Batman: 80 Greatest Ever Moments
52. The Dawn Of The Supervillains - Batman And The Monster Men
One of the most fascinating periods in Batman's history is that period just before he encounters the first ever supervillains. His early adventures involve him taking on the mob and rooting out police corruption, but the transition from fighting the likes of the Falcone and Maroni crime families to going toe to toe with Joker and Mr Freeze isn't always well delineated.
Matt Wagner's Batman and the Monster Men aimed to change that, and it succeeded. The comic showcases an early-in-his-career Batman as he battles the eponymous villains, several years before he'd face the Clown Prince of Crime in The Man Who Laughs. A must-read for the discerning Bat-fanatic.
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51. Grinding The Terminator To A Halt - Deathstroke Vs Batman
Christopher Priest's stint on Deathstroke ended up being one of the best surprises to come out of DC Rebirth, and though it was by no means finished by the time the Terminator fought Batman in the appropriately titled Deathstroke Vs Batman, it could've still served as a spectacular finale.
Coming to blows over the custody of Damian Wayne, who Slade was led to believe was actually his own child, the pair trade a massive punch that ends up flooring them in an instant. Deathstroke reiterates a desire to keep going, but the two compromise and realise that would serve no point.
Still, even though the answer to "who's the better fighter" is still up in the air, the fact Bats was able to hold Slade off for so long is a testament to his ability.
[EP]