Favorite Decade for the Bat?

[deadboy80]

For me its a combo of both the 80's and 90's. For this poll I went with the 1980's. Lots of great stuff, including the rise and fall of a Robin. Dick moving on, year one. Great writers, great art. Very good decade.

[tib2d2]

I love the art of the 70s, and I love the journey into the dark version of Batman that we just take as normal for now. Although the 70s stories are great, there's still a hint of the cheese from the 60s in those issues, so I had to go with the 80s. Great stories in the 80s and the art is still fantastic.

[Shadowcat]

Does all the "1970s people" only know of Dennis O' Neil / Steve Englehart like a "historian"?, but what about Batman Family, with Batgirl, Batwoman, and Robin, against Killer Moth and Cavalier? The debuts of Spook, Black Spider, Captain Stingaree, Calculator, Firebug, while bringing back Signalman, Crazy Quilt, Kite Man, Calendar Man? Added with of course, more awesome to outrageously FUN battles against Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face, and Scarecrow?

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You can get your point across without being rude. Thanks for contributing your 2 cents. I'm glossing over an entire decade in a sentence or two. But if you don't enjoy conversing about the decades civilly, you can always leave my thread.

[blackbolt396]

The 1970's- Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, Frank Robbins, Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers.
It is my favorite era. This when Batman started to go back to his roots when Dick Grayson left Wayne Manor and went to college. Bruce and Alfred packed up and moved into Gotham City at his penthouse atop The Wayne Foundation Building. The Joker was not the prankster of the 60's, but returned to his dark roots as a maniacal killer. Hugo Strange returned. New villains such as Ra's Al Ghul, Man-Bat, and Rupert Thorne were introduced. It is these stories that actually got Batman producer Michael Uslan in 1979 to push for a dark Batman movie to the studios.

Bingo O'NEIL and Adams.

[Diggy]

This was tough, I really like things I've read from every decade since the 70s (I think the 40s-60s stuff are mostly enjoyable in their own way as well tho.) Keep in mind though I'm only 18, so I've probably read a lot less of the older material than some of you here. That being said I voted for the 80s. I really like the style of the Batbooks all throughout that decade, and it just has too many classics to deny it.

[darkseidpwns]

The 90's for me,I loved the late 80's and late 2000's but the 90's was good throughout, the early millennium gave us classics like Brubakers Catwoman and Gotham Central but we also got Hush Returns,Officer Down and War Games. The best stories in those years were Hush and Under the Hood...goes to show the quality of writing.

[manduck37]

My favorite is definitely the 70's era. I loved the noir detective feel, the incredible art. The stories were dark and mysterious. We saw the creation of some legendary bat villains like Ra's. It's what got me into Batman. For me, the 70's really captured that dark feel that Batman should have without making Batman too dark himself. It managed a dark tone just with the mood of the stories and not the pointless gore for shock value that sometimes happens in modern stories. They had a mood to them that is just unlike anything before or since. I still love ol Bats, but this era is what he's all about to me.

[Uncanny Mutie]

My favorite is definitely the 70's era. I loved the noir detective feel, the incredible art. The stories were dark and mysterious. We saw the creation of some legendary bat villains like Ra's. It's what got me into Batman. For me, the 70's really captured that dark feel that Batman should have without making Batman too dark himself. It managed a dark tone just with the mood of the stories and not the pointless gore for shock value that sometimes happens in modern stories. They had a mood to them that is just unlike anything before or since. I still love ol Bats, but this era is what he's all about to me.

I picked the 80's, because I honestly think it was Batman's creative peak and that the comic book stories were by far the best during that decade. But I do agree with you that the 70's did have a nice balance between classic, light hearted, traditional super hero Batman and the super dark and serious version of Batman that we have become accustomed to since the 80's. I would think that anything Batman before the 70's definitely has to be an acquired taste or just pure veneration, though, unless that's the version of Batman you grew up with.

[Uncanny Mutie]

The rolickin' 90's. Many people feel that the 90's does nothing but leave a bad taste in one's mouth, but we had some really great stuff coming out in the 90's. We had Knightfall, the Animated series, and the expansion of the Batline. Sure, in the past we've had a book here and there with ties to Batman, but not star him, with some middling success, but it wasn't until this decade it became a franchise. Disagree if you want, but it really branched out during this period.

While I do respect the creative growth that occurred during that period for Batman and all of his ancillary characters, the whole "franchise" approach to Batman from the mid to late 90's is actually what started to turn me off from Batman and his universe. I think this is why we have about 12 to 15 different Batman/Batman Family books to this day, which is complete overkill, and not all of them are quality books, either. The same thing turned me off from the X-Men in the mid to late 90's and continues to hurt their brand and books to this day, so it's not just Batman, to be fair.

[manduck37]

I picked the 80's, because I honestly think it was Batman's creative peak and that the comic book stories were by far the best during that decade. But I do agree with you that the 70's did have a nice balance between classic, light hearted, traditional super hero Batman and the super dark and serious version of Batman that we have become accustomed to since the 80's. I would think that anything Batman before the 70's definitely has to be an acquired taste or just pure veneration, though, unless that's the version of Batman you grew up with.

I had to give it some serious thought between the 80's and 70's actually. Ultimately I went with the 70's because of the impact it made on me as a kid and the feel of the books. It only slightly edged out the 80's for me. I agree with your other comment as well, that Batman started to loose me in the 90's, for the same reasons as you. I stopped reading X-Men for the same reasons. I did stick with Batman through the 90's and still read it, but the stories just don't have the same magic for me. Perhaps it's a little nostalgia. Perhaps it was that sense of discovery and wonder as I plunged into Batman's world for the first time. I still enjoy Batman stories, or I wouldn't read them. Modern stories just lack a little something for me.

[SJNeal]

Since 1985-1995 wasn't a choice, I flipped a coin. The 80's won.

[John Venus]

One of the things I love about the 70's Batman was the focus on the Detective part of the character. Too many times in the modern day, the Detective aspect feels like an informed part of the character and the focus is on his anti-JLA contingency plans and the character's personal flaws. A lot of the stories from the 70's which I read actually brings that aspect to the forefront and thankfully, he doesn't just type something into the Bat Computer and the solution he gets turns out to be the answer to the mystery. No, the writers put some effort into it. It wasn't Sir Author Conan Doyle and some of the mysteries were quite simple but it was a good read nonetheless.

I think taking away things like Batman working with non-Jim Gordon authority figures and interacting with the citizens took something away from the character.

[Uncanny Mutie]

One of the things I love about the 70's Batman was the focus on the Detective part of the character. Too many times in the modern day, the Detective aspect feels like an informed part of the character and the focus is on his anti-JLA contingency plans and the character's personal flaws. A lot of the stories from the 70's which I read actually brings that aspect to the forefront and thankfully, he doesn't just type something into the Bat Computer and the solution he gets turns out to be the answer to the mystery. No, the writers put some effort into it. It wasn't Sir Author Conan Doyle and some of the mysteries were quite simple but it was a good read nonetheless.

I think taking away things like Batman working with non-Jim Gordon authority figures and interacting with the citizens took something away from the character.

I agree. The detective aspect of Batman was at its strongest in the 70's and is part of what makes 70's Batman one of his best eras. Being fond of those detective stories from the 70's is probably the reason why the Riddler is my favorite Batman villain; because he always gives Batman the best MENTAL challenge and makes him use his detective skills to the best of his abilities. Unfortunately, once the 80's rolled around, the Detective aspect of Batman---which is one of his most important characteristics---seemed to take a backseat to being totally dark and being obsessed with vengeance; I'm still waiting on a Batman movie to hit theaters that shows us why he's "The World's Greatest Detective" and not just some dark vigilante who relies heavily on tech and scares criminals at night with his bat costume and dark demeanor. Nolan's Batman films were particularly bad about that; the "dark vigilante" M.O. is the easiest thing to get right about Batman; show us his DETECTIVE skills and his INTELLIGENCE, which are just as important and fundamental to his character!!!

[Lee Stone]

I have to say the '60s. Just because I loved the tv show when I was a kid in the '80s and now that I'm older I really like the Silver Age style.

[oasis1313]

1970's--Neal Adams art.