7 Batman Writers Who Changed Everything

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These writers have stepped into the bestselling books in comics, starring the most popular character ever (arguably), and are able to enact real change. These creators made the Dark Knight who he is, adding and subtracting various elements of the hero to move things forward. These seven Batman writers changed everything for the character, giving readers amazing stories that still matter.

7) Scott Synder

Scott Snyder started writing Batman when Dick Grayson was still the Dark Knight, starting in 2010. He would be the writer chosen to take over Batman in the big 2011 reboot the New 52, and it was off to the races. Working with artist Greg Capullo, he gave the readers the main book of the new Batman for that universe. He told the story of his first mission, he set the status quo, and he brought in the Court of Owls. He even replaced Bruce Wayne with Jim Gordon for a time. In 2024, he’d return to the character for Absolute Batman, the bestselling comic in years (it’s sold three million of the 8.2 million Absolute comics that have been sold), redefining the character once again. He just gets how to write Batman and we are lucky to have him.

6) Frank Miller

One thing I want to illustrate with this list is the cycle of Batman. Basically, for decades, we got alternating types of Batman comics. There are the goofy, lighthearted ones and the dark serious ones. These cycles would often last for years, and it’s only recently that this cycle has been mostly arrested. Frank Miller came to the character at a turning point in DC history, when the publisher was going in darker directions. Batman had been sort of goofy in the ’80s, and Miller changed that, going back to a darker Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight Returns changed comics forever and he would give the post-Crisis Batman his new origin in “Year One”. He brought back a truly Dark Knight, and we’re still living with creators inspired by him.

5) Steve Englehart

Steve Englehart is one of the superstars of the ’70s comic industry. He worked on some of the coolest comics of the mid to late ’70s, and his time on Batman was one of the periodic darkenings of the character. He worked with the great Marshall Rogers (they also have an amazing run on Captain America), and the two of them gave readers some brilliant stories in Detective Comics and later in Batman: Dark Detective. Their Batman was more like the Golden Age harder edged version and it was fantastic. He was holding the line for a more serious Caped Crusader, and his work was fantastic.

4) Tom King

Tom King took over Batman after DC Rebirth changed the DC Multiverse again. Over his 85 issue run he brought back Catwoman as Bruce Wayne’s main love interest, told the ultimate Bane story, brought back Flashpoint Batman, helped build up to Doomsday Clock, and killed off Alfred. This last one was the biggest change, as DC wouldn’t allow the two characters to get married like King wanted, and has changed the way creators write Batman comics ever since. His run is rather is maligned for numerous reasons, but its impact can’t be denied.

3) Grant Morrison

Grant Morrison is one of the greatest superhero writers ever. Morrison always wrote an amazing Batman, starting with the stellar Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth and “Gothic” before writing the character in JLA. After the Infinite Crisis reboot in 2006, they were given the reins of Batman and wrote the character for six years. During that time Damian Wayne was introduced, everything in Batman history became canon, Bruce Wayne died, Dick Grayson became Batman, Batman Incorporated was created, Ra’s al Ghul was resurrected, there was a Joker re-imagining that is highly underrated, and so much more. Their run is often counted among the greatest of all time, molding the character into who he is today.

2) Denny O’Neil

Denny O’Neil became the writer of Batman after the success of Batman on TV in 1966. The character’s comics fit the campier tone of the show, but O’Neil wasn’t that kind of writer. He was a child of the ’60s, a firebrand who was pushing change in the halls of DC. He and artist Neal Adams brought the character back to his darker roots. The two of them created Ra’s al Ghul and his daughter Talia, but that was only the beginning of O’Neil’s effect on Batman. He wrote the character on and off for years and eventually became the head editor of the Dark Knight’s comics, choosing creators and guiding their stories for some of his most successful years.

1) Bill Finger

So, on the one hand, Bill Finger did write the first Batman story, so he created the character, which isn’t the same as changing a character. However, anyone that knows the story of the creation of the Dark Knight knows just how much Finger changed. Bob Kane’s first ideas for the Caped Crusader were the simplest, lamest ideas ever. Finger added everything that you love about the character, came up with the supporting cast, and created some of the most important villains. If Kane would have published his version of the character without Finger’s input, we wouldn’t be talking about the hero right now. Finger made Batman Batman and his changes to the original idea gave us everything we have now.

What’s your favorite groundbreaking Batman writer? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!