# What is the best Batman comic storyline of all time?

> Gritty noir classics, sprawling event crossovers, and mind-bending modern reinventions all fight for the cowl. Which Gotham saga tops your list? Cast your vote!

*By YPB Team · Published September 29, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-batman-comic-storyline-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **The Dark Knight Returns**
   Frank Miller's 1986 dystopian tale of an aging Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham.
2. **Year One**
   Miller and Mazzucchelli's 1987 origin retelling of Batman's first year and Jim Gordon's rise.
3. **The Long Halloween**
   Loeb and Sale's 1996 noir mystery of the Holiday killer stalking Gotham's mob.
4. **Hush**
   Loeb and Jim Lee's 2002 mystery pitting Batman against a hidden mastermind who knows his secrets.
5. **The Killing Joke**
   Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's 1988 one-shot exploring the Joker's origin and his attack on Barbara Gordon.
6. **Knightfall**
   The 1993 epic in which Bane breaks Batman's back and Azrael takes over the cowl.
7. **No Man's Land**
   The 1999 year-long saga of Gotham cut off and carved up by gangs after an earthquake.
8. **Court of Owls**
   Snyder and Capullo's 2011 New 52 story revealing a secret society that has run Gotham for centuries.
9. **Arkham Asylum**
   Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's 1989 psychological horror graphic novel set inside the asylum.
10. **Death of the Family**
   The 2012 Snyder story in which the Joker returns to attack Batman's allies.
11. **Zero Year**
   Snyder and Capullo's 2013 reimagined origin of Batman set during the Riddler's blackout.
12. **Dark Victory**
   Loeb and Sale's 2000 sequel to The Long Halloween following Two-Face and the Hangman killer.
13. **A Death in the Family**
   The 1988 storyline where fans voted on the fate of Jason Todd's Robin at the Joker's hands.
14. **Under the Red Hood**
   Winick and Lee Bermejo's 2005 story revealing the masked Red Hood as the resurrected Jason Todd.
15. **The Black Mirror**
   Snyder and Jock's 2011 Dick Grayson-era mystery pitting Batman against James Gordon Jr.
16. **Batman R.I.P.**
   Grant Morrison's 2008 story in which the Black Glove attempts to break Batman's mind.

Tags: comics, dc comics, graphic novels, batman, storylines