Ranking Batman so far (2017)

Previously-

• Ranking the MCU so far (2017)
• Ranking the Fox-X-Men-verse so far (2017)
• Ranking the DCEU so far (2017)
• Ranking Star Wars so far (2017)
• Top 25 superhero films, period.

Well, Batman is 12 movies deep, and it's looking less and less likely that Ben Affleck wants to stick around, and Matt Reeves wants to change things up, and the very existence of the DCEU is in doubt. SO, what better time to recap the flicks as reference for whatever Bruce Wayne's next outing is?

Here we go...

1. Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm

"What??!?! Not Dark Knight?!?!", you must be saying.
Nope.
When you get out the scalpel, and dissect it, this one has the best depiction of Batman, and Bruce's struggle between having a normal life, and being Batman.
It's tear jerking.
Other Batman movies have great villains, this movie is actually about Batman.
Therefore, it's the best Batman movie.
QED.
Also, where this is a wide release theatrical film, you can officially count Kevin Conroy among your favorite Batmans, and Mark Hamill counts as a movie Joker.

2. The Lego Batman Movie

"Lego Batman!?!?! Are you fucking mad?!?!? It's Dark Knight!!!".
Nope.
I love the shit out of Dark Knight, but this is a celebration of EVERYTHING Batman.
If you're a longtime Batfan, this is for you.
It's wonderful.

3. The Dark Knight

There you go, there's Dark Knight.
You can exhale now.

4. The Dark Knight Rises

I genuinely don't understand the retroactive hate-boner some people have for this flick.
I think it's fucking great.
I mean, I've heard some of the lame nitpicky reasons why, and they don't fly.
Dark Knight can be nitpicked too, but people give it a pass because they love Ledger's Joker so much.
No one was ever going to equal or beat Ledger.
That was a once in a generation thing.
Me, I loved Tom Hardy's Bane just fine.
There's nothing that sucks in this movie, people are spoiled and like to bitch.

5. Justice League

It really shouldn't have taken 75 years for this to be a thing.
But we're finally here, and it feels good.

6. Batman v Superman

Ditto.

7. Batman Begins

Best live-action depiction of Batman's origin story you're likely to ever get.
I hope they never redo the origin again in my lifetime.
We've got it.
We know it.
Let's move forward.
Same with Spider-Man.

8. Batman Returns

My favorite of the Burton/Shumaker quadrilogy.
Remember, this one happens at Christmas, so it's "The Batman Christmas Special".
If you get sick of Rudolph and The Grinch, you've always got this to pop in.

9. Batman

Still iconic, so much so, Danny Elfman swiped the theme for bits of Justice League.

10. Batman The Movie

People razz on the Adam West incarnation, but his version pulled off the offbeat humor that the Shumacher ones failed miserably at recapturing.
It's a tricky balance.
West's Batman is a very weird guy who takes himself very seriously, but the people around him are forced to take him seriously too, because he always wins.
That goes from funny, to all the way back around the dial to cool.
West makes it look easy, but fuckin' Kilmer and Cloony couldn't do it.
RIP, Adam.

11. Batman Forever

If these are what we had to go through to get to Nolan, then I'm fine with it now.

12. Batman and Robin

Ditto.


And that's Batman's cinematic big screen adventures.
See you next time for Jake Gyllenhaal, or whomever dons the cowl next.