The DC Universe has been progressing nicely since the publisher's 2016 Rebirth relaunch. With such events as Doomsday Clock and Drowned Earth, fans can expect game-changing moments to follow in the coming months. But 2018 was all about emotional stories that rocked readers to the core.

We saw Batman driven to the edge, Aquaman become an amnesiac, Clark Kent's family placed in a state of turmoil, and, of course, several characters murdered in Heroes in Crisis. With that in mind, let's look at the Top 10 moments from DC in 2018.

RELATED: Heroes in Crisis: Tom King Teases Bad Blood Between the World's Finest

10: THE DOCTOR IS IN

DC Rebirth confirmed that Watchmen's Doctor Manhattan had a hand in reshaping the universe, but his was subsequently only hinted at. However, in Doomsday Clock #7, Ozymandias was finally able to pull Doctor Manhattan's energy into the DCU, in his full form.

RELATED: Doomsday Clock Finally Gives Us a Preview of the Fight We're Waiting For

Manhattan seemed preoccupied with getting back to his mysterious activities. He ignored the Dark Knight's revelation they had some sort of connection, as well as The Joker's plea to put on clothes. Manhattan eventually held council with Ozymandias, but failed to provide any answers about what the future holds. Instead, he departed, laser-focused on an impending battle with Superman, leaving fans to wonder what other plans the godlike entity has in store.

9: THE UNLIKELIEST DYNAMIC DUO

Sean Gordon Murphy's Batman: White Knight subverted the mythos of the Caped Crusader, painting him as an overly aggressive vigilante, and the villain of this alternate universe. Cured of his madness and now a social justice warrior, Jack Napier (The Joker) took Batman to court for his war crimes against Gotham, but that simply provided an opportunity for the Neo-Joker (a Harley Quinn that Joker rejected back in the day) to attack the city.

RELATED: White Knight: Gordon Murphy Plans to Explore Jason Todd & Batman Beyond

Batman eventually saw the light, realizing in White Knight #8 that he had no choice but to team up with Napier. However, Napier's dementia returned, and both men understood they needed the one person who knew the Neo-Joker inside out to give them the best shot at defeating her and her army of Bat-rogues. What ensued was a tense yet funny ride,with both men calling out each other's hypocrisy, and contemplating if they could really trust each other.

8: THE BIG BOSS REVEALED

Batman #50 began a downward spiral for Bruce Wayne, as he sought to marry Selina Kyle. But what painted a bleak future for the Dark Knight was the final scene, which revealed the mastermind behind it all: Bane. A chilling panel depicted the villain in Arkham Asylum with a squad of goons, including the Flashpoint Batman, clearly manipulating events to turn Bruce Wayne's life upside down.

RELATED: Batman: Tom King Has Transformed Bane Into the Greatest Bat-Villain, Ever

What made it so surprising was that, after the "I am Suicide" arc, Bane was left a broken man. Yet somehow, he became the architect of Batman's doom, using a number of the vigilante's enemies, including Firefly, Kite Man and the Penguin, as pawns to turn Gotham against him. If the city were a video game, Bane definitely came off like the final-level boss here, finally highlighting he's the Caped Crusader's true equal.

7: GREEN ARROW'S POWER-UP

OK, it's not a power-up, technically, but rather an upgrade to Green Arrow's arsenal. But it's the biggest someone in the DCU could ask for. In Justice League: No Justice #4, Oliver Queen was given a mysterious box by Martian Manhunter for serving Earth's last line of defense -- a reward for his bravery. However, little did the archer know what it contained.

RELATED: Heroes In Crisis: [SPOILER]'s Death Turns Green Arrow Against the Justice League

J'onn J'onzz revealed the boxes contents can take out literal gods, providing a fail-safe against the Justice League, should the team ever go too far. Ollie was reluctant to accept the "gift," but he understood that if his more powerful peers were mind-controlled or otherwise turned evil, he'd need to take them down. He accepted the responsibility, more or less becoming the most powerful hero around, which could bite the Justice League in its collective butt after Ollie become incensed following the death of Roy Harper.

NEXT PAGE: Batman's Beatdown, Nightwing's Injury, and a Broken Heart

6: THE ULTIMATE BAT-PUNCH

As Bane plotted to turn Gotham against Batman, he drove the vigilante to become even violent against criminals, even beating some of them, including Mr. Freeze, nearly to death. When Jim Gordon recognized Batman was becoming a danger to society, he tried to reason with his longtime ally, only to be punched in the face in Batman #59. Sadly, this wasn't merely the end of a working relationship, but also a decades-long friendship.

RELATED: Batman Has Become An Official Enemy of Gotham City

That led to Gordon question Batman's methods more than ever, eventually making it known to his police department that the Dark Knight's disregard for the law would no longer be tolerated. The commissioner went so far as to removed the Bat-Signal from the roof of police headquarters.

5: LEX BEATS THE BAT

While a shrunken Batman was hidden inside Superman's body as the Kryptonian tried to reach the Totality, the Caped Crusader was ambushed in Justice League #6 by Lex Luthor and his cosmic doorknob. In a brutal encounter, the villain used the relic to break Bruce's arms and legs, and then transport him back to the Hall of Justice, along with his fellow members of the League.

RELATED: Justice League: Batman Wields Lex Luthor's Greatest Weapon

With his limbs shattered, the disconcerting sight of a contorted Batman evoked memories of the "Knightfall" arc in which Bane broke his back. Using a blend of tech and magic, Bruce was able to speed up his recovery. Still, we never anticipated Batman would be on the receiving end of such a merciless beatdown again, by Lex Luthor, no less.

4: JON KENT RETURNS

Jon Kent

After being plucked from the Phantom Zone fight against the cosmic threat known as Rogol Zaar, Superman tries to readjust to life on Earth. However, in Superman #6, he's interrupted mid-flight by none other than his son, Jon. When last we saw him, he was heading across the cosmos with his granfather, Jor-El, to learn about his Kryptonian heritage.

RELATED: Superman Has Figured Out Rogol Zaar's Motive for Destroying Krypton

However, no that he's back, Jon is no longer the pre-teen from Super Sons. That means big things for Superman as Clark and Lois' marriage appears to be on the rocks; not to mention Conner Kent (the original Superboy) is poised to return to the DCU.

3: NIGHTWING GETS SHOT

Nightwing was shot in the head on the roof of the Gotham City Police Department in Batman #55, taken out by KGBeast. But as we'd learn later on, it was part of Bane's larger plot to torture the Dark Knight.

RELATED: How, and Why, Nightwing Gets His Head Injury

Dick Grayson survived, but with memory loss, and became the edgier Ric Grayson, a cab driver slowly recovering the details of his former life. It doesn't seem he wants to reclaim the Nightwing mantle anytime soon, however, and we can hardly blame him. The ead-shot was a painful moment, leaving one of DC's most beloved heroes on the brink of death, which drove Batman to nearly kill KGBeast.

2: A WHOLE LOTTA DEATH

With each issue of Heroes in Crisis, readers learn of more deaths at the rehabilitation center known as Sanctuary. But Issue 1 left a series of images etched in our minds that are difficult to forget: namely, the scene depicting the discovery of what can only be described as a massacre of heroes.

RELATED: Every Superhero Who Dies in Heroes in Crisis #1

The death toll accounted for Roy Harper, Wally West and an unknown Green Lantern, but it really didn't matter whether there were A- or C-listers in those panels. The mere sight of the murders left fans grimacing, because artist Clay Mann presented a bloody, and convincing, crime scene that left us guessing what other characters fell victim to the killer.

1: BREAKING THE BAT'S HEART

While the ending of Batman #50 was spoiled before the issue went on sale, it didn't make it any less depressing to read how Catwoman got cold feet and left Bruce at the altar. What made it worse was that she was nudged on by her best friend, Holly Robinson -- another of Bane's pawns used to ruin Bruce Wayne's life.

RELATED: The Shocking Last Page Of Batman #50, Explained

That sent the Caped Crusader down a path of self-destruction. It remains to be seen whether Bruce can ever forgive Selina, especially after she returned to a life of crime. However, all we could think about was how cruel it was to break Bruce's heart at a time when he finally accepted he was truly happy. Selina did what no villain could accomplish, crushing Batman mentally, all while herself into believing he was better off without her.