Every Version of Batman Ranked From Worst to Best

The Caped Crusader comes in many forms, shapes and sizes. Since his debut in “Detective Comics #27” in 1939, Batman has been reimagined countless times. Here’s a breakdown of every major version of the Dark Knight, ranked from best to worst.

‘The Dark Knight Returns’

DC Comics

Frank Miller’s dark, gritty take on an elderly Batman in “The Dark Knight Returns” is one of the most influential comic stories of all time.

Alas, this grimdark version of the character has, ironically, not aged well, especially as its creator has seemingly descended into accidental self-parody by lacking all self-awareness whatsoever when writing Batman stories.

‘Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold’

Warner Bros

Back in their respective heydays during the ’60s, Batman teamed up with the Scooby gang for several made-for-TV movies. These are fun, breezy affairs that were never intended to be overalanalyzed by internet commenters, so it’d be harsh to pick them apart too much.

George Clooney

Warner Bros

Rumor has it that every time someone comes up to George Clooney on the street and mentions “Batman and Robin,” he gives them $10 as a way to try and make amends for tricking them into watching a bad movie. Audiences are finally softening to the idea of a more colorful, wacky Batman, but at the time Clooney’s Bruce Wayne was seen as heresy.

Azrael

DC Comics

In the ’90s, trapped on the “Dark Knight Returns” train and attempting to make Batman ever darker, some bright spark at DC had the idea of replacing Bruce Wayne with a new, cooler Batman. The resulting character, Azrael, is almost universally reviled.