Batman: 100 Greatest Moments

Highlights from the History of The Dark Knight

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Pub Date Oct 13 2020 | Archive Date Nov 18 2020

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Description

The Bat. The Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight. The World's Greatest Detective. Whatever you call him, Bruce "The Batman" Wayne remains one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time. This volume encapsulates the most memorable moments that have left fans stunned, in awe, or heartbroken since his inception in 1939.

Batman has had many writers, his cowl has been worn by a plethora of different actors, and while many people have a favorite Batman, there's no doubt that he's the fan favorite. With this book, relive Batman's greatest 100 moments with choice comic book spreads, covers, and comic book panels.  Broken up into key themes prevalent in the Batman Comics (villains, allies, his origins, his lovers, and when Batman goes out of this world), Batman: 100 Greatest Moments encompasses all aspects of everyone's favorite billionaire vigilante.

While Gotham is perpetually in peril, the world in general is better with the Bat in it. Whether it's his sharp wit, his extravagant mansion, or extensive back catalog of vehicles and gadgets. From creator Bob Kane to Tom King's 100-issue run that started in 2018, Batman has morphed with the times.

There's so much to love about Batman and the characters that surrounds them. His villains, his Robins, his love interests…they all find him as irresistible as the general public. The moral ambiguity that makes him one of the most relatable characters in DC's extended universe. Part of "The Big Three" and host to a slew of orphaned Robins, Batman is a pivotal part to many characters in the extended DCU.

No comic book nerd's collection is complete without Batman: 100 Greatest Moments. This gift edition comes in a convenient portable size, perfect for catching up with your favorite caped hero when you're on the go.

The 100 Greatest Moments of DC Comics series collects the greatest, most memorable moments of your favorite comic book characters in gorgeous volumes that highlight both individual characters and groups. From superheroes to super-villains, each book in this collection covers some of the greatest DC comic book characters. No comic book nerd's collection is complete without the 100 Greatest Moments of DC Comics books of their favorite characters.
 
The Bat. The Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight. The World's Greatest Detective. Whatever you call him, Bruce "The Batman" Wayne remains one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780785838739
PRICE $24.99 (USD)
PAGES 304

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)

Average rating from 36 members


Featured Reviews

This is awesome! If you love Batman and Comic Strip Magazines this is for you!
Thank you NetGalley for the Arc copy with Quarto Publishing Group.
This is effectively an encyclopaedia of Batman’s History since inception!

This book is beautifully presented panels of incredible detail and drawing.
It illustrates how Bruce Wayne becomes our Dark Knight hero becomes darker and depicts key moments it becomes edgier.

This is an awesome encapsulated time frame of Batman’s best stories. I really enjoyed these pinnacle moments.

I can’t wait to read this on a tablet to show my nephews who are batman crazy! This would be more epic in print hardback Glossybook and not just a PDF download file.

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Batman’s 100 greatest moments!
My only complaint is that there is only 100! Batman has 1,000s of greatest moments 😀

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Batman is one of my favorite Super-Hero, right along Wolverine, so this anthology was a great way to go back into old memories, even notice some moments that I never saw. It contains a bunch of information, part of stories so you can have a look at the various style, both story and art, that have come and go into the franchise and some cover artworks as well. This is just a great book, or even gift, for Batman fans!

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For those of us who think Batman is all about Adam West and his pals on technicolor tv, there's a whole universe of Batman we've only scratched at. This great volume is chockfull of everything you never imagined you'd learn about Batman, Robin, Alfred, Catwoman, and all the rest of em. Presented in topical chapters which begin with information downloads of all kinds of interesting tidbits followed by clips from eighty years of comics. Don't look for a consistent comic story here. It's more of a greatest hits album and there were sure lots of hits.

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A great intro to Batman and his supporting cast for young readers and equally handy as a reference tool for those whose memories are not what they once were because of years immersed in comic books!

The history of the character is well laid out and there are lots of excellent images drawn from.

Space is given over to the wider Bat-family and of course to the rogues gallery of villains that help make Batman perhaps the best comic book hero, but given the wealth of lore around the character long time readers will note omissions as readily as they acknowledge the information contained here.

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A very good book for Bat-fans, as expected from seeing similar books in the past. Here we have, instead of a narrative walk-through of his life, or biography of all his creators, a mixture. We get full-page scans of a hundred key, most pertinent scenes from his DC continuity comics, that do nudge on the key creators but generally show the more surprising reveals, character clashes, and such like. Extended writing – on pages that themselves are highly pictorial – tells us all we need to know as background to each and every one. It can get a bit awkward having the writing before the scans, as while they might be intended to be a hundred mini-essays, and do try and have a narrative from one to the next where possible, some do have the style of an extended caption to something not seen for a further twenty pages. But so much is here, from the introduction to all the baddies, and the lovers, and the cars, to the great problems they had knowing what to do with Dick, that the benefits are both in the authority this is delivered and in the chance to visit rare pages of long-gone comics.

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NaNaNa Batman!
What would you consider the greatest Batman moments to be? Robert Greenberger searches for the top 100 moments, through the long history of Batman. Notably, staying within the boundaries of the “core continuity” of the DC comics featuring Batman. Not that Greenberg refrains from referencing the 1960’s Batman TV Series, Batman: The Animated Series, or the Tim Burton movies in passing. Each moment has a well thought out description of the event and its significance. In no particular order of importance. Any comic passages referenced are fully represented and located in color at the back of each chapter. This is a great addition to the book, as it is nice to see the comics themselves.
As a casual reader of the batman comics there is quite a lot of information in this book, about the history and creation of Batman. A majority of the historical information is limited to the original Detective Comics through about the 90s, with brief mentions of the New 52 (2011-2015) through Batman Who Laughs (2019). So, fans looking for information about the newer comics will be somewhat disappointed. This also means there are no mentions of some characters, sorry Luke Fox. Also, surprisingly only brief mentions of the Justice League, and its coinciding superheroes as important moments.
A majority of these moments are categorized by how characters within the series meet, or some larger interesting main comic book events. How they effected Batman as a character or the overarching story, is up to the reader’s interpretation. As well organized as this book is, a timeline would be helpful. Events such as Earth-1, Earth-2, Crisis on Infinite Earths, post-Crisis, Rebirth, Prime Earth, New 52, etc. are not explained fully or written in order. So, a reader new to Batman comics will be left with a puzzling read.
Would I, as Greenberger assumes, have a different top 100 moments? Yes, but this book has some persuasive additions. There is a lot more to learn and read about Batman, and this book is a great introduction to the origins of Batman.

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This book is so cool and entertaining to read! I learned so much more about the writers, the behind the scenes, the character of Batman, and why he is everyone’s favorite superhero! Thank you to NetGalley and Chartwell Books for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

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This is a great reference book and with over 300 pages covers so much and gives out so much information. The structure and the way it is divided in terms of the chapters makes it easy to reference material quickly.
The book covers the early editions of the story through to the more recent. It is interesting to see how both the artwork and the panel placements have progressed over time. Included villains and comics from the original which really does give a marvellous insight into this DC character.
I must have reference book for those that are fans of the graphic novel, the history of them, DC comics and Batman.

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Thank you Netgalley for letting me read these books in return for an honest review.

This was nice to read as I could find out quite a lot throughout this book, this a lot like the Flash: 1oo Greatest Moments (as they are in the same series). The book also introduced me to comics that I will now want to read because of the moments they showcased! This book is chaptered which is nice as you can go to any specific moment that interests you!

The book showcases a lot of different artists and writers which has also influenced me to look at other works by new to me authors/artists
Rating: 4⭐
Would I Read It Again? Yes
Would I Recommend it? Yes

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Batman: 100 Greatest Moments, by Robert Greenberger, like his Flash: 100 Greatest Moments which I previously reviewed (and will borrow some of here due to the similarities) is a browser’s reference book that offers up a comic-reader’s cornucopia of illustrations, something one always hopes for in this sort of book. As the title says, it’s a look at a (obviously subjective) list of highlights from the near-century the classic character has been around. While some fans might quibble here and there, the list as a whole is most likely going to find general consensus.

As noted, while one can read it cover to cover, it’s more a browsing kind of book. I say that because it doesn’t go in chronological order, nor does it go into a deep dive in any particular area. So it’s not meant to be read as an analysis, say, of the character’s changes over time or their personality. If one is looking for that sort of thing, there are a slew of such titles. One picks up on Batman’s development as a character and as a hero while reading this work, but as the entries shift around in time, it’s not a unified, linear exploration and the content is broad but shallow (not a criticism, since that’s not the intent here).

Instead of going chronologically, Greenberger has organized the entries by the categories listed below, along with some of their included content

• “Origins” pretty self-explanatory but also includes the arrival of Dick Grayson
• “Creating the Mythos”: adding the various elements that are now synonymous with the character, like the Bat Signal, the Batmobile, The Batcave, etc.
• “The Batman Family”: the character’s chosen family: Alfred, the various Robins, Batwoman and Batgirl
• “Allies, Friends, and Lovers” Also pretty self-explanatory and including entries on Commissioner Gordon, Catwoman, Vicki Vale, Superman, and others
• “Enemies”: the famous Rogue’s Gallery, including Joker, Two-Face, Riddler, Scarecrow, Bane, and more
• “Out of This World” various fantasy, science fiction, and “what-if” tales

Each single entry is typically 3-4 paragraphs long, with a small illustration often accompanying them. The text is informative and readable, not academic and while it’s occasionally conversational it’s never too informal. Greenberger doesn’t delve into any of the controversy over credit for the character, keeping things lightly descriptive. Each category usually has a few good size covers scattered within its section, then each one is followed by full-page excerpts from the discussed comics, ranging from a single page to several pages. Having so many multi-page excerpts was a pleasant surprise and gives the reader a true sense of reading the comic as opposed to the usual single representative images. Even better, it allows you to get a strong sense of the range of artistic choices made by the various illustrators over the years.

The non-linearity can feel a bit chaotic/random, making it difficult to get a sense of unity or cohesive big picture look, though the division into segments helps somewhat with that. And because Batman has remained singular over his years, as opposed to The Flash who has had several people fulfill that role, this is less of an issue here than it was in The Flash: Top 100 Moments.

I confess that in the running “war” between the two titans of superhero comics, I long ago enlisted in the Marvel camp, though in my earliest comics reading days I did have a short period of time reading a few DC ones, more typically The Flash, though I did read some Batman in that short-lived period. And I have read several of the classic graphic novels over the years such as Year 100 or The Dark Knight Returns. Some of these moments reminded me of why I enjoy Marvel more, but others, particularly some of the later stories, made me think I might have missed a few good tales here and there.

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I’m a huge Batman fan, and this book was the perfect trip down memory lane. I also think my sister who just got into DC comics might enjoy it as it’s a good introduction (so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed). I enjoyed this so much and I’ll probably have to get a physical copy to have in my collection. Thank you so much for the chance to read it.

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"He is an avenging creature of the night when society needs a force for justice. [...] So powerful is his origin, so pure his mission, that as long as there are superstitious cowardly criminals, there will be a caped and cowled figure ready to strike fear in their hearts before bringing them to justice."
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Batman has always been my favorite hero. Imagine a dark and broody figure, hiding in shadows, seeking righteous vengeance upon evil, with cool-as-hell gadgets and the superpower of his bottomless funds. Add in just the right amount of grit and humor, and you got yourself one of the greatest superheroes the genre has to offer.
If you are a fan of Batman (but are unfamiliar with his adventures in the comic world, like myself), this book is for you.
Batman: 100 Greatest Moments offers its readers exactly that: a glimpse behind the scenes of Batman's most memorable moments, not just in terms of character arcs and plots, but also the incredible artists and creators contributing to the legend of the Dark Knight. Although some points are glossed over quickly, expecting from the reader a somewhat basic knowledge of certain key events in the comics or pulp culture, it is nonetheless a very well written and researched book with great illustrations, covers and snippets.
4.5/5 stars

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Great book on batmans history over the past 80 years! I definitely wish they included more actual comic strips that related to each story though. I would also recommend getting the physical book instead of the ebook, as the text is super small and you have to zoom in alot to read all the nuances.

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Great guide for any Batman comics fan to outline the decades of books over 100 greatest moments. Layout is good, just wish the explanations of each moment were next to the scanned pages vs. all being written up together on pages before. Overall a good resource for comics fans.

Thank you to Net Galley and Quarto Publishing Group – Chartwell Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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If you are looking for behind the scenes stories about your favorite dark knight, this is the book for you! This Batman tome is a Batman encyclopedia of awesome facts about Batman and the entire bat family. I really enjoyed the stories of Bob Kane and the beginnings of Batman. I learned a lot of the influences that made Batman, the Batman. I never knew some of the characters from 1930s comics that influenced Bob Kane as he created Batman. It’s an awesome read for any Batman fan. You can learn about older Batman stories you never knew about and then go find them in Dc Universe or your favorite comic store!

I highly recommend this book. If you buy it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and find more Batman comics to read!

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This is a really classic look at Batman's Greatest Moments: it was super fun to read and get in to, and it was great being able to relive some of my favourite experiences. Greenberger's joy and sense of humour was transferred from the page to my smile when I was reading this. It's a real pleasure to read something like this from such a fan.

I would say that at times I found myself losing concentration, but that may well have just been because I was trying to read too much of it at one time. This book is probably best read by mood: dip in and out of it whenever you want a giggle.

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I confess that a big part of this high rating is probably the fact that I totally agree with the vast majority of the moments picked as the 'greatest.' But what makes this extra interesting is that the author goes extra deep into the history of Batman and writes about the different people that had a hand in creating the characters and moments that have become iconic enough to be considered the best of Batman.
It also includes the most relevant pages of the comics from which the moments were picked, so it has a secondary enjoyment factor in seeing the different art styles from the different ages.
The one downside I can think of is that it kind of takes a certain level of Batman knowledge for granted. I'm not sure a casual Batman reader will enjoy this as much, or even be able to fully understand the importance of the moments within Batman's history.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chartwell Books for the chance to read.

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Batman: 100 Greatest Moments is a great book for any comic book fans (not just Batman fans). In the book, Robert Greenberger highlights 100 stories from the 75 years of Batman comics. Each moment is given a brief write up and accompany with this corresponding panels from the comic book.

The book is divided into six chapters, from the origins of Batman, which includes the death of his parents in crime alley and the adopting of Dick Grayson. To the Bat Family (highlighting the various Robins and introduction to Batgirl). To Allies, Friends and Lovers, which showcases Batman various love interests including CatWoman. And this “friendship” with Superman.

Many of the moments are those you would expect. Like I mentioned the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents (moment 2) or the introduction of Damien (moment 35), or Two-Face’s origin story (moment 59). However, there were some surprises. The relationship between Batman and Alfred (moment 23) or when Batman unmasked before Commissioner Gordon (moment 39).

As I said this is a great book for any comic book fan and would make an amazing gift.

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Not a book suited for reading as a PDF to be quite honest! However, this would make a lovely "coffee-table" book.

A well thought out spread of 100 of the greatest moments of Batman comics throughout the years.
These are shown in categorical sequence rather than a linear format, a slight problem given the PDF version I was reading, but not a problem for someone who can flip back to check a date of a past entry.

Each category is given a summary, followed by paragraphs of what each scene/issue/moment contains, and then scans of the pages. Again, this might work better in print format but I'd prefer reading the paragraph of each moment alongside the scans of the comics.

An interesting book nonetheless and one to pick up for a Batman fan of any level.

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The Dark Knight has been around protecting people since his first appearance in the 27th issue of Detective Comics in 1939. Put together by DC Comics writer Robert Greenberger, this anthology breaks Batman’s story into six key chapters. The chapters are “Origins,” “Creating the Mythos,” “The Batman Family,” “Allies,” “Friends, and Lovers,” “Enemies,” and “Out of This World.” Each highlight points of Bruce Wayne’s life from putting on the mask, various Robin sidekicks, and other places and timelines he has been in. This is a book that would be a great addition to Batman fans and collectors.

While this is a look back on the hero, it is also a look back and credit to those telling Batman’s story for the past 80 years.

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