14. “This Is The Weapon Of The Enemy” - The Dark Knight Returns
DC Comics
Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns may not have redefined the character to the extent some commentators have claimed, but it did usher in a new era for the character. Batman was already dark, you see, but Miller's comic went a step further in situating the figure in a hopeless dystopia. It reiterates the Caped Crusader's inspirational qualities, and is stuffed to the brim with more iconic moments than some actual comic book runs have in their entire duration.
There's the fight between Bats and the Mutant Leader ("this is an operating table"), Joker's death and the throwdown between Bruce and Supes to consider. However, the moment the Dark Knight rides in on a horse, breaks a shotgun in two, and declares it to be "the weapon of the enemy" has to be the best.
[EP]
13. Duelling Ra's Al Ghul - Head of the Demon
DC Comics
Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams' revered stint on Batman conjured plenty of brilliant moments, but perhaps the best came when the Dark Knight duelled Ra's al Ghul shirtless with his mask still on.
What else needs to be said? It's the World's Greatest Detective fighting the Head of the Demon with a sword. Images don't get much better.
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.
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.
