Every Batman Black Label & Mature Comic Book, Ranked

Since the success of his 1966 TV series, Batman has become the face of DC Comics, especially when it comes to their publishing schedule. Over the last few decades, the character has achieved an unrivaled sales dominance in the comic book industry, and serves as the focus of most of DC’s crossovers, events and initiatives. This was especially true in the company’s Black Label initiative, which combined the creator freedom of Vertigo with the out-of-continuity stories of Elseworlds.

Black Label has focused on a variety of characters, like Superman, Wonder Woman and Question, but it’s hard to deny Batman’s leading status of the imprint. Not only was the character responsible for the line’s debut miniseries, but entire self-contained universes have spun out of the imprint for The Dark Knight. Readers are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding a great Black Label Batman comic — and these titles prove it.

15 Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child

Frank Miller and Rafael Grampa

Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s Dark Knight Returns has been remembered as one of the greatest stories in Batman history. It also spawned a long list of sequels and spin-offs, with The Golden Child serving as the most recent of these adventures. The one-shot follows a future, dystopian Gotham City, where Wayne has seemingly retired for good, and a new generation of heroes have taken his place. Focusing on a new Trinity formed of Carrie Kelly as Batwoman, Jonathan Kent as the Golden Child and Lara Kent, the story follows the heroes defend Gotham from a team-up between Darkseid and Joker.

The Golden Child wasn’t the best follow-up to the MillerVerse, and suffered many of the same criticisms as Superman: Year One. However, it does allow Frank Miller the chance to put his own spin on a brand-new generation of heroes, moving beyond Bruce Wayne and into a new future. With one of comics’ most bizarre villain team-ups, the story is worth a read.

14 Batman/Catwoman

Tom King and Clay Mann

Continuing on Tom King’s work on the Bat/Cat relationship, Batman/Catwoman alternates between the early days of their relationship and the present day. With Selina portrayed as somewhat more morally compromised in her past, things get complicated when Joker shows up, dredging up their shared history in the process. Their daughter Helena, who has taken on the mantle of Batwoman, is caught in the crossfire.

Batman/Catwoman explores the moral nuances of the pair’s relationship, showcasing how Selina’s troubled past may be buried, but it isn’t gone. Through Tom King’s signature writing style, the series is as much a deconstruction of the Bat/Cat relationship as it is a look at the lasting impact of past actions, and how they ripple through time.

13 Joker: Killer Smile and Batman: The Smile Killer

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino

Joker: Killer Smile follows a psychiatrist, Dr Ben Arnell, who attempts to understand Joker in the hopes of treating his psychopathy. However, as his sessions with the Clown Prince of Crime progress, the man begins to question his own sanity, especially as the villain’s influence continues to affect him at home. As the story continues, readers are led on a descent into madness as Arnell’s mind deteriorates, signaling a key victory for the Joker.

Joker: Killer Smile was followed up with Batman: The Smile Killer, which made the story even more grim. The one-shot follows Bruce Wayne as he wakes up in Arkham Asylum, where he realizes that, due to the influence of a sinister TV show he watched as a child, he is himself losing his grip on reality. The two stories put together form one of the best psychologically-themed stories in DC, leading even the reader to question the reality within the tale.

12 Batman vs Bigby: A Werewolf In Gotham

Bill Willingham and Brian Level

Batman vs Bigby unites the worlds of Gotham City and Bill Willingham’s Fables in a brilliant, magical-themed creature feature that sees Bigby the werewolf clash with the Caped Crusader. The story initially focuses on Batman’s investigation of a slew of brutal murders, seemingly the work of a monstrous creature. When he crosses paths with Bigby, he naturally suspects the Big Bad Wolf of being responsible, causing a fight. After explaining himself, the wolf is able to form an alliance with The Dark Knight, explaining that he’s trying to recover a missing artifact.

Batman vs Bigby makes for a great crossover, with Willingham turning in some of his most action-packed writing, as well as a great fairytale adventure. Blending elements of both series together, the miniseries stands out as one of Black Label’s most satisfying stories, one not as grim as other Black Label books.

11 Batman: Damned

Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo

In 2018, Batman: Damned ushered in the Black Label imprint, telling a story where an injured Batman learns of the death of Joker — and is forced to question whether he’s responsible. Teaming up with John Constantine, Bruce Wayne delves into his past, revealing previous encounters with Enchantress that may have lasting effects on the hero’s mind and soul.

Batman: Damned takes readers on an exploration of the spiritual side of Batman’s career, exploring everything from his childhood and the fate of his parents to the limitations of his moral code. Leaving readers on a note of ambiguity, the series deserves a read even if for only being the inaugural book of Black Label — and Bermejo’s art does justice to Azzarello’s dark story.

10 Batman: Reptilian

Garth Ennis and Liam Sharp

Batman: Reptilian begins with the mass murder of Batman’s rogues gallery, seeing everyone from Joker and Riddler to Penguin slain in brutal fashion. After realizing a connection between the culprit and Killer Croc, the Caped Crusader joins forces with his last surviving villain, revealing that they’re up against his mutant offspring. Heading into the sewers beneath Gotham, the pair try and put an end to the monster before it can do any more harm.

Batman: Reptilian stands out as one of the most surreal reading experiences in recent memory, with Sharp’s painted art style bringing Ennis’ creepy creature feature story to life. For readers who want to experience an old school Batman with a dark sense of humor as he clashes with a giant monster, this series is perfect.

9 Batman: The Imposter

Mattson Tomlin and Andrea Sorrentino

Batman: The Imposter serves as a prelude to Matt Reeves’ 2022 film The Batman. Set in the early days of Bruce Wayne’s career as the Caped Crusader, the story follows an imposter Batman, one who uses the cape and cowl to commit murder. As he investigates the crimes in his vigilante persona, Bruce Wayne also meets and befriends a GCPD detective, later forming an imperfect romance with her.

Batman: The Imposter made for one of the few excellent movie tie-ins from DC, particularly thanks to its character study of Bruce Wayne and how it handles his attempt at forging a relationship. To those who read it ahead of the film, they understood they were in for a different type of Batman, one defined by his imperfections and a grounded touch added to his story.

8 Batman: City of Madness

Christian Ward

Batman: City of Madness reveals the existence of a nightmarish city, Gotham Below, a dark reflection of the main city fueled by the worst fears and darkest thoughts of those above. As the Caped Crusader explores this harrowing world, he encounters the Bat-Thing, a terrifying version of himself that dwells in the depths of the city. When Gotham proper is threatened, the hero is forced to confront his inner demons to defeat the monster.

Batman: City of Madness wears its HP Lovecraft influences on its sleeve, playing up the idea of cosmic horror as the backdrop for its Batman story. If this brilliant miniseries has one message, it’s the fact that people create their own demons — and those demons haunt them for as long as they’re allowed to fester unchallenged.

7 Batman: One Dark Knight

Jock

Batman: One Dark Knight follows the hero as he attempts to transport the villain EMP across Gotham City when his powers cause a major blackout. With the city carved up into gang territory, the Caped Crusader does his best to move the prisoner between threats, but the onslaught of criminals proves particularly perilous.

One Dark Knight is the sole creation of artist Jock, as he borrows from classic movies like The Gauntlet and 16 Blocks to fully explore the dangers of Gotham from the ground. Showcasing some of the artist’s best work, the series gives readers an ultra-violent trek across DC’s most dangerous city, causing them to question whether the hero will even survive the ordeal.

6 Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham

Rafael Grampa

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham follows the hero as he investigates a series of horrific murders in Gotham, all tracing back to a killer known as the Gargoyle. As his investigation deepens, the Caped Crusader begins to understand a deep connection between Gotham’s history and a sinister cult known as the Order of the Gargoyle. With the city seemingly on the brink of collapse, the Gargoyle made his presence known as a way to bring back order from the chaos.

Gargoyle of Gotham borrows from some classic chapters of Batman history, merging the secret society aspect of the Court of Owls with the character’s Gothic horror roots. The story sees Bruce Wayne’s mission taken to extremes, challenging the effect he himself has on the city.

5 The Bat-Man: First Knight

Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins

The Bat-Man: First Knight is a callback to Golden Age Batman stories, exploring a 1930s-era Dark Knight as he investigates a slew of murders in Gotham. With tensions in society rising as America teeters on the brink of World War II, the World’s Greatest Detective tracks down the villain known as the First Knight, who represents the turmoil of America.

The Bat-Man: First Knight makes for a brilliant blend of period drama and murder mystery, exploring the darkness of its 1930s setting as an inexperienced Wayne uncovers a conspiracy. When it comes to both love letters of the Golden Age and a good detective story, it doesn’t get much better than this for Batman.

4 Batman: Last Knight On Earth

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

As the Black Label conclusion to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s term on Batman, Last Knight On Earth concludes the story first hinted at in the New 52’s Detective Comics #27. Following a young clone of Bruce Wayne in a post-apocalyptic world, the miniseries leads readers on a tour of the new wasteland, from ongoing wars for resources to the fate of Superman. With a powerful villain known as Omega looming over the story, the young Batman teams up with the dismembered head of Joker in a lantern, later joining forces with Wonder Woman and the remnants of the Bat-family.

Last Knight On Earth is one of the best post-apocalyptic comics in recent memory, continuously forcing readers to question how the world ended — only to answer them in gruesome fashion. The story follows through on the gritty tone of Snyder and Capullo’s New 52 tenure on the character, concluding on an oddly hopeful note.

3 Batman & Joker: Deadly Duo

Marc Silvestri

Batman & Joker: Deadly Duo follows the unlikely team-up between the eponymous rivals, as they’re forced to investigate the kidnappings of two people close to them: Jim Gordon and Harley Quinn. Despite some reservations about the partnership, the Caped Crusader allows his enemy to tag along, realizing that their history together is an asset. The mystery reveals a villain who has created a monstrous batch of Joker clones, using them to attack the new dynamic duo.

Deadly Duo offers a fresh perspective on the war between Batman and Joker, highlighting the fallout of their violence and its overlooked victims. The story itself utilizes elements of classic detective stories like Se7en, casting the pair at the center of a particularly grim kidnapping story.

2 Batman: Three Jokers

Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok

Batman: Three Jokers serves as a sequel to Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s seminal Batman: The Killing Joke, and explores the idea that there are actually three different Jokers in Gotham. After realizing that the trio of clowns have teamed up, the Bat-family are forced to revisit their own traumatic histories with the character, with Jason Todd being tortured by one and Barbara Gordon confronting the horrors she endured from another.

Batman: Three Jokers is a great sequel to Moore’s original story, delving deeper into the psychological impact of Joker on Bruce Wayne and his loved ones. The miniseries highlights just how dangerous the ’88 version of the character is, and the emotional toll he’s wrought on the world of Gotham.

1 Batman: White Knight

Sean Gordon Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth

Sean Gordon Murphy’s White Knight universe stands out as one of the greatest things to come from the Black Label initiative. The first 2017 series follows a brutal encounter where The Dark Knight force-feeds Joker a fistful of antipsychotic drugs, reverting the villain to his previous self, Jack Napier. The now-sane criminal reforms himself, launching a career in public office and dedicating his service to bringing Batman to justice.

While the original series wasn’t published under the Black Label imprint, the sequels have since made the books a fixture of the initiative, and the MurphyVerse is its de facto flagship universe. Delving deep into the lore of Gotham City and Wayne family history, these books are everything an alternate continuity should be — and Murphy’s artwork makes it all the more iconic.