DC Comics made a serious gamble in 2011 when they debuted their New 52 line of comics. The goal of this reboot was to simply the DC universe's complex canon. Many characters had much shorter histories and personalities that did not require new readers to wade through 70 years of comics to understand. For Batman in particular, a streamlining of the canon was an attempt to bring in new fans.

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Like many of DC's reboots, the New 52 did not last. Convergence attempted to introduce certain aspects of the old continuity, and Dark Nights: Death Metal officially made "everything" canon because "everything matters." Despite this fact, certain comics still do not count as "canon" in the main DC universe including Elseworlds, crossovers, certain pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths stories, and stand-alone trade paperbacks. Some of these stories deserve to be canon and would add significantly to the Batman mythos.

10 The Long Halloween Depicted Two-Face's Origin

Batman throwing a smoke grenade in The Long Halloween by DC Comics

DC Comics released Batman: The Long Halloween as a 13-issue limited series between 1996 and 1997. Written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale and Gregory Wright, the story involved Batman trying to solve the murders committed by a criminal who only murdered victims on holidays.

As The Long Halloween set up Harvey Dent to become a career criminal, it also fleshed out Gotham's powerful crime families, the Maronis and Falcones. The Long Halloween succeeded as a story because it made Gotham a complex city of heroes, cops, and district attorneys wrestling with Gotham's supervillains, mobsters, and corrupt system.

Batman investigates a diner in Black and White

Trying to read Batman comics in the 90s and keep all the storylines straight could be a rough task. Multiple books were published weekly featuring Batman and a revolving cast of Gotham characters. DC Comics published Batman: Black and White as a four-issue miniseries in 1996 to allow a variety of writers the chance to tell stand-alone stories outside of canon.

Although the stories remain non-canon, many of them added important facets to Batman. Ted McKeever's story, "Perpetual Mourning," was nominated for an Eisner Award for exploring the effect Batman's cases have on him. Other stories explored Batman's legacy in Gotham, Two-Face's redemption, and a killer with multiple personalities.

Batman asks about the Predator in DC Comics

Batman Versus Predator premiered as a limited series in 1991. Two additional limited series followed in 1993 and 1997. The plot of these books was not complex. Batman fought the villain from The Predator movie series.

What made the books work was the fact that Batman was never going to be an Arnold Schwarzenegger-type protagonist, so the showdown between them pitted a detective against a superhuman killer. The series should be canon because it showed Batman at his best: beating someone far more powerful and dangerous by using his brain. It demonstrated Batman's superiority far better than any Batman vs. Superman battle.

7 DC's Silver Age Presented A Batman Before Bruce Wayne

Batman discovering his father's costume in The First Batman

The Silver Age of comics refers to the years between 1956 and 1970. During this period, superhero comics publishers reinvented their heroes to attempt to gain back readers they had lost after WWII ended. Although many of the Batman comics in this era of history are no longer canon, "The First Batman" should be worked back into DC's main universe.

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"The First Batman" was written in 1956 in Detective Comics #235 by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, and Stan Kaye. Bruce discovered another Batsuit and realized that his father had been Gotham's first Batman. This story should be canon because it connects nicely with the alternate-universe Thomas Wayne of Flashpoint who became Batman after Bruce Wayne was murdered in Crime Alley.

6 Batman '66 Was Not As Ridiculous As The TV Show

Batman, Robin and Alfred in the Batman 66 Batcave in DC Comics

Published in 2013, Batman '66 was supposed to be set in the same world as the 1966 television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo. The comic featured many characters who were mainstays of the television series, including Bookworm, Zelda the Great, and Olga.

Although the comic took place during the television series, it did not feature the over-the-top humor common to the TV show. Instead, it featured the kind of heart-warming relationship between Batman and Robin that helped make the later Batman: Wayne Family Adventures book so successful. These stories could easily fit into the main canon of the DC universe, strengthening the bond Bruce and Dick shared in their earlier adventures.

5 The Hiketeia Was A Wonder Woman Story That Revealed A Lot About Batman

DC Comics' Wonder Woman catches Batman's batarang

Greg Rucka and J.G. Jones created Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia in 2002. The story was meant to be a stand-alone graphic novel for Wonder Woman who undergoes a sacred ritual to protect a young woman. The story revealed that the woman was running from the law after killing the traffickers who had killed her sister.

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As the woman was wanted for murder, Batman was also after her. This put Batman and Wonder Woman on a directly confrontational path. Although the story focused on Wonder Woman, it was equally a story about Batman's integrity and his friendship.

4 Dark Victory Gave Dick Grayson His Best Origin Story

Dick Grayson in Dark Victory being an acrobat

Batman: Dark Victory was released in 1999 and gave Dick Grayson a definitive origin story. As the first Robin, Dick's origin had been told in bits and pieces multiple times throughout the years. But Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale used Dark Victory to illustrate what a change Robin made in Batman's life.

This story was later made non-canon by the events of Robin: Year One. But Dick's skill in translating clues that Batman was unable to figure out due to their greatly different childhoods makes this story an essential look at how a well-written Robin compliments Batman.

3 Joe Chill Met Batman And Vengeance

Bruce Wayne confronts Joe Chill

Most of the earliest Batman stories no longer count as canon because Batman's character has been severely rewritten. In 1947, Batman #47 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Charles Paris depicted the origins of Batman for the first time and should have remained the definitive Batman origin.

In the story, Batman discovered that Joe Chill was the man who murdered his parents. Batman went to confront him, and in the confrontation, Batman revealed that Chill had been the reason for Bruce becoming Batman. Chill escaped long enough to find his henchmen for protection. Upon hearing that Chill was the reason for Batman's creation, the henchmen sought vengeance and murdered Chill.

2 Wayne Family Adventures Portrayed A Healthy Bat Family

Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Cass Cain in Wayne Family Adventures

Beginning in 2021, DC partnered with Webtoon to publish a digital comic series staring the Bat Family called Batman: Wayne Family Adventures. The series clearly was not canon as it deviated in several key areas: Alfred Pennyworth was alive, Jason Todd kept his white streak of hair, and Barbara Gordon remained in a wheelchair.

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But the series captured much of the individual traits that fans enjoyed about the Bat Family. Batman in particular was well-liked by readers of Wayne Family Adventures, as he was portrayed as a loving father instead of the demanding, reclusive father that DC's canon comics often portray.

1 Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader Combined The Best Of Gaiman And Batman

Harley and Joker talking at Batman's funeral

In 2009, Neil Gaiman wrote Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? The story was supposed to be Batman's "last" story, in much the same way that Alan Moore's Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? was supposed to be Superman's "last" story.

Gaiman presented Batman having a near-death experience while talking to a vision of his mother, Martha. Batman saw several potential versions of his death, and he was given the opportunity to express regret. But he didn't. Instead, he expressed acceptance that "I fight until I drop. And one day, I will drop. but until then, I fight." The story took place outside of continuity, but the characterization deserves a place in the main DC universe.

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