Since the success of his 1966 TV series, Batman has become the face of DC Comics, especially when it comes to their publishing schedule. Over the past few decades, the character has achieved an unrivaled sales dominance in the comic book industry, serving as the focus of most of DC’s crossovers, events and initiatives. This was especially true in the company’s Black Label initiative, which combined the creative freedom of Vertigo with the out-of-continuity stories of Elseworlds.
Black Label has focused on a variety of characters, such as Superman, Wonder Woman and Quest, but it’s hard to deny Batman’s leading status of the imprint. Not only was the character responsible for the line’s debut miniseries, but entire self-contained universes were spun out of the imprint for the Dark Knight. Readers are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding a great Black Label Batman comic – and these titles prove it.
15
Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child
Frank Miller and Raphael Grampa
Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Dark Knight Returns is remembered as one of the greatest stories in Batman history. It also spawned a long list of sequels and spin-offs, with The Golden Child Serve as the most recent of the adventures. The one-shot follows a future, dystopian Gotham City, where Wayne has seemingly retired for good, and a new generation of heroes have taken his place. Focusing on a new trinity formed by Kerry Kelly as Batwoman, Jonathan Kent as the Golden Child and Lara Kent, the story follows the heroes defending Gotham from a team-up between Darkseid and Joker.
The Golden Child Wasn’t the best follow-up to the Millerverse, and suffered many of the same criticisms as Superman: Year One. However, it allows Frank Miller the opportunity to put his own spin on a brand new generation of heroes, moving beyond Bruce Wayne and into a new future. Featuring one of comics’ weirdest villain team-ups, this story is worth a read.
14
Batman/Catwoman
Tom King and Clay Man
Continuing on Tom King’s work on the bat/cat relationship, Batman/Catwoman Alternates between the early days of their relationship and the present day. With Selina portrayed as a bit more morally compromised in her past, things get complicated when Joker shows up, dredging up their shared history in the process. Their daughter, Helen, who has taken on the mantle of Batwoman, is caught in the shed.
Batman/Catwoman Explores the moral nuances of the couple’s relationship, and shows how Selina’s troubled past may be buried, but it’s not gone. Through Tom King’s signature writing style, the series is as much a deconstruction of the Bat/Cat relationship as it is a look at the lasting impact of past actions and how they ripple through time.
13
Joker: Killer Smile and Batman: The Smile Killer
Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino
Joker: Killer smile Follows a psychiatrist, Dr. Ben Arnell, who tries to understand Joker in the hopes of treating his psychopathy. However, as his sessions with the Clown Prince of Crime progress, the man begins to question his own sanity, especially as the Russians Influence continues to affect him at home as the story continues, readers are led on a descent into madness as Arnell’s mind deteriorates, signaling a key victory for the Joker.
Joker: Killer smile is followed with Batman: The Smile KillerWhich made the story even worse. The one-shot follows Bruce Wayne as he wakes up in Arkham Asylum, where he realizes that due to the influence of an evil television show he watched as a child, he is losing his grip on reality. The two stories together form one of the best psychologically-themed stories in DC, leading even the reader to question the truth in the tale.
12
Batman vs. Bigby: A Werewolf in Gotham
Bill Willingham and Brian Level
Batman vs. Bigby Unites the worlds of Gotham City and Bill Willingham’s Fables in a brilliant, magical-themed creature feature that sees Bigby the Werewolf clash with the Caped Crusader. The story initially focuses on Batman’s investigation of a series of brutal murders, seemingly the work of a monstrous creature. When he crosses paths with Bigby, he naturally suspects the big bad wolf of being responsible, causing a fight. After explaining himself, the wolf is able to form an alliance with the Dark Knight, explaining that he is trying to recover a missing artifact.
Batman vs. Bigby Makes for a great crossover, with Willingham turning in some of his most action-packed writing, as well as a great fairytale adventure. Blending elements of both series together, the mini-series stands out as one of Black Label’s most satisfying stories, which isn’t as gritty as other Black Label books.
11
Batman: Damn
Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo
in 2018, Batman: Damn Ushered in the Black Label imprint, tells a story where an injured Batman learns of the death of Joker – and is forced to question whether he is responsible. Along with John Constantine, Bruce Wayne delves into his past, revealing previous encounters with Enchantress that could have lasting effects on the hero’s mind and soul.
Batman: Damn Takes readers on an exploration of the spiritual side of Batman’s career, exploring everything from his childhood and the fate of his parents to the limitations of his moral code. Leaving the reader on a note of ambiguity, the series deserves a read, if only for being Black Label’s inaugural book – and Bermejo’s art does justice to Azzarello’s dark story.
10
Batman: Reptilian
Garth Ennis and Liam Sharp
Batman: Reptilian Begins with the mass murder of Batman’s brother-in-law’s gallery, and sees everyone from Joker and Riddler to Penguin killed in brutal fashion. After realizing a connection between the culprit and Killer Croc, the Caped Crusader joins forces with his last surviving villain, revealing that they are against his mutant offspring. Heading into the sewers beneath Gotham, the pair try to put an end to the monster before it can do more harm.
Batman: Reptilian Stands out as one of the most surreal reading experiences in recent memory, with Sharp’s painterly art style bringing Ennis’ creepy creature feature story to life. For readers who want to experience an old school Batman with a dark sense of humor as he clashes with a giant monster, this series is perfect.
9
Batman: The Imposter
Mattson Tomlin and Andrea Sorrentino
Batman: The Imposter Serves as a prelude to Matt Reeves’ 2022 film The Batman. Set in the early days of Bruce Wayne’s career as the Caped Crusader, the story follows an imposter Batman, one who uses the cape and cowl to commit murder. As he investigates the crimes in his vigilante persona, Bruce Wayne also meets and befriends a GCPD detective, later forming an imperfect romance with her.
Batman: The Imposter Made for one of DC’s few excellent movie tie-ins, especially thanks to its character study of Bruce Wayne and how it handles his attempt at forming a relationship. For those who read it before the film, they understood that they were in for a different type of Batman, one defined by his imperfections and a grounded connection to his story.
8
Batman: City of Madness
Christian Ward
Batman: City of Madness Reveals the existence of a nightmarish city, Gotham Below, a dark reflection of the main city fueled by the worst fears and darkest thoughts of those above. As the caped crusader explores the haunted world, he encounters the Bat-Thing, a terrifying version of himself that lives in the depths of the city. When Gotham proper is threatened, the hero is forced to confront his inner demons to defeat the monster.
Batman: City of Madness Wears his HP Lovecraft influences on his sleeve, playing up the idea of ​​cosmic horror as the backdrop for his Batman story. If this brilliant miniseries has one message, it’s the fact that people create their own demons – and those demons haunt them as long as they’re allowed to establish excuses.
7
Batman: One Dark Knight
Jock
Batman: One Dark Knight Follows the hero as he tries to transport the villainous EMP across Gotham City when his powers cause a major blackout. With the city carved into gang territory, the Caped Crusader does his best to move the prisoner amid threats, but the onslaught of criminals proves particularly dangerous.
One Dark Knight Is the unique creation of artist Jock, as he borrows from classic movies like The Gauntlet And 16 blocks To fully explore the dangers of Gotham from Earth. Showcasing some of the artist’s best work, the series gives readers an ultra-violent trek across DC’s most dangerous city, leading them to question whether the hero will even survive the ordeal.
6
Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham
Rafael Grampa
Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham Follow the hero as he investigates a series of gruesome murders in Gotham, all tracing back to a killer known as the Gargoyle. As his investigation deepens, the Caped Crusader begins to understand a deep connection between Gotham’s history and an evil cult known as the Order of the Gargoyle. With the city seemingly on the brink of collapse, the gargoyle made his presence known as a way to bring back order from the chaos.
Gargoyle of Gotham Borrowing from several classic chapters of Batman history, it blends the secret society aspect of the Court of Owls with the character’s gothic horror roots. The story sees Bruce Wayne’s mission taken to extremes, challenging the effect he has on the city.
5
The Bat-Man: First Knight
Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins
The Bat-Man: First Knight A throwback to Golden Age Batman stories, explore a 1930s-era Dark Knight as he investigates a string of murders in Gotham. With tensions in society rising as America teeters on the brink of World War II, the world’s greatest detective tracks down the villain known as the First Knight, who represents America’s turmoil.
The Bat-Man: First Knight Makes for a brilliant blend of period drama and murder mystery, exploring the darkness of its 1930s setting as an inexperienced Wayne uncovers a conspiracy. When it comes to both love characters from the Golden Age and a good detective story, it doesn’t get much better than this for Batman.
4
Batman: Last Knight on Earth
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
As the Black Label conclusion to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s term on Batman, Last night on earth Completes the story first hinted at in the New 52s Detective Comics #27. Following a young clone of Bruce Wayne in a post-apocalyptic world, the miniseries takes readers on a tour of the new wasteland, from ongoing wars for resources to the fate of Superman. With a powerful villain known as Omega looming over the story, the young Batman teams up with the dismembered head of the Joker in a lantern, later joining forces with Wonder Woman and the remnants of the Bat-Family.
Last night on earth is one of the best post-apocalyptic comics in recent memory, continuously forcing readers to ask how the world ended – only to answer them in gruesome fashion. The story goes through the gritty tone of Snyder and Capullo’s New 52 tenure on the character, concluding on an oddly hopeful note.
3
Batman & Joker: Deadly Duo
Mark Silvestri
Batman and Joker: Deadly Duo Follows the unlikely team-up between the eponymous rivals, as they are forced to investigate the kidnappings of two people close to them: Jim Gordon and Harley Quinn. Despite some reservations about the partnership, the Caped Crusader allows his enemy to join, realizing that their history together is an asset. The mystery reveals a villain who has created a monstrous batch of Joker clones, using them to attack the new dynamic duo.
Deadly Duo Offers a fresh perspective on the war between Batman and Joker, highlighting the fallout of their violence and the overlooked victims. The story itself uses elements of classic detective stories like Se7en, casting the couple at the center of a particularly grim kidnapping story.
2
Batman: Three Jokers
Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok
Batman: Three Jokers Serves as a sequel to Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s seminal Batman: The Killing Jokeand explores the idea that there are actually three different Jokers in Gotham. After realizing that the trio of clowns have teamed up, the Bat family are forced to revisit their own traumatic histories with the characters, with Jason Todd being tortured by one and Barbara Gordon confronting the horrors she endured from another.
Batman: Three Jokers is a great sequel to Moore’s original story, delving deeper into the psychological impact of Joker on Bruce Wayne and his loved ones. The mini-series highlights just how dangerous the ’88 version of the character is, and the emotional toll he has taken on the world of Gotham.
1
Batman: White Knight
Sean Gordon Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth
Sean Gordon Murphy White Knight Universe stands out as one of the biggest things from the Black Label initiative. The first 2017 series follows a brutal encounter where the Dark Knight force feeds Joker a fistful of antipsychotic drugs, reverting the villain to his previous self, Jack Napier. The now-sane criminal reforms, launching a career in public office and dedicating his service to bringing Batman to justice.
Although the original series was not published under the Black Label imprint, the sequels have since made the books a fixture of the initiative, and the MurphyVerse is its de facto flagship universe. The books are developing deep into the history of Gotham City and Wayne family history, everything that an alternate continuity should be – and Murphy’s artwork makes it more iconic.