Batman: 80 Greatest Ever Moments

30. Father's Day - Batman Annual #3

Batman Alfred Father's Day
DC Comics/Otto Schmidt

A relatively recent moment, but a uniquely affecting one all the same. Tom Taylor and Otto Schmidt's Batman Annual #3, titled Father's Day, includes a heartfelt tribute to Bruce Wayne's loyal butler Alfred.

Too often folks seem to forget that Pennyworth is pretty much Bruce's father, and an essential member of the Bat-Family at that. Here, Taylor and Schmidt reiterate Alfred's importance to Batman's history, and how sacred the bond is between the butler and his ward.

[EP]

29. Batman Escapes The Inescapable - Mad Love

Batman Mad Love Harley Quinn
DC Comics/Bruce Timm

Harley Quinn is one of a select few comic book characters who found success in the medium after being introduced outside of it. As most fans will know, Harley first appeared in Joker's Favor, an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Quinn's co-creator Paul Dini based the character on real-life friend Arleen Sorkin, and it was Sorkin who voiced her all the way up until 2011, with the release of DC Universe Online.

By far one of the most beloved tales to feature the character is Mad Love, a haunting look at the abusive nature of Quinn's partnership with her beloved Mistah J. Quinn actually succeeds where the Clown Prince couldn't and captures Batman in a no-win scenario. However, the Caped Crusader remains unperturbed, aware that Joker's own hubris wouldn't allow anyone but himself to kill his arch-nemesis.

[EP]

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

WhatCulture's former COO, veteran writer and editor.

Contributor

Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.

Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.

Contributor
Contributor

I like my comics like I like my coffee - in huge, unquestionably unhealthy doses.