Andrenn's Top 3 Favorite Bat-Writers

Batman, is there any character more legendary and iconic then him? The only thing better about how legendary Batman is, are how legendary several of his writers have been. From Bob Kane to Grant Morrison, The Batman mythos has been a breeding ground for some of the best names in comics to get noticed and become stars. Everyone has a favorite Batman writer, some are legends, and others may be people that you’re not as familiar with. But one thing is for certain, the Caped Crusader has had many amazing and talented writers.
The idea of just picking out 3 is hard to do, because doing so is like picking out 3 children you love the most, when you have about 20 children. But though it took me some time, I’ve found My 3 favorite Writers for the Dark Knight.

#3: Paul Dini

If I where just going off of his work with Detective Comics, Dini would be a bit lower on the list, and if he just did Batman: The Animated Series he’d be lower on the list. But no, he did both, and for that he takes a solid spot as the 3rd greatest writer to ever write for Batman.
Dini has done some incredible stuff over the years, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is one of my favorite animated films and the fact that he was basically the core of what really created the DCU Animated Universe is great. Batman: The Animates Series is a show I can still watch today which says a lot compared to today’s awful cartoons.
But to sum it up, Dini gets Batman better then most writers do. So many writers go with so many ways to interoperate Batman but more then often, it doesn’t really work. Dini can easily create a strong balance of detective and hero that so many writers just can’t, and while he hasn’t been writing Batman as long as these other 2 writers, he’s certainly written some iconic stuff with Batman over these last several years.

#2: Denny O’Neil

Dennis or Denny, call him whatever you want, he’s one of the biggest names in DC history and one of the biggest legends to grace the DCU in general. But one place he’s hit home more then ever is with Batman.
Now I will be honest, unlike with Dini or #1, I haven’t read a ton of O’Neil’s work. Only a hand full of issues from the 80’s and 90’s that my father gave me. My father spoke highly of him and said he was one of his favorite writers. All of what I’ve read of O’Neil’s past work was incredible, I can say that much.
I’ve also of course used the magic of the internet to see online scans/descriptions of his past stories, and even from those I must admit their impressive stories and some awesome tales of the Dark Knight. One doesn’t become a legend for nothing and that saying has never been more true then Denny O’Neil.

#1: Frank Miller

This might be a tad controversial of a choice. After all it seems the majority of Batman fans cry foul at Miller for his All Star take on the Caped Crusader. Saying he’s ruined Batman and that he’s taken everything good from it and made one of the worst comics of all time. I seem to be in the minority as I love All Star Batman and Robin, but it isn’t just that. I’ve read The Dark Knight Returns and then I was there for when he struck Again and I read about his First Year as Batman. I’ve been there for pretty much every great piece of literature that Miller has written. Sure, I wasn’t around in the 80’s, but I’ve read the collections of all these amazing stories.
Having read Miller’s amazing storytelling and his wicked story of today in Batman’s All Star incarnation, I feel safe in saying that I am not only a huge fan of Frank Miller, but a huge fan of his Batman work. Sure, so many writers have written great stories with Batman, but not every story has been as legendary as Year One or memorable as DKR.
Maybe it is a little bias going off just a few good stories, but these few good stories have shaped a lot of how people view Batman and think of him. To pass them off just for the fact that their popular is, well, unfair.
Miller is an incredible writer who has written so many incredible stories with incredible characters over the years. But outside of Daredevil, Batman has had the biggest effect of Miller’s writing. Miller to me is the ultimate Batman writer and the best of the best.

So that’s it, my top 3 batman writers. Remember this is my list and it’s my opinion. I’m sure it conflicts in some ways with yours and if so, that’s just fine. It seems most, if not a good majority of readers, love Batman and have their own favorite’s stories characters and writers. It’s just a matter of opinion, in the end.