The three essential Batman runs: Frank Miller (Year One + DKR, 1986-1987) for the redefinition of the myth, Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo (2011-2016) for the New 52 revival, and Grant Morrison (2006-2013) for the ultimate metafictional epic.
Batman is the most written character in comic book history. This abundance makes sorting all the more crucial for the collector: which runs are truly worth your investment of time and money? From Dennis O'Neil to Tom King, every decade has produced at least one definitive run of the Dark Knight.
The Batman market is the most active in the DC segment, with keys regularly hitting sales highs. This ranking guides you to the essential runs, those which have shaped the character as we know him and whose key numbers remain the most sought after by collectors around the world.
Top 1 — Frank Miller (Batman #404-407 Year One + The Dark Knight Returns #1-4, 1986-1987)
Writer/Draughtsman:Frank Miller |Year One Designer:David Mazzucchelli
Miller reinvented Batman twice in the same year. Year One is the definitive origin story — realistic, dark, cinematic. The Dark Knight Returns is the ultimate deconstruction of the aging superhero. These two works changed not only Batman but the entire comic book industry. Essential to any serious collection.
Key numbers:Batman #404 (Year One part 1), DKR #1 (1st printing).Current rating:#404 in NM: €80-150, DKR #1 in NM: €100-200.
Top 2 — Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo (Batman vol. 2 #1-51, 2011-2016)
Screenwriter:Scott Snyder |Designer:Greg Capullo
The Snyder/Capullo duo delivered the most consistent Batman run of the 21st century. “Court of Owls” reinvents Gothic mythology, “Death of the Family” pushes the Joker to his most terrifying limits, and “Zero Year” offers a daring alternative origin story. Capullo delivers revolutionary page compositions.
Key numbers:#1 (Court of Owls beginning), #13 (Death of the Family), #21 (Zero Year).Current rating:#1 in NM: €60-100, #13: €20-35.
Top 3 — Grant Morrison (Batman #655-681, Batman & Robin, Batman Inc., 2006-2013)
Screenwriter:Grant Morrison |Designers:Andy Kubert, Frank Quitely, Chris Burnham
Morrison wrote THE Batman mega-saga: seven years of dense continuity, from Damian Wayne to Batman R.I.P., from Dick Grayson under the mask to Batman Incorporated. An encyclopedic love letter to each era of the character, woven into a dizzying metafictional story. The run that rewards replay the most.
Key numbers:#655 (1st Damian Wayne), #676-681 (R.I.P.), Batman & Robin #1.Current rating:#655 in NM: €80-150, Batman & Robin #1: €15-25.
Top 4 — Dennis O'Neil & Neal Adams (Batman #232, Detective Comics #395-411, 1970-1973)
Screenwriter:Dennis O’Neil |Designer:Neil Adams
O'Neil and Adams have taken Batman back from the camp of the 60s and plunged him back into the shadows. The introduction of Ra's al Ghul, the return of the dark and athletic detective, the anatomical realism of Adams — this run saved the character and set the visual template for the next fifty years.
Key numbers:Batman #232 (1st Ra's al Ghul), Detective #400, #411 (1st Talia).Current rating:#232 in VF: €800-1500, Detective #411 in VF: €300-500.
Top 5 — Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers (Detective Comics #471-476, 1977-1978)
Screenwriter:Steve Englehart |Designer:Marshall Rogers
Only six numbers, but what density! The Fish Joker, Hugo Strange knowing Batman's identity, Silver St. Cloud — Englehart/Rogers created a narrative template that decades of authors have attempted to reproduce. Rogers stylizes Gotham with a unique Art Deco elegance. Highly rated Bronze Age issues.
Key numbers:Detective #471 (start of run), #475-476 (Joker fish).Current rating:#471 in NM: €100-180, #475 in NM: €150-250.
Top 6 — Tom King (Batman vol. 3 #1-85, 2016-2019)
Screenwriter:Tom King |Designers:David Finch, Mikel Janín, Clay Mann
Divisive but ambitious, King writes an emotionally vulnerable Batman. “The War of Jokes and Riddles”, the aborted marriage with Catwoman, and “Knightmares” offer a unique introspective Batman. The experimental narrative structure (mirror issues, symmetrical double pages) does not please everyone but marks a real singularity of author.
Key numbers:#1 (Rebirth), #24 (proposal), #50 (marriage).Current rating:#1 in NM: €10-20, #50: €8-15.
Top 7 — Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale (The Long Halloween #1-13, 1996-1997)
Screenwriter:Jeph Loeb |Designer:Tim Sale
A masterful gothic thriller that follows Batman during his first year of career, tracking down a serial killer who strikes at every party. Sale composes pages of striking elegance, all in chiaroscuro. Directly inspiring Nolan's The Dark Knight, this maxi-series is an absolute classic of the genre.
Key numbers:#1 (start of series).Current rating:#1 in NM: €80-140.
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