Oh yeah, now we're talking! Great way to start a Friday.

This was an excellent list to wake up to -- it's nearly impossible to get an accurate 'top ten' list for this topic, but kudos on some pretty excellent moments.

I mean, as ridiculous as ASB&R was, you have to admit that Batman painting himself yellow just to piss Hal off is pretty goddamn hilarious.

Of course, the Green Lantern of today would walk into the all-yellow room, look at Batman, then laugh.

I'm glad a Dark Knight Returns moment made it to Number 1, because, really, that's the most badass Batman series ever.

"You don't get it, boy.. this isn't a mudhole. It's an operating table. And I'm the surgeon."
'Something tells me to stop with the leg. I don't listen to it.'

The really awesome thing about batman defeating the white Martians, is how confident Supes is that it will happen, making that moment (in my opinion) one of the most badass superman moments as well. So it's double the badassery, all in one issue

You missed out the one where he fights Ninjas. I'm even surprised at all All-Star moment got included in this.

Frank Miller fallen out of style?! I don't know what to say...but yes. We all knew Batman could beat anybody, DK Returns is the proof.

This is why I don't like Batman. Sure, he fights crime, but he doesn't have to be such a jerk about it.

Even though he didn't use them, I think the mere fact that he had protocols to defeat the whole JLA as seen in Tower of Babel should be on there. It is a good list, but a bit Frank Miller heavy.

Also, the Kryptonite ring fight in Hush, I mean he lures Supes to the lead lined sewer just to have a chance, the whole thing is set around he knows the only way to win is for Supes to shake off the poison, so he does what it takes. It is the perfect amount of badassery of mind and body.

"The last candy-pants of a blown up planet" Fucking AWESOME.

pwns?
Jesus Christ are you 10?

few years back in a JLA run when the whole JLA found out Batman had a book on how to kill all of them and who they all were. That was pretty badass.

One my favorite bad-ass moment was at the end of the Fugitive arc, after Batman captures the man who set up the frame job on Bruce Wayne. Batman hunts him down and once he finds him, he doesn’t bring him to the police or turn him over to the Justice League, he brings him to Arkham under a false name and has him committed for life.

I loved the hairy chest Batman anytime he fought with just his cowl on...classic.

As far as the list, can't argue with much of it. When Batman lays out Guy, it is such a classic moment for Batman. Kind of like Indiana Jones shooting the swordsman rather than fighting him with his whip.

I like that it isn't the "10 Most"...which means we can see more lists like this in the future...excellent

Posted to digg. Let's see TR on the front page.

http://digg.com/comics_animation/10_Incredibly_Badass_Batman_Comic_Moments

I'm a Morrison JLA guy so obviously the Martian takedown will obviously be #1 for me, but nevertheless an excellent list.

(Best moment of that: Batman beats up four of them offscreen, and when he hauls them back in Wally asks "only four?" That's the Morrison JLA in a nutshell: Batman being awesome while Wally and Kyle bring the funny.)

And one that deserves at least three or four sequels.

That first Frank Miller penned bit with Batman painting himself yellow just feels so off to me. I tried to read it in Kevin Conroy's iconic voice, but it just doesn't work. Batman simply doesn't speak like that!

"Fast hands, my little ROBIN", "Fast Hands, big mouth..." WTF! Gay subtext anyone?

Comic moments? So there will be a list of badass cartoon moments?

The Guy moment and the Forager moment should have been higher. And that yellow room stuff was just silly, there were better moments of Batman's cleverness.

And I'm just gonna say it. The only reason Batman ever won a fight with Superman is because Superman let him.

In the jla arc rock of ages where he becomes desaad for years just to have a chance to get to darkseid and take him out. Whatever it takes.

What's going on with Blue Beetle in that panel of Guy laid out? Why did he pull his costume up over his face? Did Guy do that? It's bugging me! (no pun intended)

Great list. I would also include Batman being chosen for the Sinestro Corps and refusing.

The DKR Batman Vs Supes page is my all time favourite. It makes me feel all adrelininey.

I've been a reader of batman for nearly forty years, so I know a lot about the Bat. That said, this is a geek list first, insomuch as I agree with every pick on it. And while I agree with readers who cite the Green Lantern sequence as having crap dialogue, I do see Batman going the distance with the yellow when dealing with Hal.It's both a show of his complete and utter disrespect for Jordan's ring-given abilities and a rare display of the post-Silver Age Batman's dry sense of humor, so what's not to like? Well done!

This entire list is awesome. I really like the first one with Green Lantern it highlights that Batman is just as much about using intellect to win as bad-ass righting skills. Plus Robin's little rant is hilarious!

I love the scene at the end of Joker where Bats finally shows up and the Joker goes crazy asking why he wears the mask, why he would hide his obviously perfect, untarnished features. His response?

"To mock you."

That just drips awesome.

I'm not even a Batman fan, but what he did to Green Latern makes me smile. Batman is such a cock.

This list is pretty amazing! The only moment I may have added is when the Batman sets up an alternate personality just in case of psychological attacks, and uses it to defeat the Black Hand in RIP. That one was pretty much as intense as they get.

Man that KGBeast page is really beautiful. Jim Aparo was one of my favorite bat artists. He is highly underrated but his work still holds up. Handsome stuff.

a list i love being a batman fan since birth. and a hard one to pick just ten. moments . as for moments i would add. in the son of the demon batman and TAlia say their goodbyes since batman relizes he loves her too much to risk her life. also the moment in the killing joke where com Gordon tells batman i want the joker brought in by the book showing him our way still works. and the moment in death in the family where batman is holding jason body.

Batman can beat anyone in the DCU but theres plenty that can take him down in the Marvel U, And thats why he will always be a punk.

Great list.

Also, this doesn't necessarily count as by the numbers bad ass, but I love the bit in Neil Gaiman's "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader" where Batman is reincarnated as himself. It's fitting that the only reward for being Batman is... being Batman.

My personal incredibly bad-ass Batman moment is when he's chosen by a Sinestro Corps ring and he fights it off. BAD. ASS.

It was already mentioned, but I would replace the All-Star moment with the Tower of Babel plot. I'm not a fan of Miller's recent output, and All-Star is really the worst comic I feel like I have ever paid money for aside from the first issue of Cry for Justice (I got the rest for free and hated those too).

That aside, this list was awesome and really made me want to dig up some older Bats collections.

Are people still using "pwn"? Isn't that fad over yet?

Seriously Rob, only shmittys say 'pwn' anymore.

Best list yet!

:D

Did Rob Liefeld do #8?

Oh wait, no pouches, so I guess no...

Anyway, that is some pretty bad art.

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the awesome comments. Tower of Babel came close to being on the list several times. The only reason I ultimately decided to pass on it was that the list was already pretty heavy with Batman attacking other heroes and another Ra's Al Ghul moment I liked a lot better.

Plus, as cool as the concept is that Batman had a plan to take out the JLA, he doesn't actually do it himself. In fact, he kind of gets straight up played by Ra's in that arc, if I remember correctly.

Maybe we will do some more Batman lists?

Didn't see it on the list or anyone mention it in the comments so:

Batman: The Long Halloween - He takes out The Joker, Solomon Grundy, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, Penguin, Catwoman, Poison Ivy in succession with surgical precision all in the same room.

Yes a rookie Batman takes down a whole swat team in style but taking down almost his entire rogues gallery in style now that's a true bad ass Batman moment.

Also, I need a golden shower Batman/Green Lantern action figure 2 pack.

Fantastic list Merrill! Each entry had me grinning like an idiot. It's so hard to pick just a few moments in Morrison's run in JLA, because every single panel was just full of badass Batman moments.

Hey! You used my idea!

Today is going to be a great day. :)

Everything Frank Miller does with Batman since the Dark Knight is at least mildly embarrassing, but that gold paint scene is appalling.

I hated DKR. Hated it. Batman was completely psychotic in it and seemed to have some sort of a weird death wish even more than he usually does. But even I had to admit that Batman handing Superman his own ass was awesome. Kudos on the list. The best part about the lemonaide scene, though, was Batman saying "You should really try some of this," and GL responding with "Damn you and your lemonaide!" Oh no! Not the lemonaide! XD I just about died laughing.

So, where is the article picture from?

i love blue beetle saying nothing but "one punch. one punch!" hahaha.

You've just forever won my heart with this!

Taking out the Hyperclan was SO. EFFING. RAD.

Wasn't there an old issue of Wizard dedicated to The JLA that showed how Batman could basically beat every member of The JLA?

I love #2 on the list as that is my personal favorite Batman moment. The ending of issue 3, when Batman's plane goes down, the Hyperclan leaves him for dead...and then Superman taunts them by saying to their faces, that Batman is the most dangerous man on the planet.

It doesn't hurt any that Sups is talking over an awesome panel of the bloody Bats crawling from the wreckage with the greatest "Shit just got real" look on his face.

This is an awesome list. Good job.

NOTE TO EVERYBODY

I'm the one who used the word "pwns," so don't blame Merrill. I absolutely hate the word, but I needed something that meant "totally kicked the ass of" but succinctly, and I was unaware that TR readers hated the word as much as I do (which delights, but still, sorry). You will never see it on TR again, at least by me or any other TR writers.

I hate to nitpick but in the Batman Superman fight in DKR, Superman actually has lost much of his God like powers, he's still recovering from getting nailed with a 100 megaton nuke and Batman remarks that the only reason his plan is working is because Supes isn't anywhere near at full power.

You know, most people argue that Batman doesn't have superpowers, but I disagree. His main power seems to be that he has so many writers who pull for him and make other heroes (and villains) seem stupid and ineffectual compared to his vast omniscience. The fact is, most of the people he effortlessly drops, Superman, for example, would liquefy him if they were trying even a little bit.

Don't get me wrong. I like Batman. It's cool that a normal person (if you can really call someone who is awesome at everything and has unlimited resources normal) can hang with the gods, but I hate how he's evolved into someone so invincible and untouchable that it's just assumed he wins every fight, no matter what.

What's "Community Sevice"?

As someone who likes the character of Batman but has never kept up with any of his comic storyline, this list was a great read. I'd really love to see more along these lines in the future. Perhaps lists featuring other characters and their fantastical feats.

Gold star for this one, TR.

by the by, the dark knight returns scene takes place in batman's severly bruised brain, after superman punches him at mach 5 and puts him in a coma, where he thinks he won.

The reason why #1 shouldn't be number #1 is right in the text itself. You said:

"...given time to plan, Batman can defeat anybody."

Well, this is true of anyone. If you give anyone 60 years of experience, and entire mega-city of power, additional super heroes to aid you in the fight, and a super-suit, well, you'd be pretty damn unstoppable, too.

In fact, the fact that Batman needed all of that to finally take down Superman after all those decades shows how badass he isn't (to Superman, anyway).

Nice list. Maybe you could do lists for the various TV and movie versions of Batman too?

Great list, I really enjoyed it. Brought back some great Batman FU moments for me. I knew DKR had to be the #1, it was the beginning of the "Batman can/will kick Superman's ass" story line that underlines the DCU's obsession with having Batman actually be the guy that keeps Superman in check.

Although the Batman/Green Lantern encounter is hilarious, I have to admit, my favorite Green Lantern "pwning" happened in Teen Titans. It was when Robin/Dick Grayson, during a Justice League-Titan fight, took out Green Lantern, who was kicking their asses, by wrapping his cape around his fist and punching him in the head. Not unlike the Guy Gardner shot.

You know, I've never been a fan of Batman. I think he's an overrated nancy that will always remain a nancy due to his refusal to kill Joker. But even I have to admit that the guy had many cool moments. This list does a great job of illustrating nine of them.

The yellow room? Yeah, that's lame and unfunny. More than anything I'm just shocked that some '70s comic didn't already do it.

List is invalid for using the worst representation of Batman ever. All-Star is garbage

what about when batman took on Darkseid in Superman/Batman by Jeff Loeb and Michael Turner...one of my favorite batsy moments

All you folks defending Superman need to STFU and Suck It right now....Batman can and always will beat the hell out of the big blue boy scout. I hate to paraphrase Jeph Loeb,but I think he nailed it in one of the Superman/Batman comics. Superman is,at heart,a good person....he's a down-home Kansas farmboy who doesnt LIKE hurting and punching people...even though he has the powers of a god. Batman,while just a man,is NOT a nice person. He admits he'll do whatever it takes to win,short of killing...and thats why he wins. Its a psychological edge,not a physical one.

Morrison's Zurr En Arrh.

That's all i have to say.

What's the deal with him ripping the car battery out in the picture before the jump?

Nice list but nothing from All Star Batman and Robin should be on this list. God Miller is such a fucking hack.

The thing is.. batman is at his best WHEN he's a bad-ass. Like in the movie when he and vicky are barely holding on to the building and he manages to fire his gun and tie the joker to that statue... and then the statue breaks, pulling the joker off the copter and both smash into the ground. That is classic. And that is true batman.

There was also the time Batman faced off against Rasputin, Catman's Siberian tiger.

What about when he FUCKING KILLED DARKSEID? He killed a new God. He didn't punch him or sent him off to jail, Batman shot him with the same bullet Darkseid used to kill Orion. And you know what was even more bad-ass than that? He took responsibility and punishment for the killing by allowing himself to be hit my the Omega Sanction. How is that not on this list?

Also, I agree with the fact that you shouldn't have used the word "pwn". I mean, most of us were guilty of using that word in the past, but it's become really lame.

Thank you for including the "His name was Forager" moment. It's always been one of my favorites.

All Star Batman is NOT bad ass. It is sloppy writing disguised by pretty art.

Most of this list is solid. The only possible additions might be Batman taking down Predators (Batman VS Predator) and in GL (current series) #9 when Bats slugs Hal to even the score from GL Rebirth.

NO Batman throwing a car battery? Fo' Teh Shizzle. Shazzle? Shay-zzle? I mean shame.

Going to add to the chorus of posters making a note of the Tower of Babel arc of JLA. Being prepared enough to defeat every single one of your super-powered allies in the event of everything going to piss earns many Badass Points ™.

I know it was slipped in there in the description of the All-Star Batman entry.. but over 100 comments and no "I'm the goddamn Batman" jokes?

All-star Batman's writing sucked and all, but I love how he grins in it specially since Jim Lee is drawing it, it makes him look so scary. DKR's ending shouldn't be number 1 though, as spoon07 pointed out, that wasn't Superman. Also Klaus Janson sucks.

I echo the chorus of "great list" and wouldn't mind seeing a round two.

I see so much flak for ASB&R, but I think it's undeserved in many ways (except for the chronically late scheduling, of course). The All-Star line was pitched to readers as an "iconic" representation of the characters freed from the chains of continuity, but I think that very pitch was the problem. Both Miller and Morrison took their respective characters and pushed them into uncharted territories precisely because they had the freedom to do so. ASB&R shouldn't be read as a distillation of the very essence of Batman, but as the whacked-out pseudo-parody that it is. Once I learned to laugh at its (intentional) excess, I started to enjoy the series, which while not Miller's finest work, is still gratifying and more memorable than dozens, if not hundreds, of other Batman comics I've read.

great list, but I'm ready for people to stop using "pwn"

Fuck I love Batman. :)

Or how about when Batman was sent back in time by Darkseid's Omega Sanction and lived different lives through various centuries to get back to current time? That's another badass Batman moment.

Also, that All Star Batman Green Lantern scene is lame. There are, like, a hundred ways GL could've defeated Batman, without even touching him. And, no, Batman doesn't talk like that.

Frankly, I think "The Dark Knight Returns" did irreparable harm to Batman. He went from being the Dark Knight detective to the guy who can beat up Superman because he has good planning skills. That moment paved the way for every stupid moment where Batman saves everyone else because he's got a good plan, and it has turned Batman into a joke of a character who is credited with being able to beat anyone 'with enough planning'.
-
That book made it possible for generations of fanboys to use completely convoluted, warped logic to explain how Batman could beat anyone, ever.

How about a badass Brave & the Bold list?

#6 is hilarious. There's nothing like a good "BONK"

Classic.

Good list. But I'm a little surprised that "... The scream alone is worth it ..." line from DKR didn't rate a mention.

I also tend to agree that Bats has been WAY over- ... something in recent times.

Anyone know which issues the KGBeast brawl and Orion getting decked take place in?

Its an excellent list. To come with something from a few years ago in the Batman/Superman Supergirl arc there's an issue where Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Big Barda go to Apokolips to rescue Supergirl from Darkseid.

While there Clark and Kara fight, Barda and Wonder Woman fight the Furies and Bruce heads off to a warehouse. After all the fights have gone the way of the heroes Bruce walks into Darkseid's throne room and says basically, we're leaving with Kara and you're gonna let us. Darkseid say the whole I will vaporize you with my eye beams and Bruce looks him down and says. No you won't I've activated an entire warehouse of Hellspores and I'll blast apart all of Apokolips if you try and stop us.

Darkseid looks him down and says that if Clark had tried that he'd never believe him, but since Bruce is human he's the most dangerous one on the planet right then.

Good list. Hard to narrow down to ten. A few of my faves would be the two stories (I'm sure there's more I don't know of) where Bruce switches powers with Clark. In one he becomes obsessed with saving EVERYONE and in the other he feels hindered because the powers make his job too easy, makes him "weaker." Pretty badass either way. Also, geriatric Bruce in Kingdom Come does some amazing things as well, screwing over Lex Luthor being one of the best parts.

Batman is the most overrated character in comic books! He's is nothing but a Mary Sue character. What ever moron thinks Batman could even stand a chance against Superman without Kryptonite is an idiot.

Hell even if Batman had some of the green rock all Superman would have to do is fly up in the sky where Batman doesn't know where he is at and chuck a rock at him or shoot him with heat vision. Batman is lame as hell because writers give him the ability to apparently beat anyone even though he's a normal guy. People talk about how smart batman is but guess what? Superman's intelligence is genius level as well, he's not going to out think or out power Superman.

Batman has had his ass kicked before my normal characters, had his back broken by Bane but then in another comic he'll take a face punch from Superman or Darkseid, wtf!! That makes no sense! He'd have his head ripped off by them because their strength level is 100 ton plus! I'm so sick of Mary Sue Batman, he can eat a shit!

Even if an organisation spends billions of dollars finding out everything there is to know about Batman, then spending decades undermining his psyche with subliminal triggers, because they know that the only way to defeat Batman is to make him forget he ever was Batman, and then isolating him from anyone that could possibly help.

Batman still has a plan,....just in case.

That's what makes him different from any old masked vigilante that can totally punch a dude (although he can).

So yeah, the whole of Batman R.I.P is what made me love The Batman and changed my view on him forever, it's one big badass moment from the start.

Number #4 is my fave on the list. Except you left out "Night of the Hunter". Those two are my fave moments in all of Batman...

you should have a badass batman moment of the day, every morning, something batman did that was so badass that it has it's own day for celebration.

Reading the quote "Fast hands, my little Robin. Fast hands and a big mouth ..." resulted in me practically falling out of my desk laughing. Oh Lordy. :D

Punching Guy Gardner wasn't bad ass. Guy had brain damage at the time. Batman knocked a dude with brain damage unconscious. Yes, that's super badass. Plus, the GLs get head injuries all the time, it's like their raison de etre.

And Robin is the one who punked Hal, not Batman. And please, Prometheus, didn't Ollie just put an arrow through that asshat's face?

This is a great list. The Joker's shark tank and DKR fight were certainly mandatory. A sequel list is in order. I'd even go so far as to say the list could easily be extended to 365 to give us one for every day of the year. The Miller haters can suck my dick. I'm looking forward to the next list. Please include the time that Bruce was banging Lois Lane. That certainly qualifies.

Many great badass moments in Paul Pope's "Batman: Year 100." None better than when he breaks into police HQ to retrieve evidence and outwits, outfights and outlasts an entire squadron of futuristic cops. The opening sequence, as word leaks out in Gotham and D.C. that the "Last Mask" has been recognized on the streets again, is also classic; as well as the motorcycle chase near the climax.

Really, "Batman: Year 100" is the best non-cinematic Bats story of the past decade.

Did he died?