9 Times Batman Was Forced To Surrender His Cowl
5. The Dark Knight Returns
Old age catches up with us all eventually, and as we joined Bruce Wayne in the opening pages of Frank Miller's seminal Dark Knight Returns the elderly billionaire had long since retired from crimefighting.
But as this is the tale of a man recapturing his former glory, the cowl wasn't left to gather dust in the Batcave for long.
What follows was a triumphant comeback, during which the seasoned Batman recruits a female Robin, defeats a gang of mutants and rekindles his deadly rivalry with the Joker before clashing with a government-controlled Superman.
This, along with Watchmen, is the graphic novels which dispelled the notion that all comics are for kids. It's a must read for anyone who hasn't already had the pleasure.