When was it the least fun to be a Batman fan?

[Batman Begins 2005]

Let's lament the lows:

Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997).

The redesigns in The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999).

The Dark Knight Strikes Again and All-Star Batman and Robin.

War Games.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).

Tom King's Batman run.

Nightwing's treatment in DC Rebirth till Tom Taylor came along.

[Morgoth]

Tom King's Batman run.

Nightwing's treatment in DC Rebirth till Tom Taylor came along.

This. This is by far the worst Batman period I've ever seen. King's run made Bruce completely miserable, Dick had this awful amnesia storyline, Damian was on his way to become a villain, Barbara had a really bad run, etc.
Only War Games can compete here, I guess.

[charliehustle415]

Tynion's Batman run was pretty bad in the sense that it was not fun, it was cookie cutter stuff that felt beneath his skill.

[Batman Begins 2005]

This. This is by far the worst Batman period I've ever seen. King's run made Bruce completely miserable, Dick had this awful amnesia storyline, Damian was on his way to become a villain, Barbara had a really bad run, etc.
Only War Games can compete here, I guess.

Agree with all you say. Cheers.

[phonogram12]

Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997).

War Games.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).

Nightwing's treatment in DC Rebirth till Tom Taylor came along.

As far as the movies go, I have to agree with the above. Those were certainly low points. As far as the comics were concerned, I also agree the the above certainly weren't that great. That said, as a Batman fan, they were easy enough to ignore. The low points for me were the points the DC made too big to ignore, like Winick's run on Batman and (*gasp!*) Morrison's. I wasn't a fan of either and didn't touch a single Bat-Family book until I was able to find one that didn't have anything to do with either of their respective directions.

[KyleWayne]

The Morrison era. The New 52. Rebirth. Hell, it’s still not a good time to be a Batman fan. I haven’t enjoyed the comics since Judd Winick and I haven’t liked a Batman movie since Batman and Robin.

I did enjoy Gotham, though.

[exile001]

The Morrison/Dini era, I was disliking the books so much I quit reading for years.

Very specifically, Batman shooting Darkseid in Final Crisis was the final straw.

A lot of people love Morrison's Batman run and see it as THE Batman run, but I see nothing but a writer trying to fit their vision for a character, non-powered action heroes in general (James Bond, et al) and an overview of hero comics overall where it just doesn't fit. I don't think Morrison understands Batman or his world and I don't think they even tried.

Also if, say, Tony Beddard had written Batman with a surprise son that a now super evil Talia and Ra's had held in secret until now because... reasons, he and the editor who allowed it would be scorched as the hackiest, least imaginative, most damaging creatives ever. Morrison does it and it's somehow genius? Nah, hack writing is hack writing.

Batman Incorporated, with Bruce announcing it to the world, is a massive step beyond the Outsiders and would have raised eyebrows under anyone else, too.

Dini has Batman punch a guy in front of a train in his first issue, not a great start, then proceeded to basically write the same 5 stories over and over. His second run was just a series of ludicrous contrivances.

When Tony Daniel is the only writer I feel is putting in effort and writing a Batman I recognise you know something is very wrong.

I have since gone back and read the whole era and my opinion hasn't really changed.

[millernumber1]

Let's lament the lows:

Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997).

War Games.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).

Tom King's Batman run.

Nightwing's treatment in DC Rebirth till Tom Taylor came along.

An interesting question, though I personally:

Like Batman Forever a lot more than most, though it is a very flawed film. Batman and Robin is pretty pants, though.

War Games for sure, even though it was when I was first getting into comics. I loved Birds of Prey during that time, but Batman himself, really didn't enjoy it.

I also really like Batman v Superman, even though again, it's quite flawed.

Tom King's Batman run is my favorite Batman run that I've read, and managed to change my mind from War Games about hating Bruce Wayne. It is very flawed (I think there's a theme here for me.)

I think Tom Taylor's Nightwing is pretty wretched myself, passive, self important, shallow, lazy, and ridiculous. Not that Ric was any good. But Seeley's run was very fun!

Tynion's Batman run was pretty bad in the sense that it was not fun, it was cookie cutter stuff that felt beneath his skill.

I don't wholly disagree that Tynion's Batman run was a mess (largely, I believe, because of what he was struggling with editorial over as revealed in his substack posts), but I still had a ton of fun. There's an energy and love of Gotham and the Batfamily that I think was infectious, and I still really enjoy what he was able to do.

The Morrison/Dini era, I was disliking the books so much I quit reading for years.

Very specifically, Batman shooting Darkseid in Final Crisis was the final straw.

A lot of people love Morrison's Batman run and see it as THE Batman run, but I see nothing but a writer trying to fit their vision for a character, non-powered action heroes in general (James Bond, et al) and an overview of hero comics overall where it just doesn't fit. I don't think Morrison understands Batman or his world and I don't think they even tried.

Also if, say, Tony Beddard had written Batman with a surprise son that a now super evil Talia and Ra's had held in secret until now because... reasons, he and the editor who allowed it would be scorched as the hackiest, least imaginative, most damaging creatives ever. Morrison does it and it's somehow genius? Nah, hack writing is hack writing.

Batman Incorporated, with Bruce announcing it to the world, is a massive step beyond the Outsiders and would have raised eyebrows under anyone else, too.

Dini has Batman punch a guy in front of a train in his first issue, not a great start, then proceeded to basically write the same 5 stories over and over. His second run was just a series of ludicrous contrivances.

When Tony Daniel is the only writer I feel is putting in effort and writing a Batman I recognise you know something is very wrong.

I have since gone back and read the whole era and my opinion hasn't really changed.

Morrison I do think is ridiculously overrated. I love the idea of Batman Inc, but don't think Morrison made anywhere close to the best use of it. I quite enjoy Dini's run, though it's not landmark, just well crafted and fun for me. Tony Daniel's Batman was way better than his Detective Comics! Very shallowly written, but not bad.

As for my own feelings, I'd say War Games, the Williamson run, and the first three years of the n52 were the worst time for me.

[exile001]

War Games/War Crimes were an absolute travesty, but something good came from it as they're kinda responsible for my love of Steph.

I don't think she was treated overly well under Dixon (in Robin) and was a bit bored of her, but when she was made Robin I was interested. Then, just as I'd started warming up to her again (and her wonderfully different outlook on being in the Bat-Family), she was taken away in a badly written event that splash damaged Leslie Thompkins, a character I love, and I was PISSED.

Skip a few years when she's back and now Batgirl and I was 100% in a place to love her and her plucky, underdog, cheerful and positive self. I've been rooting for her ever since!

[Jackalope89]

The more modern era where Batman is regarded as "the best" and "more realistic" by more casual fans, and those ONLY familiar with the DCAU.

[Drako]

Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997).

I was a kid watching these movies and i had a blast.
For some reason, i never liked Batman Returns, even now i can't stand it but for different reasons.

The Ric Grayson era was my least favorite of all time reading it monthly.

[Iclifton]

The Morrison era. The New 52. Rebirth. Hell, it’s still not a good time to be a Batman fan. I haven’t enjoyed the comics since Judd Winick and I haven’t liked a Batman movie since Batman and Robin.

I did enjoy Gotham, though.

How in the world could Morrisons era ever be the worst. No run has even came close sense. The whole line was killing it. It’s probably the best era for the character tbh.

[Triniking1234]

Living outside America, the Batman cartoon was going strong where I lived when the Schumacer films came out then Beyond came out in 2000. Good times.

[thwhtGuardian]

How in the world could Morrisons era ever be the worst. No run has even came close sense. The whole line was killing it. It’s probably the best era for the character tbh.

That's my feeling too, the early 2000's to the nu52 reboot was one of the strongest eras for Batman in my eyes.

As for weakest I'd say the last 5 or so years.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Morrison's run. Great artists, but outside of that I didn't care for it and I loved many of Grant's other works.

Tom King's run was so drab and depressing, glad they ended it sooner than it was supposed to be ended.

I also didn't like the Moench/Jones Batman run after KnightsEnd.

Nightwing before Taylor was pretty bad too.