If you love Batman, then it goes without saying that you’re also a fan of the Caped Crusader’s comic book exploits.
He’s had so many comics and graphic novels published over the years that it can be hard to track them all.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of Batman comic movies! Read on to learn about your favorite superhero’s greatest hits on the big screen and some lesser-known entries in his back catalog!
1. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
The first entry on this list of Batman coming movies, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, is a Warner Bros. release with the prestigious tagline.
Never before has a superhero been publicly branded an enemy of the people. This 2009 release will mark many positive milestones for DC and Warner Bros.
However, it marks their first crossover movie, the first time their comic character counterparts have shared screen time, and their most successful DVD release, with over 3 million copies sold in its first week alone.
Among other accolades, it also garnered award nominations at the Annie Awards and Golden Globe Awards in 2010.
2. Justice League: Doom (2012)
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Justice League: Doom was directed by Lauren Montgomery and written by Paul Dini and James Krieg.
The screenplay is loosely based on the book JLA: Tower of Babel by Mark Waid and Joe Kelly. The film premiered on Cartoon Network in February 2012 and was released as a two-disc special edition DVD on July 31, 2012. It’s one of the best Batman comic movies, and here is the rundown;
The story begins with Batman assembling his team (consisting of Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, and Red Tornado) to break into Arkham Asylum for Tigress’ trial; she has been accused of killing one woman (and helping Joker steal something from LexCorp) but claims that it wasn’t her.
3. Justice League: War (2014)
Long before the days of Christopher Nolan’s gritty take on Gotham City and its residents, there was a Super Friends cartoon that depicted Batman as an optimistic, young hero.
There is no question the animated DC Universe gave viewers a very different look at this iconic character. Still, those old enough to have enjoyed the show will remember it fondly.
In one notable episode, Justice League: War, Batman teamed up with Superman to defend Metropolis from an invasion by Darkseid and his armies.
What made this episode so memorable was the sheer brutality in which they fought these seemingly insurmountable odds.
A story that had a profound impact on young Bruce Wayne and inspired him for his eventual crusade against crime.
4. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
This is an excellent film and one of the Batman comic movies. It’s based on the DC Comics series Flashpoint Paradox which DC Comics published in 2011.
It shows what would happen if a time traveler went back and changed time to undo Superman’s death. All kinds of people from different timelines and universes show up as well.
We recommend this film for people who want to get into the Flashpoint Paradox but may not have read the comic yet.
5. The Batman Superman Movie: World’s Finest (1997)
They might not have shared the same screen, but that doesn’t stop one of the batman comic movies, atman Superman Movie: World’s Finest, from being a gem. This animated adaptation of the three-story arc World’s Finest Comics Superheroes:
The Dark Knight & Man of Steel, written by Bob Kane and illustrated by Dave Siegel, sees Batman and Superman united in an epic battle to save Gotham City from Lex Luthor and Metallo.
Tasked with guarding the newly built Wayne Tower after it is attacked by Brainiac and destroyed, Superman tries to figure out who committed the deed while staving off Lex Luthor’s forces while they work on rebuilding.
6. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
In the recent hit animated movie, In one of the best Batman comic movies, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Superboy makes his first significant appearance alongside a cast of other famous DC Comics heroes.
This is an exciting installment for not only comic book fans but all animation fans as well. This superhero extravaganza leaves viewers feeling that the comic world is at their fingertips.
7. Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
Based on the comic, this film is one of the Batman comic movies, and it’s an adaptation of what happened to the Joker.
Under the Red Hood revolves around Jason Todd’s return from the dead and his quest for revenge against The Dark Knight, Batman.
Besides The Joker, viewers also get a glimpse into the history between Dick Grayson and Jason Todd as Robin. This film differs from most superhero movies because it focuses on human emotions over superhuman abilities.
8. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (2012)
It’s the last thing Bruce Wayne wants to do, but Batman has returned from his 10-year retirement.
An aged Bruce decides to put on the cape and cowl one more time to protect Gotham City from lawlessness and bring down organized crime.
However, he is soon met with opposition when a young man named John Blake sees him as an outmoded vigilante.
The heart of this great series rests on a tremendous struggle between two men who both have solid arguments for their individual beliefs: self-sacrifice or civilian protection.
9. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
In the future, a teenager is mentored by an elderly Bruce Wayne to defend Gotham City. But what if things were different? What if Bruce’s legacy was erased and a new Dark Knight cropped up, determined to do things differently?
In this alternative reality, the teenage sidekick Terry McGinnis finds himself in a noirish Gotham that resembles the gangster-ridden streets of Chicago.
One night while he’s out with his girlfriend Dana, they witness something that changes their lives forever the murder of The Joker at the hands of someone who looks very much like Bruce Wayne. Enter Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
10. ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was the first theatrical animated film based on the DC Comics superhero. And it debuted in theaters twenty years ago on December 25, 1993.
The film was directed by Eric Radomski, who also created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Alan Burnett served as executive producer.
Mask of the Phantasm, one of the Batman comic movies, featured Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Mark Hamill as Joker.
The movie was released to high acclaim at the time, garnering a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (although most recent reviews are mixed) and achieving moderate success at the box office with a domestic gross of $5 million.
11. ‘The Batman vs. Dracula’ (2005)
Tim Burton, Danny DeVito, and Michael Keaton were set to produce another hit movie in 1992, with Batman Returns in theaters on June 19.
However, success eluded them when the ending credits rolled; it was evident that they missed something crucial that would take this series to the next level.
And after a disastrous decision by Warner Bros. to spin off the Batman franchise into multiple camps, such as campy shows like The Flintstones, TV specials for their superhero cartoons, and bizarre short subjects for home videos, it was time for an interruption.
12. Batman: Gotham Knight’ (2008)
The Dark Knight returns to theaters in this new feature-length animated story that brings the world of animation and traditional 2D hand-drawn art together for the first time.
Gotham City is at peace, but a seething pot of fear and mistrust lies beneath the surface. As Bruce Wayne and his alter ego battle with an unending swarm of adversaries, the dark question emerges: Who is watching their backs?
On this night, strange messages all over Gotham transmit a code for The Joker’s return.
13. Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
What’s better than a list? A BAT-LIST! This list includes all the Batman comic movies you should watch to prepare for the upcoming film.
With Tim Burton’s direction, this set features other classic villains such as Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman in solo acts.
The first appearance of Dick Grayson, aka Robin, is in these movies, so it makes for a great list to binge-watch if you have some time on your hands.
The trilogy starts with Batman from 1989, directed by Tim Burton, and stars Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier/the Joker.
14. Batman: Assault on Arkham 2014
Released in 2014 as one of the Batman comic movies, Assault on Arkham is an entry in the DC Animated Film Universe.
The film continues the Arkham video game series, following a group of seasoned Batman foes incarcerated at Blackgate Prison.
The film’s plot revolves around the Joker planning to use them to provide distractions while he executes another more significant maneuver.
Although they discover his plan, they still carry it out because it will eventually be revealed. Unfortunately for them, one starts going nuts and accidentally alerts the authorities when he damages security camera footage showing that all escape plans were hatched by Joker alone.
15. Batman: Year One 1982
In 1982, ABC aired a thirteen-episode TV series, ‘ Batman,’ which introduced the idea that he had been fighting crime for some time before meeting his iconic partner Robin. This period was termed Year One.
The idea has since been developed and revised, with the Year One storyline most notably revisited in 2005 with the animated feature film ‘Batman: Year One.’
The original story features a different incarnation of Catwoman than in later versions, and she is depicted as a drugged-out prostitute rather than a quick cat burglar.
16. Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two (2021)
Batman’s latest case takes him deep into the history of crime in Gotham City and reveals the man in charge to be a confident wealthy playboy named Carmine Falcone.
When James Gordon is framed for killing one of Falcone’s men, The Penguin interferes with the trial, and Black Mask tries to kill Gordon inside Arkham Asylum.
The story ends with Jim Gordon resigning from the police force after Bullock refuses to defend him against these charges.
17. Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero 1997
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero is a 1997 animated feature film and one of the Batman comic movies that tell the story of Mr. Freeze, an ex-scientist trying to save his wife Nora from an incurable disease. He has taken over Gotham City with a robot army along the way.
Luckily, Batman and Robin show up to take him down! In this movie, you’ll also see Killer Croc make his first appearance on the big screen and face off against three main villains, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Bane, in one movie.
18. Batman vs. Robin (2015)
Robin’s down the rabbit hole. He’s found his true family. Let’s go dark for a minute and discuss whether or not this is a good thing for Robin and Gotham City.
Batman may be more likely to knock someone out than kill them, but Robin would understand why he did it if he did kill the enemy because that is what happened in this movie, with both the main bad guy and those henchmen betraying Batman near the end of the film.
We see what happens when Bruce Wayne lets anger cloud his better judgment, but Dick Grayson is still young enough to believe everything will turn out alright. This is one of the best Batman comic movies.
19. Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
This is a match made in cartoon heaven. Who wouldn’t want to see the iconic Dark Knight squaring off against the crew that started it all? Throw in villains like The Shredder and Krang; this sounds like a fantastic crossover film.
13. ‘Batman Triumphant’ (seven sentences)] This sequel was filmed when Heath Ledger died, so it was eventually scrapped.
The plot revolves around Bruce Wayne overcoming a deep depression as he battles post-traumatic stress disorder following his two battles with Bane. Yep, for some reason, Gotham decides to take things seriously for once in the history of ever.
20. Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
With the most recent film released in 2016, 23 Batman comic movies have been made featuring our favorite Caped Crusader.
Four of these 23 films featured him teaming up with other heroes such as Superman, Spiderman, and Wonder Woman. But the only one is a crossover with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that has yet to be released.
This film was teased at Comic-Con 2018 but has not been released to the public yet, leaving many Batman fans waiting in anticipation.
However, this anticipation is sometimes half the fun because being able to anticipate what may happen next or wait to see how characters interact can be exciting for viewers to read more here.
21. Batman: Hush (2019)
In this 2003 graphic novel, one-time villain Hush comes out of the shadows to seemingly battle Bruce Wayne/Batman with his brilliant intellect and cunning.
It’s not until halfway through the book that he has a much more elaborate and nefarious plan. In classic graphic novel fashion, Hush kidnaps all of Batman’s loved ones to unmask him for the entire world to see finally.
The book culminates in an epic showdown at a cemetery where Hush reveals himself as childhood friend Tommy Elliot who had sworn revenge on Bruce after being burned during a fight as children, leading him to take on the persona Hush and having spent years mastering everything there is to know about Bruce Wayne for him to defeat him once and for all.
22. Son of Batman (2014)
Son of Batman is a dark but action-packed animated film and one of the Batman comic movies that tell the story of Bruce Wayne’s illegitimate son Damian Wayne.
Along with Nightwing and Robin, he competes with Ra’s al Ghul to be the rightful heir to the Demon’s Head’s legacy.
The more comedic vibes this film tries to give off can be bothersome, but there are enough laughs here to make it worth watching.
As always, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill do an excellent job voicing Batman and Joker, respectively, while Stuart Allan has quite the talent for communicating Damian Wayne.
With this movie, as well as A Death in the Family (one of my personal favorites), Son of Batman delivers on the fan service we deserve from our favorite characters in the DC Comics universe.
23. Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
In one of the Batman comic movies, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, Jim Gordon is a police officer who has just been promoted to captain in Gotham City.
During his first week on the job, he receives information about a possible takeover plot involving Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins.
The takeover involves replacing key officials with substitutes who are all league members so they can eliminate essential people in both business and law enforcement not long before Gordon discovers that one such replacement has taken over as Gotham’s mayor!
24. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
This animated movie is set in the Victorian era and follows Bruce Wayne as he’s invited to the World’s Fair in Gotham City.
When a mysterious figure starts executing prominent citizens, it’s up to him and Lt. James Gordon to stop them, but they have an additional problem: Jack the Ripper.
I recommend this one to anyone who loves these three things: Gaslight Era, Sherlock Holmes, or Batman.
25. Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
The Killing Joke is a comic book by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, initially published in 1988. The Joker’s origin story was later told in the 2012 animated adaptation.
The movie’s animation style is dark and haunting; it has a great soundtrack, with some complex rock songs that intensify the mood at specific points of the film.
Seeing how much talent went into this project to make it one of the best Batman comic movies is incredible.
26. Batman vs. Two-Face (2017)
This movie is a throwback to the Tim Burton era, but with modern filmmaking. Since it’s set in the ’50s, we get a lot of retro and campy Batman action.
We see the Riddler making his first appearance as a villain, which ties into a later Nolan film, and there are some pretty wild special effects shots in this one that you won’t see anywhere else.
Robin (Barbara Wilson) also makes her debut here – and as an FYI, she doesn’t have anything to do with Alfred’s son (since Barbara Gordon would come out about 20 years later).
27. Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
Now for the best part, there are six films on this list. Batman: Soul of the Dragon is worth a watch as well. It’s an animated feature, so it’s got that going.
One thing to look out for when watching this is that it takes some liberties with the canon (such as Bruce Wayne not knowing karate when he has been shown doing so).
But those can be forgiven and forgotten due to the movie’s exciting take on Bruce’s psyche.
The story centers around his mother, which I enjoyed a lot about this film since the other films don’t touch on that topic too much unless you count references made about Thomas and Martha Wayne.
28. Batman and Harley Quinn’ (2017)
This is the first time Harley Quinn has ever headlined a film alone and without her infamous pairing with The Joker.
Arguably one of the best-loved villains in DC Comics’ stable, Harley Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm in 1992 for Batman.
The Animated Series. Drawn to resemble a dark mirror image of DC heroines like Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl, the character went on to be part of Batman: The Animated Series, such as its spin-off movie; The New Batman Adventures, where she served as both arch enemy and love interest for The Joker.
29. Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants (2016)
This time around, Batman and his fellow heroes have to go big (literally) to save Gotham City from Mr. Freeze and his massive (literally again!) Monsters! They must work with some very shady characters to get their hands on the weapons they need.
Can the Caped Crusader find a way to work with these new allies without compromising himself? Or will he be forced into a situation where he has no choice but to break one of his cardinal rules?
You’ll have to wait and see what happens when ‘Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants hits theaters this September 23!
30. Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015)
In one of the best Batman comic movies, the villainous Professor Pyg invades Gotham City to turn its citizens into pigs. Batman enlists the help of a host of his Bat friends (and Alfred) to stop him.
The first hour or so is well done, but it feels like it just falls apart after that. Still a better Batman than Ben Affleck.
31. Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem (2015)
Released on July 12, 2016, Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem is one of the Batman comic movies, the direct-to-video animated movie, and the fifteenth installment in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series.
The film received a TV airing on Cartoon Network’s DC Nation block on September 17, 2016. Continuing the first season of Batman Unlimited, the Dark Knight battles an assortment of evil villains.
Including Mr. Freeze, Mad Hatter, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Clayface, and Count Vertigo. To rescue Batgirl from their clutches and restore order to Gotham City while Ace Katana leads an international crime fighting organization called Project Cadmus in assisting him against formidable foes in Japan.
32. Batman Ninja (2018)
Batman Ninja goes that route by sending The Dark Knight, his most trusted allies, and his most dangerous villains to the age of feudal Japan.
Batman’s arch-nemesis, the Joker, unleashes a diabolical plan to take over Japan with an army of sushi warriors in disguise. We’re not sure if we should be worried or excited about this one, but it looks like it’ll be good fun!
33. Batman: Death In The Family (2020)
The shocking demise of Jason Todd during his tenure as Robin is still discussed today. A controversial moment in comic book history, the death of a superhero can shake the readers and creators to their core, especially when it’s such a young character like Jason Todd.
An excellent but often overlooked movie by Tim Burton, Batman. Mask of the Phantasm tells a different story for Bruce Wayne and is one I would recommend for anyone who loves Batman comics.
A different take on the Dark Knight from what we are used to. It delves into Bruce’s psyche and shows why he continues his quest for justice night after night.
Also, it features one of my favorite villains in all comics, The Joker. An underrated gem that needs more attention than it gets, you won’t regret giving this movie a watch if you have time before Suicide Squad releases!
34. The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
One of the best Batman comic movies. The Lego Batman Movie is a satirical 2017 American 3D computer-animated superhero comedy film directed by Chris McKay.
The film features the voices of Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, and Mariah Carey.
However, when Commissioner Gordon goes missing, Dick Grayson takes up the mantle to start fighting crime and assembles his team.
Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), Robin (Damian Wayne), Nightwing (Dick Grayson), and The Wonder Woman. Before you know it, they are fighting against Joker’s newly assembled Joker Gang and other villains.
