Within the realm of pop culture, Batman is a character who needs no introduction. Born from tragedy and molding himself into a finely honed defender of the gothic dystopia that is Gotham City, Batman has become an icon over the many decades of his existence. Central to the character of Batman is his detective abilities, dating all the way back to his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 as a mythical and mysterious pulp figure. Although there have been many phenomenal stories highlighting his detective skills over the years, few match that of Batman: Nine Lives (by Dean Motter, Michael Lark, Bill Oakley and Matt Hollingsworth).

Published within the Elseworlds line of books back in 2002, this story is set in a post-World War II setting reminiscent of classic noir properties, and remakes familiar names and faces from Batman canon into neatly established noir archetypes. Dick Grayson appears as a hard-broiled and jaded P.I., while Barbara Gordon is his underpaid office assistant. These characters are very familiar to the Batman mythos, and here their backstories and personalities have been shifted to accommodate the change in setting. Commissioner Gordon and Batman are much the same as their main universe counterparts, even though the viewpoint character is Grayson as opposed to either one of them.

RELATED: Batman: How an Elseworlds Joker Inspired an Arkham Knight Villain

Conceptually, Batman: Nine Lives is very similar to Batman: Gotham Noir (by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Dave Stewart and Bill Oakley). Both stories take place in classic noir settings, and each focuses on a perspective other than Batman's. In each story, the Dark Knight is presented as an almost a supernatural presence, only showing up when he is needed, and the stories are driven by a murder investigation. In the case of Batman: Nine Lives, the victim is Selena Kyle, known in other continuities as Catwoman, hence the title of the story.

Washing up from Gotham's sewer system, her apparent murder can be linked to a number of familiar faces, including the Riddler, the Penguin, Joker, and even Bruce Wayne, all suspects in this case. Within this world, Selina Kyle was a high profile prostitute connected to the most powerful people in Gotham. Working with P.I. Dick Grayson, she would store the deepest secrets of her clients in a bank vault as a means of blackmailing these individuals should the opportunity arise. Each of these familiar faces now race to discover these secrets while maintaining their own. Here, gang bosses Clayface and Penguin are warring in Gotham's streets, with con-man Jack (aka Joker) caught in the middle trying to profit from the chaos. The Riddler, a mousey chief accountant of Gotham First Municipal Bank who Selina previously used for "pocket change," becomes the second victim in this ongoing narrative.

RELATED: Elseworlds: How Batman and the Justice League Became Wild West Heroes

Harvey Dent (aka Two-Face) first appears to be a genuine attorney for Gotham's elite, though his familiar shifty qualities begin to appear as the story progresses. Dent eventually joins the Joker's attempted bank heist, revealing that he intended to blackmail Batman, as the two-faced attorney knew he was secretly Bruce Wayne. Grayson learns this, and works with Batman to unravel this tangled thread. The climax of this story sees all of the major players battling in the sewer system beneath the bank vault that houses these deadly secrets. In the ensuing conflict, Dent is mortally wounded by the Penguin, and Joker is presumably eaten by Killer Croc (who Grayson knew from his days in the circus) and his pet crocodile. The wake of this tragedy sees the killer confirmed to be the Penguin, who had accidentally knocked a drunken Selina Kyle into the Gotham Reservoir, and killed the Riddler to cover his tracks.

The setting of Batman and Gotham City are ripe for strong detective stories. While there are certainly better known stories of the Dark Knight Detective, few are as genuine and organic as Batman: Nine Lives, with each familiar character feeling perfectly at home in this tale that is pulled straight from the golden age of pulp comics. Out of the many different Elseworlds takes on Batman, this one is arguably the best when it comes to highlighting his strong detective background.

KEEP READING: Tom Taylor Calls Dark Knights of Steel His 'Biggest Elseworlds Story Yet'