3 includes ''Batman'' #4-5, 192 pages, May 2007, ** Volume 4 includes ''Batman'' #6-7, 224 pages, October 2007, ** Volume 5 includes ''Batman'' #8-9, 192 pages, April 2008, ** Volume 6 includes ''Batman'' #10-11, 192 pages, October 2008, ** Volume 7 includes ''Batman'' #12-13, 192 pages, March 2009, ** Volume 8 includes ''Batman'' #14-15, 192 pages, October 2009, ** Volume 9 includes ''Batman'' #16-17, 160 pages, March 2010, ** Volume 10 includes ''Batman'' #18-19, 168 pages, December 2010, ** Volume 11 includes ''Batman'' #20-21, 168 pages, January 2013, * ''Batman: The Dynamic Duo
Archives An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...
'' ** Volume 1 includes ''Batman'' #164-167, 240 pages, March 2003, ** Volume 2 includes ''Batman'' #168-171, 216 pages, June 2006, * ''
Showcase Presents ''Showcase Presents'' was a line of black-and-white paperback books published by DC Comics (from 2005 - 2016) at an average rate of two per month. Much like Marvel Comics' '' Essential Marvel'' volumes, each book usually included over 500 pages of ...
: Batman'' ** Volume 1 includes ''Batman'' #164-174, 552 pages, August 2006, ** Volume 2 includes ''Batman'' #175-188, 512 pages, June 2007, ** Volume 3 includes ''Batman'' #189-201, 552 pages, June 2008, ** Volume 4 includes ''Batman'' #202-215, 520 pages, July 2009, ** Volume 5 includes ''Batman'' #216-228, 448 pages, December 2011, ** Volume 6 includes ''Batman'' #229-244, 584 pages, January 2016, * ''Tales of the Batman:
Don Newton Don Newton (November 12, 1934 – August 19, 1984) was an American comics artist. During his career, he worked for a number of comic book publishers including Charlton Comics, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics. He is best known for his work on The Phan ...
'', collects ''Batman'' #305-306, 328; ''Detective Comics'' #480, 483-497; and ''The Brave and the Bold'' #153, 156, and 165, 360 pages, December 2011, * ''Tales of the Batman:
Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...
Volume One'', collects ''Batman'' #340, 343-345, 348-351 and ''Detective Comics'' #510, 512, 517, 523, 528-529, 288 pages, August 2011,


Batman-wide crossovers

These are crossovers that include most—if not all—of the Batman-related titles published at the time. * ''Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus'' includes ''Batman'' #219, 232, 234, 237, 243-245, 251, 255, 640 pages, March 15, 2016, * '' Batman: Knightfall'' ** ''Part One: Broken Bat'' collects ''Batman'' #491-497 and ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #659-663, 272 pages, September 1993, ** ''Part Two: Who Rules the Night'' collects ''Batman'' #498-500, ''Detective Comics'' #664-666, '' Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' #16-18, and stories from ''Showcase '93'' #7-8; 288 pages, September 1993, ** ''Part Three: KnightsEnd'' collects ''Batman'' #509-510, ''Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' #29-30, ''Detective Comics'' #676-677, '' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight'' #62-63, and ''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #12; 304 pages, June 1995, ) * '' Batman: Prodigal'' includes ''Batman'' #512-514, 288 pages, January 1998, * '' Batman: Contagion'' includes ''Batman'' #529, 264 pages, April 1996, * '' Batman: Legacy'' includes ''Batman'' #534-535, 224 pages, February 1997, * '' Batman: Cataclysm'' includes ''Batman'' #553-554, 320 pages, June 1999, * '' Batman: No Man's Land'' ** Volume 1 includes ''Batman'' #563-566, 544 pages, December 2011, ** Volume 2 includes ''Batman'' #567-568, 512 pages, April 2012, ** Volume 3 includes ''Batman'' #569-571, 480 pages, August 2012, ** Volume 4 includes ''Batman'' #572-574, 552 pages, December 2012, * ''Batman: Officer Down'' includes ''Batman'' #587, 168 pages, August 2001, * ''Batman: False Faces'' includes ''Batman'' #588-590, 160 pages, March 2009, * ''Batman: Bruce Wayne, Murderer?'' includes ''Batman'' #599-600, 264 pages, August 2002, * ''Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive'' ** Volume 1 includes ''Batman'' #601 and #603, 160 pages, December 2002, ** Volume 2 includes ''Batman'' #605, 176 pages, March 2003, ** Volume 3 includes ''Batman'' #606-607, 176 pages, October 2003, ) * '' Batman: War Games'' ** ''Act One - Outbreak'' includes ''Batman'' #631, 208 pages, March 2005, ** ''Act Two - Tides'' includes ''Batman'' #632, 192 pages, July 2005, ** ''Act Three - Endgame'' includes ''Batman'' #633, 200 pages, October 2005, * '' Batman: War Crimes'' includes ''Batman'' 643-644, 128 pages, February 2006, *'' Batman: Face the Face'' includes ''Batman'' #651-654 and ''Detective Comics'' #817-820, 192 pages, September 2006, * '' Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul'' includes ''Batman Annual'' #26, ''Batman'' #670-671, '' Robin'' #168-169, ''Robin Annual'' #7, ''
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
'' #138-139, and ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #838-839), 256 pages, May 2009, * '' Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?'' includes ''Batman'' #686; ''Detective Comics'' #853; ''Secret Origins'' #36; ''Secret Origins Special'' #1; and ''Batman: Black and White'' #2, 128 pages, July 2009, * ''Batman: Gotham Shall Be Judged'' includes ''
Azrael Azrael (; , 'God has helped'; ) is the angel of death in some Abrahamic religions, namely Islam, Christian popular culture and some traditions of Judaism. He is also referenced in Sikhism. Relative to similar concepts of such beings, Azrael ...
'' #14-18, ''Batman'' #708-709, ''
Red Robin Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
'' #22 and '' Gotham City Sirens'' #22, 200 pages, April 2012,


With non-Batman titles

* ''A Lonely Place of Dying'': collects ''Batman'' #440-442 and ''The New Titans'' #60-61, 116 pages, February 1990,


See also

*
List of Batman comics Batman has been featured in many ongoing series, miniseries, maxiseries, one-shot issues, graphic novels, trade paperbacks and intercompany crossovers published by DC Comics. These titles have been handled or coordinated through a single edit ...
*
List of DC Comics publications A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
The Flash (comic book) ''The Flash'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. Throughout its publication, the series has primarily focused on two characters who have worn the mantle of the Flash: Barry Allen, the s ...
*
Green Lantern (comic book) ''Green Lantern'' is an ongoing American comic-book series featuring the DC Comics heroes of the Green Lantern, same name. The character's first incarnation, Alan Scott, appeared in ''All-American Comics'' #16 (July 1940), and was later spun off ...
*
Superman (comic book) ''Superman'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero Superman as its main protagonist. Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book ''Action Comics'' # ...
*
Wonder Woman (comic book) ''Wonder Woman'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero Wonder Woman and occasionally other superheroes as its protagonist. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' #8 ( cover dated December 1941), l ...


References


External links

*
''Batman''
an
''Batman'' vol. 2
at Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics

for 1960 at The Comics Chronicles {{Infinite Frontier 1940 comics debuts 2011 comics endings 2011 comics debuts 2016 comics endings 2016 comics debuts Comics by Alan Grant (writer) Comics by Brian Azzarello Comics by Dennis O'Neil Comics by Doug Moench Comics by Ed Brubaker Comics by Frank Miller (comics) Comics by Gardner Fox Comics by Grant Morrison Comics by Jeph Loeb Comics by Jim Lee Comics by Jim Starlin Comics by Len Wein Comics by Marv Wolfman Comics by Scott Snyder Comics by Tom King (writer) Golden Age comics titles de:Batman (Comicserien)#Batman