Hello, and welcome back to my compilation of some the best Batman comic book covers! Previously: Bane broke the Bat, the New 52 Dark Knight made his debut, a legend was born, and much more. You can check out Part One of the list here, or just, y’know, scroll down to the bottom of the article and click the link there.
Batman #407 (1987) by David Mazzucchelli
To kick off my second batch of favourite Batman covers, we have the final issue of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s masterpiece, Year One. To be honest, I could’ve included all four covers from the story, but in the end I whittled it down to just this one. Highlighting the two most important characters in the tale, it, much like the rest of the book, explores light, darkness, and everything in between.
Detective Comics #31 (1939) by Bob Kane
The original version of Neal Adams’ Batman #227 (featured in Part One) is creepishly cool, again incorporating traditional horror elements (mist, spooky castle, etc.) with the Bat looming over the scene. This doesn’t really have anything to do with the quality of the image, but I love the Caped Crusader’s early look — especially those ears. Not much else to say about this one.
Batman #244 (1972) by Neal Adams
I’m glad I managed to find a place for a cover featuring Ra’s Al Ghul, since he’s one of my favourite Bat-villains, and perhaps there’s no better example than this piece by Neal Adams. Excellent composition, with the placement of Batman, Ra’s and the sword, great colours, and a wonderful sense of mystery and excitement. That's a quintessential comic book cover, really.
Batman #465 (1991) by Norm Breyfogle
Homaging the cover of Batman #9, the debut of Tim Drake as the Boy Wonder is cemented in history with this fantastic one-sheet. Norm Breyfogle truly does the concept justice, taking the Golden Age pose and giving it a modern (read: 90’s) update, injecting it with forceful energy and a more dangerous feel. A highly underrated image in Dark Knight chronology.
Batman #619 (2003) by Jim Lee
Okay, I’m quite tempted to say that this is my all-time favourite Batman cover. The concluding chapter of Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s Hush features this incredible gatefold cover putting the expansive Batfamily (of the time) on clear display. Some figures are stoic, others dynamic, all wonderfully placed and beautifully illustrated. The inks of Scott Williams and colours of Alex Sinclair also help make this piece pop, so huge credit to a duo that always make Lee’s art some of the best.
Batman #1 (1940) by Bob Kane
The very first issue of the Caped Crusader’s solo series features another classic image of the Dynamic Duo. Though the similarly garish background colour hampers my enjoyment of Kane’s Detective #27 cover a little, I think I actually like it here — Batman and Robin, actually enjoying themselves, make a dramatic entrance and it totally works.
Batman #251 (1973) by Neal Adams
One last entry for Adams (he’s not even my favourite Bat-artist, but he’s featured more than any other on this list) — his highly recognisable Batman #251 cover, featuring the return of the Joker. The text correlates with the image, displaying the crazy clown taking over the town thanks to his massive form, with the Dark Knight at his mercy on his playing field. Great stuff.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (1986) by Frank Miller
One of the most iconic images in the history of the medium, Frank Miller’s take on a weary, ageing Caped Crusader in The Dark Knight Returns is captured brilliantly with the cover of his first issue. Batman has returned to crime fighting after a lengthy hiatus, leaping triumphantly as he is reborn with a strike of lightning; a stark, black figure against a jagged, white stroke is just so elegant (not a word many would use regarding Miller) and powerful.
Detective Comics #27 (2014) by Greg Capullo
The final entry in my list is also the most recent. Greg Capullo always does good work, but here he well and truly knocks it out of the park, creating what I think (and hope) will be a celebrated comic book cover for years to come. The stark black contrasts wonderfully with the illumination of the symbol in the sky, representing triumph and justice and everything else Batman stands for. Once again: simple idea, brilliant execution. I should also mention that I really love the use of text here, something not said too often about modern covers.
And that’s it! There are probably dozens of Batman covers I really, really like, and these were just the best of the best. At least, in my view — feel free to keep sharing some of your pics below. Just in case you missed it, check out Part One here.