4 Batman Comic Book Runs Made CBR's Top 100 List

[The Whovian]

Plus, one more Bat Family book as well:

85. Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ “Batman” – 129 points (5 first place votes)

81. Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin’s “Detective Comics” – 137 points (3 first place votes)

79. Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker’s “Gotham Central” – 139 points (4 first place votes)

8. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s “Batman” – 1019 points (20 first place votes)

7. Grant Morrison’s “Batman” – 1036 points (22 first place votes)

The list looks good. Even though I'm a huge Batman fan, I don't think Snyder's run should be in the top 10. Probably should be around 15 instead. But I am happy to see Morrison's run at #7. Well deserved.

[Atlanta96]

Yeah...definitely not in the top 10. More like the top 50. For the first arc alone

[JBatmanFan05]

But I am happy to see Morrison's run at #7. Well deserved.

I have to say I'm surprised and very pleasantly so.

I don't think Snyder's run should be in the top 10. Probably should be around 15 instead.

Yea, I think it may be a tad high. Though I will counter that point some by wondering why Snyder's work with Capullo is solely the basis for judging Snyder's work on Batman overall so far. What if Snyder's Black Mirror (that ended and immediately turned right into his Cap run that built on ideas in Black Mirror) and "Twenty-Seven" Tec 27 story was included in the analysis? Or Batman Eternal or other co-written ones?

Basically, I've long thought it unfair to Scott in the "Game of Fan Lists" to call it the "Snyder/Capullo run" when that's not been his whole time here in Batmanland. While he was penning Batman 1-51..he was also doing other Batman stories.

[The Whovian]

I have to say I'm surprised and very pleasantly so.


Yea, I think it may be a tad high. Though I will counter that point some by wondering why Snyder's work with Capullo is solely the basis for judging Snyder's work on Batman overall so far. What if Snyder's Black Mirror (that ended and immediately turned right into his Cap run that built on ideas in Black Mirror) and "Twenty-Seven" Tec 27 story was included in the analysis? Or Batman Eternal or other co-written ones? Basically, I've long thought it unfair to Scott to call it the "Snyder/Capullo run" when that's not be his whole time here in Batmanland.

I get what you're saying, but I think CBR is looking at what the fans voted on. I had a similar gripe with the Frank Miller DD run. They didn't include Born Again, which I thought was a major omission.

[SicariiDC]

I gotta read the englehart/Rogers run

[JBatmanFan05]

I gotta read the englehart/Rogers run

The best way I know of is to the purchase the out of print Strange Apparitions TPB. Or find some other way to read its contents.

There was Rogers HC, Wein HC, etc but they all excluded some issues of what is best most accurately labelled the Steve Englehart/Len Wein/Marshall Rogers/Terry Austin/Walter Simonson Detective Comics run. Tec 469-479.

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Batman:_Strange_Apparitions


Yea, it'd be nice if DC simply reprinted the S.App trade, perhaps with better paper. It also deserves Deluxe and Absolute and all the bells and whistles that other lesser runs and works get from DC.

[blackbolt396]

I gotta read the englehart/Rogers run

My favorite Batman run of all time.

[JBatmanFan05]

My favorite Batman run of all time.

Yea, it's so awesome. Even if one doesn't end up liking it or finds it overrated, it's just an important read because it had such an influence on the mythos in comics and in other media (BTAS, Joker's development, etc).

[JBatmanFan05]

Of course, counting more than 1-51 for Snyder is also a liability some, because then you get the credit/blame for the good and the bad and everything in between.

[Aioros22]

I love that the Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers and Austin run gets the praise it deserves but Snyder`s Batman over something like Detective`s Barr/Davis? What about the excellent Grant/Breygfole/Aparo runs?

Snyder`s run exceels in supposely groundbreaking events that paid little in conclusion. I`m going to venture that Starlin/Aparo/Wrightson brief run was actually most of the things Snyder was aiming at, especially: shocking, controversial and status quo changing. Winnick`s run even.

That said I really enjoyed Year Zero but as a whole the run is mostly a dud.

[TheBatman]

O'Neil/Adams and Englehart/Rogers were ranked too low, IMO, and Snyder/Capullo too high.

Was very pleased with the ranking for the Morrison run.

[millernumber1]

I get what you're saying, but I think CBR is looking at what the fans voted on. I had a similar gripe with the Frank Miller DD run. They didn't include Born Again, which I thought was a major omission.

I'm sad Dixon/Moench/Grant and Knightfall weren't included. Also - no Born Again? Are they sleeping?

[darkseidpwns]

I'm sad Dixon/Moench/Grant and Knightfall weren't included. Also - no Born Again? Are they sleeping?

These internet lists generally have no credibility, usually they deliberately make controversial additions and omissions. These Batman additions,do make sense though.

[Maxpower00044]

Something I wrote on Reddit, but I'll just leave it here:

Personally, it's not only one of my all time favorite runs on the character, it's also one of my favorite runs in the medium. I can easily see why it could be considered a top ten (15?) run.

- The title was a consistent top selling book for 5 years. Only time it really got out of the top spot proper was when there was, a) a new number 1 issue, b) a company-wide event, or c) if there was a "hype book" coming out.

- The creative team was consistent through the whole run. Snyder's writing (while a vocal minority disagree) was top notch, and Cap & CO.'s art was consistently the best art being put out in a comic book while it was being published (my opinion, of course. But, also a lot of other peoples' opinion, too).

- This list is comprised of voters, so it's obviously held in high regard by both readers and critics alike. It's not like CBR just magically decided to put this run that high for no reason. Also, while it was coming out, it was one of the highest praised books by both fans and critics.

So, while the Internet has a vocal minority of people who didn't like this book, and looooooove to let you know it, its kinda hard to ignore these facts. As time goes on, I believe we will see that this run will be cemented in among the great comic book runs of all time.

[JBatmanFan05]

Maxpower00044, do you have any opinion on what should be said to actually comprise the or a Snyder or Snyder/Capullo run?

Just Batman #1-51 with Capullo (which is actually only about 46 issues of Cap)? Black Mirror? Annuals? Tec 27's short? Gates of Gotham? Batman Eternal?

IMHO Black Mirror (which came directly before Snyder/Cap, which Snyder/Cap builds a lot off of thematically IMHO, not to mention references, etc) and any Snyder annuals and "Twenty-Seven" (Tec 27) should definitely be part of something perhaps just better called Snyder's run or run so far.