With 80 years of history behind him, it’s obvious that Batman’s gone through many changes. Each era of the Dark Knight has reflected its own particular aesthetic as Batman has evolved with the times. Sometimes, stories have postulated alternate reality versions of the character that proved just as fresh as the standard one.

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As entertaining as some of these have been, some have been complete misfires, straying too far from the core elements of the character for readers to accept and enjoy. Which were good and which were horrible? Here are the 5 Best Versions of Batman (& the 5 Worst).

10 BEST: BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES

One of the greatest versions of the Dark Knight didn’t even originate in the comics. To many, Batman: The Animated Series is the truest adaptation of Batman and his world. Highly stylized, the animation reflected a ‘30s aesthetic which somehow melded gothic overtones with cartoon superheroics to create a series loved by children and adults alike.

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A silhouette against a darkened night sky, Batman’s appearance and character were perfectly depicted, as he was equal parts detective and expertly skilled fighter. The cherry on top of the depiction was Kevin Conroy’s gravelly whisper, which has been the definitive voice of the Dark Knight since the show aired.

9 WORST: ‘50s & ‘60s BATMAN

Batman in the 50s Cropped

Following Dr. Fredric Wertham’s assault on comic books in the ‘50s and the establishment of the Comics Code Authority, comics began to lose their edge. Noir-driven characters like Batman began to indulge in more fantastical and mundane stories that were incongruent with their original, more grounded, and hard-edged depictions.

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As a matter of fact, the Batman of the ‘50s and ‘60s was not a grim and obsessed loner but a kitschy do-gooder who spent less time on the streets of Gotham and more time in outer space. Dressed in multiple multi-colored costumes, the Batman of this era was a light-hearted far cry from the one that appeared in 1939.

8 BEST: RED RAIN TRILOGY

A big part of Batman’s appeal is his spooky appearance and mannerisms, which he consciously designed to scare the socks off criminals. Being able to appear and disappear at will and dressing like a giant bat earned him some well-deserved comparisons to a vampire, of which he actually became in the Red Rain trilogy.

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Stunningly illustrated by Kelly Jones, this series of graphic novels examined Bruce Wayne’s struggle against both the vampires infesting Gotham City and his own growing hunger for blood. The result was an interesting and highly entertaining new interpretation of the Dark Knight.

7 WORST: ZUR-EN-ARRH

As if the multi-colored costumed Batman of the ‘50s and ‘60s wasn’t non-characteristic enough, the writers of that era decided to introduce an alien Batman from another planet to their continuity. The Batman of the planet Zur-En-Arrh wore an unseemly red, purple, and yellow costume.

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Unfortunately, the design didn’t stay confined to the comics of the Silver Age, as writer Grant Morrison reintroduced the concept during his run on Batman, albeit as an alternate identity for a psychologically compromised Bruce Wayne.

6 BEST: BATMAN BEYOND

batman beyond leaping forward

Stories envisioning fan-favorite comic book characters in a far-flung future are a dime a dozen, and few have been done with the quality, critical success, and popularity of Batman Beyond. Presenting a technologically advanced Gotham City in desperate need of a Batman to save it from its new and colorful villains, it got it in Terry McGinnis. Sporting a sleek new high-tech costume that was as visually stunning as it was practical, McGinnis was mentored by an elderly Bruce Wayne, whose advanced age and years of crime-fighting had precluded him from continuing on as Batman.

5 WORST: THE WIDENING GYRE

Batman laughing with Baphomet in DC Comics' The Widening Gyre

One of the most iconic episodes in Batman’s history occurred during the seminal Year One, where a fresh young Batman decides to terrorize Gotham’s criminal elite by crashing a dinner party. With a prodigious use of explosives, effect lighting, and gas grenades, Batman makes his presence known as only he can: forcefully and scarily.

Why Kevin Smith decided to literally soil that image by revealing Batman had a bladder spasm during that moment no one will ever know, but it’s safe to say his take on the Dark Knight in The Widening Gyre was not very well received.

4 BEST: DICK GRAYSON

There have been multiple instances in which Bruce Wayne has taken a hiatus from the cape and cowl, and without a doubt, his best replacement was Dick Grayson, the original Robin.

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Having worked and lived with Bruce for so long, Dick understood what it took to be Batman: the dedication, the persona, and the intricacies of dealing with the unique villains and heroes of Gotham. However, Dick was able to infuse his Batman with a warm and cheerful quality that Bruce was lacking, making his Batman more approachable to the general public and his allies.

3 WORST: AZBATS

DC Comics' Jean-Paul Valley taking over the Batman mantle

Knightfall ended with Jean-Paul Valley, the former assassin known as Azrael, replacing an injured Bruce Wayne as Batman. Despite a promising start by soundly defeating Bane in the middle of Gotham’s streets, there were indications that “Azbats” just wasn’t going to cut the mustard as Gotham’s Dark Knight. “The System,” the brainwashing that a young Valley received from the Order of St. Dumas, began to wreak havoc on Jean-Paul’s sanity, forcing him on a path that was decidedly un-Batman-like. Killing criminals cemented his fate with the original Batman and fans alike, and Valley was soon ousted from the cape and cowl.

2 BEST: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS

dark-knight-returns-trade-featured

The Dark Knight Returns is usually held up as the golden standard for Batman stories and with good reason. The characterization of an aging Batman compelled to once again take up the cape and cowl was perfect, epitomizing the essential features that make the Dark Knight who he is.

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His obsession with crime-fighting, his steadfast refusal to give up, and his wholehearted belief in justice over corrupt laws are beautifully played out within Miller’s epic tale. From Bruce Wayne’s opening misadventure in his race car to his final, bone-breaking confrontation with the Man of Steel, this is the Dark Knight at his best.

1 WORST: ALL-STAR BATMAN

Unfortunately, Frank Miller’s return to the Dark Knight in All Star Batman & Robin was not as successful. Here, the Dark Knight was less of a brooding, hard-boiled hero and more of a sociopath akin to one of Miller’s Sin City characters. Swearing aside, this Batman engaged in kidnapping and child endangerment, abducting a freshly orphaned Dick Grayson and locking him in the Batcave without food to “toughen him up.” He also freely engaged in a public sex act with a fellow vigilante following a spirited bout of crime-fighting. To say all this is out of character for Batman would be a gross understatement, and this version of the Dark Knight has been widely derided by fans.

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