While the DC universe underwent a number of changes and reboots over the last decade, the Batman titles managed to largely escape unscathed with a few exceptions. However, the New 52 and Rebirth reboots did bring in some great new creators to work with the Dark Knight who left their mark on the iconic character.
As we all prepare to move on to the new roaring 20s it's a good time to look back at some of the best stories we read from the world's greatest detective over the last decade, from creators like Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Tom King, David Finch, Sean Murphy, and many more that we'll discuss as we countdown the best of Batman!
10 ZERO YEAR
When the New 52 rebooted the DC Universe after Flashpoint in 2011, there were a few unanswered questions when it came to some characters and their origins, as the universe's timeline had been truncated down to 5 years of active superheroes. So Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo spent an entire year of their Batman run exploring Bruce Wayne's new origins with Zero Year.
The first year of Batman's career charted his move from masked vigilante to a costumed symbol, as well as crafted a new menacing start for one of Batman's classic rogues, the Riddler. Zero Year was a highlight of Snyder and Capullo's run because it gave the duo complete freedom to tell their story, which even gave readers the chance to see an overgrown post-apocalyptic Gotham City.
9 DARK NIGHTS: METAL
Snyder's run on Batman affected the larger DC Universe during the Dark Nights: Metal event, which saw the Justice League deal with the threat of the newly discovered Dark Multiverse, which was made up of damaged and failed versions of the regular DC Multiverse.
The event introduced readers to The Batman Who Laughs and his team of Dark Multiverse Batmen, each of whom represented a dark merger of Batman and the League. Metal was heavily rooted in Snyder and Capullo's Batman run and served as a launch point for not only the next few years of stories and Snyder's jump to Justice League but also DC's New Age of Heroes.
8 I AM GOTHAM
While Snyder's run dominated the New 52 era of Batman, the Rebirth restructuring of the DCU brought a new writer to the title who would shape the next few years of the Dark Knight's adventures, Tom King. The new Rebirth series launched from King and David Finch with the "I am Gotham" storyline.
From the first issue, it was clear that King had a unique take on Batman, as the issue deals with Batman preparing to sacrifice himself to save a crashing plane before the arrival of two new metahumans named Gotham and Gotham Girl. King's story is so full of twists and turns that we can't really say much more without spoiling anything, but it sets up his run on the series perfectly.
7 THE BUTTON
Batman may be known as the best fighter or the most prepared hero in the DC universe to casual fans, but one of his most terribly underrepresented titles is that of the world's greatest detective, as that is rarely a focus of the cinematic adaptations. Thankfully his detective status in the comics is well-documented and frequently explored, as was the case with "The Button" storyline.
The crossover between the Batman and The Flash titles brought together the League's investigative minds to work together on a secretive case involving the Comedian's iconic button from Watchmen. "The Button" continues the ongoing storyline of Flashpoint and the consequences of Flash's meddling in the time stream that would be further explored in Doomsday Clock.
6 DEATH OF THE FAMILY
Snyder and Capullo's Batman run saw the appearance of a number of Gotham City's villains over the years, however, none factored in as heavily as the Joker, who had been missing in action during the earliest days of the New 52.
The Joker made his gruesome and triumphant return in "Death of the Family," where he attacked Batman and his family in the Batcave, threatening Batman with Joker's apparent knowledge of his and the other's secret identities. This battle between Batman and the Joker would kick off a recurring cycle of events that would lead to their ultimate showdown, but we'll discuss that later.
5 I AM BANE
Batman inadvertently unleashed one of his greatest enemies back on Gotham City when he organized a team of villains to capture Pscho-Pirate back from Bane, who had been using the emotion-warper to treat his addiction to the venom drug. This sent Bane on a rampage that saw him tear through Arkham Asylum and its powerful patients.
The storyline featured yet another great battle between Batman and Bane while also showcasing exactly what makes Bane different from Bruce and his villains. "I am not a child's fairy tale! I am not a circus act here to amuse and frighten you! I am not another one of your madmen howling at the moon! And I...I am not...I am not some rich boy playing dress-up! I AM BANE!"
4 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
King's run wasn't all Bane and pain, as Bruce Wayne actually experienced happiness for a brief moment when his relationship with Selina Kyle/Catwoman was taken to the next level and he proposed to his long-time rooftop associate. While the marriage would ultimately never happen, we saw quite a few great moments during this period of time that showcase the best of Batman.
"Rooftops" featured the Bat and Cat reminiscing about their relationship while they beat on criminals while "Rules of Engagement" saw Selina proving herself against Damian's mother and Bruce's former flame Talia al Ghul. The best of this period came from Bruce and Selina's double date with Superman and Lois Lane which examined Bat and Cat's engagement through his closest friends.
3 ENDGAME
Snyder and Capullo told their ultimate Batman vs. Joker story in "Endgame," which began with a Joker-controlled Justice League attacking Batman, and that was just the opener! What followed was a generational mystery about the "Pale Man" that also dealt with the ramifications of Joker's Batcave attack in "Death of the Family" and other key moments from the run.
The storyline not only featured a dangerous evolution in Joker's madness and methods but also increased his power level in an incredibly dangerous way that we don't want to spoil. Fans looking for one of the most brutal and violent match-ups ever seen between Batman and the Joker need look no further than "Endgame."
2 WHITE KNIGHT
Sean Murphy's alternate reality tale Batman: White Knight takes an interesting look at a very different Gotham City, one where the Joker has been cured of his insanity and become a force for good as Gotham's White Knight as he attempts to atone for his criminal past.
Of course, he only shines as bright due to the fact that this version of Batman is a dark vigilante who is questioning his own brutal methods. Murphy's unique take on the classic Batman/Joker story and how that affects Gotham as well as Batman's extended family of characters made this one of the best reads of the decade.
1 THE COURT OF OWLS
While Snyder's larger run may have focused on the Joker, he was also responsible for one of the best new additions to the New 52, the sinister secret organization known as the Court of Owls, an ancient group of elites who secretly control Gotham City.
Not only was this organization an intriguing new mystery for Batman to solve in his own city, but they also came with an army of powerful enforcers known as Talons who took on the entire Bat-Family during the "Night of the Owls" storyline. The climactic "City of Owls" also introduced Lincoln March as Bruce's possible brother Thomas Wayne Jr. who became the new Owlman. Wow.