10 Best Batman Post-Crisis Comic Stories, Ranked

After the Anti-Monitor destroyed nearly every universe in the DC multiverse during Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics initiated a soft reboot for their comic titles. DC created subtle changes in its lore and history, and Batman was one of many characters affected. Luckily for DC fans, some of the best Batman comics of all time came out in the “Post-Crisis” era from 1986-2011, just before Flashpoint launched the New 52.

From the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, to Batman’s revamped origins in “Year One,” then the battle for the cowl after Bruce Wayne’s apparent death in Final Crisis, Batman has starred in some of the best comics of all time, and those aren’t even counting comics that take place outside of DC’s main Post-Crisis continuity.

10 The Death Of Jason Todd’s Robin

DC Comics didn’t take long to show readers that this Post-Crisis world was far darker than the DC Universe that Crisis on Infinite Earths left behind. Gone were the whimsical adventures of the Golden and Silver Ages, replaced by dark stories involving significant losses, such as “A Death in the Family,” which struck a personal blow to the Bat Family.

“A Death in the Family” would become a pivotal moment in Batman’s history, thanks to what happened to Jason Todd. At the time, it highlighted Robin’s importance and why Batman needed a sidekick to pull him back from the abyss.

9 Who Will Become Batman In Bruce Wayne’s Absence?

One of the best Batman comics in the post-Crisis era didn’t even feature Bruce Wayne. Battle for the Cowl was born out of the absence of Bruce Wayne after the hero seemingly died at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis. There was now a bat-shaped hole in Gotham City that members of the Bat-Family jumped to fill.

Damian Wayne considered Batman his birthright, and Red Hood wanted the title for his own selfish purposes. Ultimately, as these things usually go, the title of Batman went to the one person who didn’t want it at all––which ironically made him the most deserving candidate––Dick Grayson.

8 Gotham City Became Even More Dangerous

Gotham City is generally not a very safe place to live. However, after the city suffered massive damage from an earthquake in “Cataclysm,” Batman and the Bat-Family had their hands full cleaning and repairing the city. Batman’s villains took full advantage of the chaos and destruction. Poison Ivy, the Penguin, the Joker, and others each claimed their own slice of the Gotham that remained.

“No Man’s Land” has helped inspire many subsequent Batman stories, from The Dark Knight Rises film to the Batman: Arkham City video game. It’s incredibly influential and highlighted Gotham City’s importance, which is why it was so heartbreaking for Batman to watch it in complete disarray.

7 Bane Breaks The Batman

Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, “Knightfall” was the biggest Batman comic arc. “Knightfall” spanned three volumes and felt like three epic sagas rolled into one––Bane’s slow-burning plan to destroy Batman, Azrael’s misguided ascension as the Dark Knight, and Bruce Wayne’s triumphant return to the cowl.

“Knightfall” is incredibly iconic, from panels like Bane breaking Batman’s back to the centennial Batman #500 issue showcasing Azrael’s new Batman armor. “Knightfall” is one of the best post-Crisis Batman comics and a comic that every Batman fan should read.

6 Grant Morrison’s Iconic Batman Comic Run

Grant Morrison loves rewarding longtime DC comic readers. “R.I.P.” reads like a love letter to Batman’s Silver Age adventures while incorporating the dark, gritty elements of Batman comics at the time. The Batman of Zur-en-Arrh was originally a fairly silly concept––a Batman from an alien world.

Morrison reconstructed the concept for this Post-Crisis universe, where the Batman of Zur-en-Arrh was a mental failsafe that Batman created if his mind was compromised. “R.I.P.” examines Batman’s psyche and the toll that being the Dark Knight can take on Bruce Wayne.

5 World’s Finest In Their Finest Comic Series

After Jeph Loeb created one of the best Batman comics of all time with “Hush,” DC placed him on what would quickly become one of their best titles, Superman/Batman. Like all the World’s Finest titles before it, Superman/Batman starred the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight.

The action or novelty of Superman and Batman sharing a comic title wasn’t what was most appealing about Superman/Batman. Loeb’s series delved into the relationship between Bruce and Clark. Why would the Last Son of Krypton and the World’s Greatest Detective be friends? Why does their friendship specifically make them the World’s Finest?

4 Dick Grayson Dons Batman’s Cape & Cowl

Batman and Robin was one of the last Batman comic titles DC published before Flashpoint restarted the DC Universe once again. Bruce Wayne had been absent in comics for quite a while, and his absence created a power struggle in the Bat-Family that led to some of the best Batman stories of all time,including Batman and Robin (Vol. 1).

The series starred Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin. This Dynamic Duo were truly brothers, bound by the legend of Batman, and their progression from adversaries to friends and partners was one of the best character developments in Batman history.

3 The New Batman Origin Story

Shortly after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, fans began to ask questions about the status quo of this post-Crisis DC Universe. Comic arcs like John Byrne’s Man of Steel and Frank Miller’s “Year One” answered those questions by presenting new, updated versions of Superman and Batman’s origins that would become their new foundations until the New 52 reboot.

“Year One” grounded Batman’s origins in reality. It showed how a man could adopt the Batman persona and realistically use it to strike fear in criminals in a place like Gotham. “Year One” also showed early progression for Jim Gordon, establishing his partnership with Batman.

2 Who Was The Joker Before Ace Chemicals?

Frank Miller’s “Year One” answered questions surrounding Batman’s origins in the Post-Crisis DC Universe… but what about the Joker? Alan Moore, another of DC’s legendary writers at the time, wrote Batman: The Killing Joke, a graphic novel that still unofficially serves as the Joker’s origin to this day.

The Killing Joke alluded to who the Joker was before he fell into that vat of chemicals––a failed comedian struggling to provide for his wife. The Killing Joke cemented the Joker’s origins after Crisis on Infinite Earths, leaving plenty of room for ambiguity and uncertainty involving the legitimacy of these events in the Joker’s backstory.

1 Jeph Loeb & Jim Lee’s Legendary Batman Comic

“Hush” highlights writer Jeph Loeb, artist Jim Lee, inker Scott Williams and colorist Alex Sinclair at the heights of their powers. Loeb had written amazing Batman stories such as The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, while Lee and company proved they were the top art team in comics at the time. “Hush” was the culmination of their combined talent.

“Hush” reads like a superhero/action film––Batman teams up with Superman, Nightwing, Huntress and Catwoman to battle Joker, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn and a series of his deadliest villains. At the same time, he’s also uncovering the identity of the mysterious new villain Hush.