Top 10 Dumbest Batman Comics

The Dumb Knight rises. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we are counting down our picks for the top ten dumbest Batman comics. For this list, we’ll be looking at the comic books centred on the Caped Crusader that are wildly considered to be his stupidest escapades on the page. #10: “Penguin Triumphant” (1992) We all know that in terms of villainy, Oswald Cobblepot prefers to take a back seat and reap his rewards through shady dealings as Gotham’s most crooked businessman. His penchant for white-collar crime certainly separates him from others in Batman’s rogue’s gallery. That being said, did anyone think a story centred on the Penguin manipulating stocks was going to make for a good read? Keeping things grounded in the real world is all fine and dandy but come on, it’s freaking Gotham, not Wall Street! Do us a favour, Oswald, and just go back to using your umbrella as a helicopter. #9: “Detective Comics Vol 1 #241” (1957) Despite having a multitude of costumes loaded in the Batcave, it’s widely known that Batman sticks to outfits that Batman wears dark colours. You know, because he “is the night” and all that? Well, back in the extremely campy days of the fifties someone thought it would be a great idea for Batman to start wearing several less-than-flattering, ultra-colourful “Rainbow Batman” bat suits. We can buy him using it as a way to distract villains, but it still doesn’t change the fact they had Batman running around in bright pink. Unacceptable. #8: “Hush Returns” (2006) For those not in the know, Hush was an enigmatic villain who sought to ruin Bruce Wayne’s life. As it happened, he turned out to be a childhood friend named Thomas Elliot, a medical genius with more than a few screws loose. His initial run had a gripping story and Jim Lee’s exquisite artwork to boot, and is considered to be a damn fine Batman story. Well, someone obviously loved Hush so much that they decided to make a sequel, one that tried to make him into the ultimate Batman villain, almost ludicrously. He easily takes out the Riddler, kills Poison Ivy, runs the Joker out of town…and disappointed fans by being utterly uninteresting throughout. #7: “Fortunate Son” (1999) Remember kids, rock music is nothing but death and crime and the rage of the beast! In what has to be one of the all-time most ridiculous ideas for a Batman comic, the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder have to stop a crazy teenage rock idol… that is, when they’re not spending most of their time arguing about the value of rock and roll. We’re not sure what’s dumber, Batman thinking rock music is the root of all evil, or that in order to catch the bad guy he manages to research and learn everything about the genre in a couple of hours. We know Batman is the “world’s greatest detective” but that’s pushing it. #6: “Batman Vol 1 #183” (1966) The plot of this one might be the worst revenge story we’ve ever seen. After a criminal traps Batman and steals his costume, he assumes the identity of the dark knight, manages to infiltrate the Bat cave and…just lounges around doing nothing while Robin goes out and fights crime. Really? You couldn’t come up with anything better than that? We’re not sure who the bigger idiot here is; the one who thought up the plot or the criminal in question for not making the most of the opportunity. At least try to steal the Bat mobile – do something! Anything! #5: “Batman Vol 1 #147” (1962) We would recommend averting your eyes for this one: no one deserves to see the abomination that is Bat Baby. You can already guess where this is going. The plot for this sees the World’s Greatest Detective trapped in the body of an infant while retaining his adult intellect and strength. This leads to the rather depressing sight of a Bat toddler flying around and beating up criminals while looking for a way to reverse the transformation. When you make Robin’s costume look competent then you know something has gone very wrong. #4: “Detective Comics Vol 1 #106” (1945) We all should have known this one would be a bomb just from the cover, as the team behind this issue seemed to have confused a library for an art museum, what with the abundance of paintings as opposed to books. With an apparent ghostly apparition stalking the corridors of Gotham Library, it’s down to the Dynamic Duo to go full on Scooby Doo and take it out. Generic in its plot and underwhelming in its execution, Batman’s clash with the so-called phantom was less Ghostbusters as it was just a plain old bust. #3: “Batman: Odyssey” (2012) Batman owes a lot to Neal Adams, whose artistry and input was crucial in elevating him into the Dark Knight we all know and love. But we aren’t kidding when we say his mini-series is by far the most insane comic experience you are ever going to read. None of it makes sense, as we go from Batman fighting ghouls to riding around on dinosaurs with the dialogue like something out of a Tommy Wiseau movie. Neal Adams is a master, but he should really stick to using his pencil to draw and leave the writing to his long-time collaborator "Denny" O'Neil. #2: “All-Star Batman and Robin” (2005-08) And so it has come to this. Frank Miller. From the mind that gave us such iconic graphic novels like Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, we get this reimagining of the Caped Crusader. A reimagining that comes compete with a psychotic Batman who likes to spend his evenings kidnapping future sidekicks, killing criminals in all kinds of horrific ways, getting laid, and going on and on about how he’s the goddamn Batman. Oh, and it features a Joker who doesn’t like to smile. We had a hard time finding the joy in this book, too, Mr. J. #1: “The Dark Knight Strikes Again” (2001-02) Oh, how the mighty have fallen. In what was supposed to be a follow-up to 1986’s legendary The Dark Knight Returns, Batman goes from being a grizzled and tormented veteran to just another grumpy old man who loves nothing more than to beat up on Superman. Don’t feel too bad for Supes though, since we’re then forced to witness he and Wonder Woman having such powerful sex that it causes natural disasters. Just to top it all off we have Dick Grayson as the Joker. Why? Because Frank Miller said so.