Batman: 80 Greatest Ever Moments

1. "You Have Eaten Well" - Batman: Year One

Batman Year One
DC Comics

Frank Miller's Batman might not be nearly as transformative as has been implied, but - together with artist David Mazzucchelli - he certainly delivered the character's greatest moment.

In many ways, Batman: Year One isn't even really a Batman story. The majority of the comic spends its time with James Gordon, a marine veteran recently transferred to Gotham City's police force. There, he's exposed to corruption in the extreme, while at the same time the vigilante known as Batman embarks on his one-man war against crime.

Mazzucchelli was born to draw Batman, and the moment the Dark Knight arrives on the scene to declare war on Gotham's underworld was marshalled expertly by his hand.

Batman Year One Dinner Party
DC Comics

First cutting the power to a banquet hosted by Carmine Falcone, Bruce explodes into the room and issues a solemn vow - "from this moment on, none of you are safe."

And then, the light goes. It's beautifully executed, horrifying and empowering all at once, and the greatest Batman moment of all time.

[EP]

What are your favourite Batman moments of all time? Share your picks below in the comments thread.

Advertisement

Watch Next


Which Batman Said It?

The Batman
Warner Bros.

1. "This City Just Showed You That It's Full Of People Ready To Believe In Good."

We love teamwork! Who doesn't? This article is a collaborative effort between Simon Gallagher, Josh Brown, Ewan Paterson and Zoë Miskelly.
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.