7 Worst Batman Comics of the 21st Century (So Far)

by

As a huge Batman fan, it’s amazing how many stories there are to choose from – the character’s been around for over 80 years! Some of those stories aren’t just fantastic Batman adventures, they’re genuinely some of the best comics ever made, and they’ve really shaped the way comics are written today. Of course, not every story is a winner, and there are definitely some that don’t hold up as well.

Like any long-running series, Batman has had its share of weak stories over the years. But some 21st-century Batman comics have been particularly bad – so much so that they’ve damaged the careers of the people who made them and left fans baffled. Here are seven of the worst Batman comics from this century, including one so strange it has to be experienced to be believed.

7) “Hush 2”

The announcement of a sequel to Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s popular graphic novel, Batman: Hush, initially excited fans. Hush is considered a classic Batman story, so a continuation by the same creators seemed promising. However, the released sequel, Hush 2, fell far short of expectations and is now considered one of the worst Batman books in recent years.

As a critic, I have to say “Hush 2” just doesn’t land. Part of the problem is that revisiting “Hush” after all these years reveals cracks in the original story – especially the ending. It hasn’t aged as well as people remember, and that unfortunately colors how we view the sequel. But even putting that aside, “Hush 2” felt…off. It didn’t really connect with the broader Batman narrative at the time, and honestly, it read more like a way to stall for time until Matt Fraction took over. It lacked substance and ultimately disappointed fans hoping for a compelling story.

6) All-Star Batman and Robin

It almost feels unfair to include All-Star Batman and Robin because it’s so often named one of the worst comics ever. However, any list of the worst stories of the century so far would be incomplete without mentioning what is arguably the worst Batman story ever written, so here it is.

Frank Miller’s All-Star Batman and Robin is widely considered a terrible comic. It’s overly aggressive and violent, portraying Batman as an abusive and deeply unsettling character. The story includes shocking moments like Batman using hateful language towards Dick Grayson and committing extreme acts of violence, even engaging in sexual activity in front of victims. Ultimately, the narrative is illogical and simply shocking for all the wrong reasons.

5) Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again

Considering how poorly received All-Star Batman was, it’s not shocking to find another Frank Miller Batman story on this list. Though, it might be surprising given that Miller also created The Dark Knight Returns, a truly great Batman story that helped make the character much darker. Regardless, The Dark Knight Strikes Again essentially undoes all the good work of The Dark Knight Returns, offering a confusing and nonsensical comic disguised as a Batman adventure.

This book portrays Batman in a shockingly negative light – as cold, distrusting, and willing to let people die if he suspects a trick. He becomes fixated on dismantling Lex Luthor’s government and cruelly manipulates Dick Grayson, ultimately driving him to madness and turning him into a villain. That’s just a glimpse of how problematic it is – frankly, it’s a terrible depiction.

4) Batman: White Knight

Batman: White Knight started with a compelling premise: what if the Joker was onto something? The story explores this by showing the Joker receiving treatment for his mental illness and becoming a functioning member of society. Now going by his birth name, Jack Napier, he attempts to improve Gotham City, not through typical crime-fighting, but by addressing the root causes of its problems. This leads him to believe that Batman, ironically, is the real issue.

The biggest problem isn’t that the comics get worse after the first few issues—it’s that the story falls into the tired trope of portraying Batman as the true antagonist of Gotham. It tries too hard to be shocking and ends up feeling forced.

3) Batman: Gotham War

“Gotham War” is a recent, significant storyline in both the Batman and Catwoman comics, written by Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard respectively. It’s a crossover event where Batman and Catwoman, once romantic partners, find themselves at odds due to Catwoman’s radical new approach to fighting crime in Gotham. Her plan involves training criminals to only steal from the wealthy, and surprisingly, Gotham largely accepts this new status quo.

This story suffers from weak and inconsistent characters, particularly Batman, and the plot is completely nonsensical. It’s a series of poor choices and issues, and most Batman fans wish it had never been made.

2) Batman: The Widening Gyre

Many consider Batman: The Widening Gyre to be one of the worst Batman stories ever written, and it’s difficult to talk about without adding to that negativity. The book is a disorganized and unpleasant read, filled with juvenile and often tasteless jokes. It’s infamous for scenes like Batman and Silver St. Cloud being overly loud during intimacy – so much so that it alerts Aquaman – and a particularly embarrassing incident involving Batman losing control of his bladder.

Even if you overlook the story’s less polished parts, The Widening Gyre still suffers from a weak plot and makes Batman seem unusually gullible. The villain, Baphomet, far too easily earns Batman’s trust, even managing to get inside the Batcave. This is particularly surprising given Batman’s reputation as the world’s greatest detective. The story was so poorly received that plans for a sequel were abandoned.

1) Batman: Odyssey

Batman: Odyssey is arguably the strangest Batman story ever told. The plot is so bizarre it’s hard to summarize, and it’s a truly awful comic that you have to read to believe. It feels rambling and directionless, filled with odd moments and lacking a clear purpose.

The story gets really strange because each issue begins with a disturbingly intimate monologue from a nearly nude Bruce Wayne, as he tells his story directly to the reader. It feels uncomfortably like being relentlessly pursued by someone unwanted, and it’s made even weirder by the fact that Superman is revealed to be the intended audience for these odd, naked confessions. It’s honestly not good – you should check it out, but be warned, it’s pretty bizarre.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/comics/list/10-dc-supervillains-who-defined-the-1940s/embed/#

Read More

2025-11-22 17:15