When it comes to the Dark Knight there are countless incredible issues to choose from that chronicle the adventures of DC’s legendary superhero, from his early days in year one and beyond. In this list, however, we’re looking purely at the greatest Batman comic covers of all time. In other words, these books have to stand on their own based purely on their cover rather than necessarily being a key first appearance or story arc when it comes to the caped crusader (although we have included details on why certain book are considered keys).
To make things easy, we’ve listed all issues in order of publication date and included the estimated price and details on why we chose it. So without any further ado, break out your utility belts, fire up the Bat signal and prepare to dig into our picks for the 25 best Batman comic book covers of all time.
1. Batman #227
- Published: December 1970
- Estimated Price: $1,200 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Iconic cover art
- Why We Picked It: An homage to the cover of Detective Comics #31 from 1939, this iconic image from the late Neal Adams is absolutely stunning and an an all-time great classic comic book cover.
2. Detective Comics #400
- Published: June 1970
- Estimated Price: $600 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance and origin of Man-Bat. First team-up of Batgirl and Robin in a backup story.
- Why We Picked It: Yet another one of the greatest Neal Adams Batman covers of all time, this single issue introduced one of the Dark Knight’s most horrific flying foes and illustrates a master comic book artist at the height of his skill.
3. Batman #232
- Published: June 1971
- Estimated Price: $1,200 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Ra’s al Ghul and 2nd appearance of Talia al Ghul
- Why We Picked It: While this legendary issue introduces one of Batman’s greatest foes (the vision Ra’s al Ghul) we chose it for this list simply because of the iconic Neal Adams artwork that remains of the greatest covers of the caped crusader ever produced .
4. Batman #241
- Published: May 1972
- Estimated Price: $70 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Colonel Sulphur
- Why We Picked It: DC artist Neal Adams could literally have an entire list showcasing his work, but one under appreciated gem is this stunning cover that features the Dark Knight hunting over the streets of Gotham.
5. Batman #244
- Published: September 1972
- Estimated Price: $440 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Classic battle of Batman and Ra’s al Ghul. Iconic panel of Batman kissing Talia al Ghul.
- Why We Picked It: Yet another Neal Adams cover we absolutely had to include, this iconic image remains a must-have for Batman collectors, with this single cover capturing the life or death struggle between the Dark Knight and his most ruthless foe.
6. Batman #251
- Published: September 1973
- Estimated Price: $2,000 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Reintroduced the Joker as a homicidal maniac
- Why We Picked It: Another stunning Batman cover from the late Neal Adams, this issue is particularly noteworthy for bringing a new homicidal bent to the Joker, something that would go on to influence the character throughout comics and film.
7. Swamp Thing #7
- Published: November 1973
- Estimated Price: $60 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: First meeting of Batman and the Swamp Thing
- Why We Picked It: Featuring art by the great horror comic book master Bernie Wrightson, this Swamp Thing issue remains a classic use of color, action and perspective, making it an absolutely unforgettable Batman cover.
8. Batman #357
- Published: March 1983
- Estimated Price: $150 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st cameo appearance of Jason Todd and 2nd cameo appearance of Killer Croc.
- Why We Picked It: While this issue remains highly sought after as a key (thanks to introducing both Jason Todd and Killer Croc) we chose it for this list because of the incredible cover by the great Ed Hannigan.
9. Batman #386
- Published: August 1985
- Estimated Price: $85 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Black Mask.
- Why We Picked It: Another notable first appearance of a Batman villain, for us this issue really stands out because of the gorgeous cover art by legendary DC artist Tom Mandrake.
10. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1
- Published: March 1986
- Estimated Price: $200 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Carrie Kelley (a Robin from an alternate reality)
- Why We Picked It: The Dark Knight Returns brought a gritty realism to superheroes that had never been seen before. For us, however, this book deserves its spot on this list thanks to the iconic cover art by Frank Miller, which has been swiped, reproduced and recreated for decades.
11. Batman #400
- Published: October 1986
- Estimated Price: $25 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Two-page introduction by Stephen King
- Why We Picked It: While this issue marks a key milestone in the history of Batman comics, we chose it because of this abstract and incredible cover by Bill Sienkiewicz, who remains one of the most versatile artists in comic book history.
12. Batman #404
- Published: February 1987
- Estimated Price: $25 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: “Year One”, Part 1. Origin of Bruce Wayne.
- Why We Picked It: With a script written by Frank Miller, this issue essentially created the Batman backstory that would later be adopted in countless other comics and films. For us though, it’s hard to top this iconic cover image by David Mazzucchelli, which beautifully captures the tragedy that would turn Bruce Wayne into a unstoppable force of justice.
13. Batman #423
- Published: September 1988
- Estimated Price: $150 (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Iconic Todd McFarlane artwork
- Why We Picked It: Todd McFarlane may best be known for his work on Spawn and Spider-Man, but for our money it’s hard to top this gorgeous image which deserves its place among the greatest Batman covers of all time.
14. Batman #428
- Published: January 1989
- Estimated Price: $40 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Death of Robin, Jason Todd, killed by the Joker
- Why We Picked It: This issue not only saw the death of Jason Todd (after much fan controversy and backlash) but also cements its place in Batman history thanks to this stunning cover by Mike Mignola (who would later go on to create Hellboy).
15. Batman #497
- Published: July 1993
- Estimated Price: $15 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Bane breaks Batman’s back
- Why We Picked It: While the infamous breaking of Batman’s back would be later recreated in the Christian Bale film The Dark Knight Rises, it was actually first captured here in this unforgettable cover art by Jim Aparo.
16. Batman #608 (2nd Print)
- Published: December 2002
- Estimated Price: $180 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Jim Lee variant
- Why We Picked It: Jim Lee is perhaps best known for his work on X-Men, but his work on Batman in the early 2000s is equally iconic. Nowhere is this more evident than in this stunning image featuring the Dark Knight high above the streets of Gotham.
17. Batman #612
- Published: April 2003
- Estimated Price: $20 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Battle between Batman and Superman
- Why We Picked It: It’s no secret that Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent have had their differences of the years. But perhaps nowhere is this conflict more evident than in this jaw dropping cover by Jim Lee.
18. Batman #635
- Published: February 2005
- Estimated Price: $200 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Jason Todd as Red Hood
- Why We Picked It: Another important key that resurrected former Robin Jason Todd into his alter ego Red Hood, we chose this book because of this gorgeous cover art by comic book legend Matt Wagner.
19. Batman #655
- Published: September 2006
- Estimated Price: $30 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st cameo appearance of Damian Wayne (son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul)
- Why We Picked It: This issue marks one of the earliest appearances of Bruce Wayne’s son, Damian, but it’s also an epic cover by the great Andy Kubert that remains an iconic image that’s still highly sought after by collectors.
20. Batman #666
- Published: July 2007
- Estimated Price: $30 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Special issue set 15 years into the future featuring Damian Wayne as Batman
- Why We Picked It: Another absolutely stunning Andy Kubert cover that we had to include on this list, this single image showcases both a near future Batman and a master artist at the top of his game.
21. Detective Comics #880
- Published: September 2011
- Estimated Price: $170 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Classic Jock cover art featuring the Joker
- Why We Picked It: While technically this might be considered more of a Joker cover than a Batman one, it’s also one of the most popular and iconic images associated with the Dark Knight thanks to the incredible work by the artist Jock.
22. Batman #6 (New 52)
- Published: Apr. 2012
- Estimated Price: $60 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of the Court of Owls
- Why We Picked It: While it’s highly likely that the dreaded Court of Owls will appear in future Batman comics and films, this issue landed on our list because of this classic cover by Greg Capullo, with his twisted owl creature becoming an instantly recognizable part of Batman lore.
23. Batman Damned #1
- Published: September 2018
- Estimated Price: $25 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: First DC Black label. Controversial “bat wang”.
- Why We Picked It: While fans might best known this issue because of the controversial panel showing a naked Bruce Wayne, it’s hard to overlook the subtle yet stunning cover by Lee Bermejo.
24. Detective Comics #1000
- Published: March 2019
- Estimated Price: $150 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1000th issue
- Why We Picked It: It’s insane to think that Detective Comics reached over 1,000 issues and almost 100 years of history. And nowhere is this legacy better represented than in this gorgeous Alex Ross cover homage to Detective Comics #27 from 1939 (an issue that marked the first appearance of Batman).
25. Batman ’89 #1
- Published: August 2021
- Estimated Price: $15 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Continuation of the Tim Burton Batman films
- Why We Picked It: While Batman has appeared in countless films, television shows and comics, the Tim Burton movies have a special place in many fans hearts. That’s why this cover by Joe Quinones cover brings an epic level of Dark Knight nostalgia.
So there you have it! Our picks for the 25 best Batman comic covers of all time. Are there any book you think we missed? Let us know in the comments below! (Also be sure to check out our list of the 25 best Batman graphic novels and the 20 best Batman comics of all time).
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