Is It Just Me or Was Batman Really That Much Better In the '90s?

Call me crazy, but I think there simply wasn't a better period for Batman than the '90s. To be fair, the Dark Knight has had a lot of really great periods, but there was something special about this particular era.

Few superheroes have been around as long as Batman and even less have evolved in the way that Bruce Wayne has. From his pulpy beginnings to his silly Silver Age shenanigans, the Caped Crusader has had a lot of great chapters over the years. But none were as captivating or as hard-hitting for Batman fans as the stories during the '90s.

The '90s Was a Magical Time For the Batman Franchise

Everyone Was Running Off Pure Batmania During This Decade

Batman's always been a popular character, but it's hard to put into words just how amped up the world was in the late '80s/early '90s. Thanks to the Tim Burton-directed Batman movie, America had fallen into a sensation known colloquially as 'Batmania' and everyone was excited about the Dark Knight. It also helped that Batman: The Animated Series debuted not long after that, dazzling viewers and becoming a cornerstone moment for an entire generation of young comic book fans who were gripped by the Dark Knight’s adventures.

...this wasn’t simply a back-to-basics approach.

But while all these adaptations were gripping fans outside the comic book shops, how was the source material at the time? Truth be told, fans were ecstatic by what DC was putting out at the time. It was a time of rebirth in many ways as Batman had finally gotten over his trauma from losing Jason Todd and took on Tim Drake as a new Robin, a partnership that would become the definitive Dynamic Duo for many readers. But this wasn’t simply a back-to-basics approach. The ‘90s was an experimental period for the Batman franchise as well.

DC Comics introduced Bane in the iconic “Knightfall” storyline, culminating in Batman’s back being broken. This in turn led to Jean-Paull Valley taking over as Batman in an arc that captured the attention of readers everywhere. There was also the Batman & Dracula trilogy, a shocking Elseworld that saw the Dark Knight go full vampire. And what better way to cap off the powerful decade of storytelling than with “No Man’s Land”, a year long, Batman-oriented crossover that saw the Bat-Family struggling to survive after an Earthquake hits Gotham?

Why '90s Batman Stands Out to This Day

These Stories Gave Batman Fans Exactly What They Wanted and More

Bane breaking Batman's back in Knightfall comic.

I'll admit, these comics were slightly before my time as I personally didn't start reading comics until the mid '00s. But I remember discovering the 'must-read' lists and seeing how many of these storylines and trades were always at the top. These stories were powerful, remarkably character-driven, and bold. Seeing Tim grow and work hard at proving he deserves to be Robin or watching Batman reflect on his failures in "Knightfall" and its subsequent stories were fascinating to read, even for someone who was just getting into comics.

It would have been easy for DC Comics to capitalize on the film’s popularity and simply flood the market with Batman titles to make a quick buck. But the creative teams on these books worked incredibly hard to create stories that really took the franchise to the next level. These books didn’t talk down to their audience, they were smart and creative. And they kept Batman and his allies grounded, even when dealing with the more fantastical elements like Bane.

It’s easy to look back on a decade and say things were better back then. I’ll admit, I’ve still got a fondness for the late ‘00s right before the New 52 kicked in. But even though I wasn’t around for this period when these stories were coming out, I can still see why so many fans loved and still love this chapter of Batman history. It was fun, it went into different territories, and it swung for the fences. And while not everything from the ‘90s was peak, the good Batman stories from this period more than outweigh the bad.

Nostalgia Aside, the '90s Has Very Good Batman Stories

Fans Should Make Time for the Must-Reads of this Period

While Batman is not a character that lacks good stories, it's easy to overlook ones that came out before your time. I'll go ahead and say that as someone who reads a hell of a lot of books starring the World's Greatest Detective, fans who want solid stories would do themselves good by revisiting this period and checking out its offerings. Batman's always going to get great creative teams, but its hard to top the effort he got in the '90s.