The Top 10 Greatest Batman Crossovers of All Time

Batman tin lone squad up with chap DC heroes similar Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash truthful galore times earlier it starts to get a small old. Sometimes, we request a communicative that shakes things up and removes the barriers betwixt popular civilization universes. That’s however we’ve gotten immoderate genuinely classical and downright weird comic publication crossovers implicit the decades.

From evident team-ups similar Batman/Spider-Man and Batman/The Shadow to much antithetic fare similar Batman/Elmer Fudd, these are the champion (as good arsenic immoderate of the weirdest) Batman crossovers of each time. Note that we’re focused lone connected the stories wherever Batman himself is the main player, not Justice League-centric crossovers similar Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong.

10. Spider-Man and Batman

As arguably the 2 biggest superheroes successful the world, it’s inevitable that Batman and Spider-Man would transverse paths astatine immoderate point. If anything, it’s astonishing that Marvel and DC waited until 1995 to marque that pairing happen. But Spider-Man and Batman was surely worthy the wait. This crossover zeroes successful connected the similarities betwixt the 2 heroes and their respective tragic pasts, portion besides making the sensible prime to pit them against the tag squad psychopathic duo of Joker and Carnage.

Spider-Man and Batman’s top spot is that it’s built by 2 decorated Spider-Man veterans - Kraven’s Last Hunt writer J./M. DeMatteis and prolific Amazing Spider-Man creator Mark Bagley. The effect is simply a publication that feels similar a earthy hold of the ‘90s Spider-Man comics (minus each the Clone Saga nonsense).

Buy DC vs. Marvel Omnibus connected Amazon.

9. Spawn/Batman

As 2 acheronian vigilantes with billowing capes and immense fanbases, Spawn and Batman are different earthy prime to brace together. To date, determination person been 3 crossovers betwixt the 2 franchises (including the precise caller Batman/Spawn), but we’re giving the motion to the original. That’s due to the fact that the archetypal crossover boasts the astir awesome originative team, joining The Dark Knight Returns writer Frank Miller with Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. That originative pedigree makes for a amusive and suitably acheronian team-up adventure.

Buy Batman/Spawn: The Classic Collection connected Amazon.

8. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Since their 2011 reboot astatine IDW, the Ninja Turtles person gone connected to prima successful a large galore crossovers. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remains 1 of the best, acknowledgment to the beardown pairing of Batman seasoned James Tynion IV and creator Freddie E. Williams II.

This crossover makes for a precise entertaining gathering betwixt 2 worlds, making the astir of the clash of personalities betwixt the Batman household and the Turtles. Plus, who among america hasn’t wondered if Batman could instrumentality Shredder successful a one-on-one duel? Tynion and Williams besides find existent affectional value successful forging a enslaved betwixt the Dark Knight and the Heroes successful a Half Shell.

The archetypal crossover proved palmy capable for DC and IDW to reteam connected 2 nonstop sequels (plus a abstracted crossover based connected the animated versions of the characters). This crossover adjacent spawned a 2019 animated movie, which is besides good worthy watching.

Buy Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 (2025 Edition) connected Amazon.

7. First Wave

In galore ways, the archetypal Golden Age incarnation of Batman is simply a precise antithetic quality from what would follow. It’s that mentation of Batman that shines successful this unsocial and entertaining crossover series. Written by 100 Bullets’ Brian Azzarello and drawn by Identity Crisis’ Rags Morales, First Wave combines a fig of iconic pulp heroes into 1 universe. Here, the Caped Crusader (uncharacteristically toting a brace of guns) rubs elbows with everyone from Doc Savage to The Spirit to Rima the Jungle Girl. The bid is simply a batch of fun, and we lone privation the alleged Pulpverse had go a imperishable portion of DC’s multiversal lineup.

Buy First Wave connected Amazon.

6. Batman/The Shadow: The Murder Geniuses

It’s harmless to accidental that without The Shadow determination would beryllium nary Batman. Pairing the 2 acheronian avengers of the nighttime is lone logical, and we’re gladsome this bid does specified a large occupation of pitting the 2 together. Batman/The Shadow opens arsenic the Dark Knight investigates the latest execution successful Gotham City, lone for the premier fishy to beryllium Lamont Cranston, a antheral thought to person perished 50 years prior. That’s conscionable the commencement of a whirlwind team-up.

As with truthful galore books connected this list, Batman/The Shadow is each astir the originative squad - writers Scott Snyder and Steve Orlando and creator Riley Rossmo. Sadly, that afloat squad didn’t instrumentality for the follow-up bid The Shadow/Batman, but the sequel is inactive an enjoyable work successful its ain right.

Buy Batman/The Shadow: The Murder Geniuses connected Amazon.

5. Batman Versus Predator

Even arsenic the movie bid floundered, the Predator franchise recovered a 2nd beingness successful comics during the ‘90s. That includes nary less than 3 crossovers betwixt the Dark Knight and the universe’s top hunter. For our money, the archetypal is inactive the 1 to beat, arsenic it features a terrific communicative by Watchmen’s Dave Gibbons and creation by a pre-X-Men Andy and Adam Kubert.

Batman Versus Predator boasts a elemental but precise winning premise. A Yautja is moving amok successful Gotham, and Batman is forced to travel his bloody trail. The creators conjure up a terrific consciousness of atmosphere, and yet bash a acold amended occupation of capitalizing connected the thought of a Predator hunting successful a bustling American metropolis than Predator 2.

Buy Batman vs. Predator connected Amazon.

4. Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment connected Gotham

Batman and Judge Dredd some person a heavy committedness to upholding the instrumentality and maintaining bid successful their respective dystopian cities. One would deliberation they’d get on famously. But not truthful overmuch it turns out, arsenic the archetypal Batman/Judge Dredd crossover shows us. When Judge Death breaches the barriers betwixt dimensions and forms an confederation with Scarecrow, these 2 costumed heroes volition person to enactment speech their differences for the greater good. And lad bash they person immoderate differences…

DC and 2000 AD collaborated connected 3 Batman/Judge Dredd crossovers successful the ‘90s, but present again, our wealth is connected the original. It’s truly hard to apical the entreaty of having Dredd co-creator John Wagner involved, on with the surreal, brutal, and downright psychedelic artwork of Simon Bisley. This whitethorn conscionable beryllium the best-looking Batman crossover of each time.

Buy The Batman/Judge Dredd Collection connected Amazon.

3. Batman/Grendel

Grendel isn’t needfully the astir celebrated quality Batman has crossed paths with implicit the years, but it’s a pairing that conscionable makes inherent sense. Matt Wagner’s Grendel saga is simply a meditation connected unit and vengeance, 2 themes cardinal to Batman’s world. And fixed that Wagner has worked with the Dark Knight solo plentifulness of times implicit the years, these characters unneurotic go 2 large tastes that sensation large together.

Both the archetypal 1993 crossover and its 1996 sequel are good worthy reading. The archetypal pits Batman against the archetypal Grendel Hunter Rose, arsenic the 2 clash successful some the streets and Gotham’s polite society. The sequel shifts absorption to Rose’s futuristic successor Grendel-Prime. Both stories are bully capable to marque you privation Grendel was a imperishable portion of Batman’s rogues gallery.

Buy Batman/Grendel: Devil’s Riddle connected Amazon.

2. Planetary/Batman: Night connected Earth

Warren Ellis and the late, large John Cassaday joined forces for 1 of DC’s top comics ever successful the sprawling sci-fi epic Planetary. That bid coiled up spawning crossovers with some The Authority and the Justice League, but it’s the Batman crossover that genuinely stands retired (in portion due to the fact that it’s the lone 1 of the 3 to diagnostic the full originative squad from the main series).

In Planetary/Batman, the cantankerous Elijah Snow and his squad get successful a Batman-less Gotham City connected the way of a mysterious killer. Soon, the barriers betwixt worlds are breached, starring to encounters with a large galore versions of the Caped Crusader. Half the amusive of this crossover is successful however it celebrates each eras of Batman’s history, from the classical Golden Age to the campy Silver Age to the brooding avenger of The Dark Knight Returns. This crossover is fundamentally conscionable an extended installment of the main bid with a steadfast dose of Batman thrown in, and that’s capable to effect successful 1 of the champion Batman crossovers of each time.

Buy Batman/Planetary: The Deluxe Edition connected Amazon.

1. Batman/Elmer Fudd Special

As it happens, the champion Batman crossover is besides the astir bizarre. Batman/Elmer Fudd Special is portion of a larger enactment of mash-ups combining heroes of the DCU with iconic Looney Tunes characters. It’s besides acold and distant the best, mining much retired of the goofy premise than we could person ever imagined. This is 1 of the lone comics to ever people a 10 successful our IGN review.

The brilliance of Batman/Elmer Fudd is that it plays the pairing wholly consecutive (which, successful turn, leads to immoderate genuinely hilarious moments). This is simply a 100% superior imaginativeness of Batman and Gotham City, 1 successful which Elmer Fudd is formed arsenic a tragic slayer not dissimilar Marv from Sin City. The code impediment is inactive there, but the quality is axenic fury and pathos.

Writer Tom King and creator Lee Weeks upwind up wringing a immense magnitude of emotion and extent retired of this bittersweet and wistful yet inactive hilarious crossover. They’re a large squad erstwhile they enactment with Batman unsocial (as evidenced by their recurring collaboration connected DC’s 2016 Batman series), but someway the summation of Elmer Fudd takes everything up a notch.

Buy Batman by Tom King and Lee Weeks connected Amazon.

What’s your favourite Batman crossover? Vote successful our canvass and fto america cognize successful the comments below.

For much Batman fun, cheque retired the apical 10 Batman costumes of each clip and the apical 27 Batman comics and graphic novels.

Jesse is simply a mild-mannered unit writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intelligence thicket by following @jschedeen connected BlueSky.