Batman Is not only the most successful and iconic hero in DC Comics, he also has an equally famous set of villains. Having faced some of the same enemies for eight decades, the Caped Crusader was forced to form temporary alliances with the antagonists for the greater good. Ranging from unwanted members of the Justice League to conflicted characters trying to right their mistakes, some of these unlikely partnerships have made for excellent adventures.
Batman’s team-ups with villains have made for some of​​​​his best adventures, forcing him to balance his quest for justice with the greater good. The stories also bring out the depth and complexities of various villains, exploring the tragic origins and complex motivations that fuel their actions. While some of these stories result in long-term moves to the side of good, most simply explore how pragmatic DC’s villains can be.
10
Justice League #30 (and beyond)
Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke, Scott Hanna, Rod Reis and Dezi Sienty
The New 52 took DC Comics in a new direction for its characters, and the sudden transformation of some villains to the side of good is a good example of the change. One of the most iconic moments of the era Justice League Run came when Lex Luthor arrived at Wayne Manor, where he blackmailed Bruce Wayne into letting him join the League – using his secret identity as Batman as leverage.
His time in the Justice League was transformative for Luthor, even leading to him seemingly changing his stripes for the better by the dawn of DC’s Rebirth era. Seeing the villain confront Wayne with his secret will forever be a highlight of this period of DC, and Luthor has proven to be a valuable asset to the team. The Justice League has housed an interesting array of characters in the past, and Lex showed how much a villain can enrich their stories.
9
Batman: Reptilian
Garth Ennis, Liam Sharp and Rob Steen
Batman: Reptilian Follows the arrival of a monster to Gotham City, where it wipes out Batman’s rogues gallery in one fell swoop. After investigating the murder scene, the Caped Crusader is led to Killer Croc, where he realizes the reptilian villain is not only capable of asexual reproduction, but has spawned the very monster in the sewers. In response, the hero enlists the help of the unsuspecting father to accompany him under the city to defeat the creature.
Related
Batman: Reptilian is a brilliant pairing of creators, with Liam Sharp’s surrealist painted art style accentuating the dark, creature feature tone of Garth Ennis’ writing. The story ends on an action-packed note, with the Dark Knight forced to fight the monster from the inside out – meanwhile, Croc does what he can to help.
8
The Joker War Saga
James Tynion IV, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, Clayton Cowles, and more
During the massive Joker war Crossover event, Batman was forced to take on the Clown Prince of Crime in the aftermath of the villain’s conquest of the city. With the streets plunged into a seemingly endless crime spree, the hero barely survives the onslaught, which leads to him stumbling upon Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, who reluctantly protect and help him.
Batman also teams up with Two-Face on a side adventure, and he seeks the help of Harley Quinn, resulting in the fan-favorite “Bat-tery” moment. This event remains the crown jewel in James Tynion IV’s run on the character, especially with Jorge Jiménez as his sidekick, and delivered readers some instant fan-favorite moments, bringing Harley into the Bat-family fold.
7
Batman #232
Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano and John Costanza
Batman #232 begins with the abduction of Robin, who asks Ra’s al Ghul to search for the Caped Crusader, claiming that his daughter has also been kidnapped. Unaware of the villain’s true nature, Bruce Wayne agrees to accompany him on their globe-trotting journey into dangerous mountains in search of their loved ones. When they reach their destination, Wayne realizes that he has been duped, and that his new ally has tested him to see if he is worthy as a successor to his empire.
Like the introduction to Ra’s Al Ghol, Batman #232 remains one of the best single issues in the hero’s history, building up The Demon’s Head as an intellectual and tactical threat to Wayne. For the majority of the story, the pair work together in what seems like a rescue story, and the final revelation makes the whole issue work even better.
6
Detective Comics Vol. 4: Cold revenge
Peter J. Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, David Baron, Rob Lei, and more
In 2019, writer Peter J. Tomasi’s Detective Comics Run intersected with the year of the villain event with an extended Mr. Freeze story, collected in one edition vi Cold revenge. In the story, Lex Luthor helps Mr. Freeze by reviving Nora so they can be a couple. While the pair initially engage in a crime spree together, Freeze’s desire to turn away from villainy causes a rift between them, with the newly revived Nora enjoying her power. In his desperation, the tragic villain turns to Batman to bring down his wife.
Related
Cold revenge is one of the best Mr Freeze comics since the character’s debut, especially since it answers the question once and for all about what would happen if Nora was revived. Seeing the Caped Crusader partner with his most tragic villain delivered a satisfying tale and remains one of the highlights of Tomasi’s run on the title.
5
Batman: Shut up
Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee and more
Although Catwoman has spent most of her modern existence as Gotham’s resident antihero, most of her best stories still make a point of having her walk the line between crime and heroism. As such, her team-ups with Batman make for some excellent comics, most notably the seminal story Quiet. The story follows the arrival of a new villain with ties to Bruce Wayne’s past who attempts to kill him, with all clues leading back to the Riddler.
Quiet Contains a number of brilliant moments that remain iconic today, most notably Batman fighting a Poison Ivy-controlled Superman – and Catwoman dropping Lois Lane from a building to snap him out of it. This story remains one of the best Bat/Cat tales in DC history and was an inflection point in their relationship.
4
Batman: One bad day – bone
Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter, Tomeu Morey and Steve Wands
Bane has been one of Batman’s most interesting villains since his debut in Batman: Revenge of the train #1 by Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan, Eduardo Barreto, Adrien Roy and Bill Oakley. Rather than a maniacal, unreasoning enemy, he is instead defined by his ambition, intelligence and strength, casting him as a mirror image of the hero. Under DC’s One bad day The line of villain-focused one-shots, Bane was cast in his own tale, which explored his quest to stop the use of the Venom serum to enhance monstrous villains.
Batman and Bane actually have an extensive history of working together, however One bad day Casts them in one of their most action-packed stories to date. Confronted by the threat of out-of-control hulking villains, the pair work together for the greater good, and Bane vows to complete the mission when the hero seemingly perishes. The story ends on a touching note as the redeemed villain learns to move beyond his rivalry with the Bat.
3
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #26-29 – “Inappropriate”
Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain and Steve Wands
Mark Waid and Dan Mora Batman/Superman: The best world series quickly went down with readers as a modern classic thanks to its treatment of arguably the best friendship in superhero comics. In the story arc “impossible” – which is collected in World’s finest vol. 6Set for release in 2025 – the heroes’ fifth dimensional rivals, Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite team up to try and save the world from Doom-Mite, a Darkseid-style villain from their realm.
Related
“Impossible” makes for a great magic-themed team-up story, one that has the world’s finest team partnering with their fifth-dimensional counterparts to save the world. The story also spotlights some lesser-known characters, such as Prince Ra-Man and Doctor Occult, as everyone pulls together to defeat Doom-Mite.
2
Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 9: Dirty the face
James Robinson, Carmine Giandomenico, Stephen Segovia, Ivan Plascencia and Rob Leigh
During his short time writing Detective ComicsJames Robinson did an excellent detective team-up story with Batman and Two-Phase working together. The story revolves around a plot orchestrated by Cobra to attack Gotham City, forcing the Caped Crusader to turn to his old friend, Harvey Dent, for help. With the two competing personalities vying for control, the duality of the complex villain forms a central theme in the story.
“Dephase the Face” explores the dual nature of Two-Phase, highlighting the fact that while the villain may be dominant, Dent’s heroic attributes are still present. The six-issue story gives readers a combination of a good detective story, a nuanced character study, and a climactic, action-packed finale.
1
Batman and the Joker: The Deadly Duo
Marc Silvestri, Arif Prianto and Troy Peteri
Marc Silvestri’s long-awaited Batman comic, Batman and the Joker: The Deadly Duo Follows the uneasy alliance between the Dark Knight and the Joker. The revelation that their respective allies, Jim Gordon and Harley Quinn, have been kidnapped prompts the two rivals to go on a road trip. As the story progresses, the unlikely allies realize that they are pawns in a victim’s game of their never-ending war.
The Deadly Duo Primarily honors one of comics’ greatest rivalries, even going so far as to give the Clown Prince of Crime his own title. Combining the time-honored road trip with a horror tone and emotional finale, the miniseries is everything a Batman It should be funny.