20 of the weirdest Batman stories ever

Cover to Batman: R.I.P deluxe edition by Grant Morrison. Image via DC Comics.

Think Batman is the moodiest man in Gotham? Think again. Here are 20 comics that show the Dark Knight can be very strange indeed.

Chances are good that you know Batman as the Dark Knight, the grim emissary of all things gritty and bleak. It’s no surprise, given how works by comics writer Frank Miller and film director Christopher Nolan have enjoyed tremendous success.

But, like any character that’s been around for almost 80 years, there’s a lot more to Batman than weighty monologues delivered in the drizzling rain. He’s got plenty to cry about, but maybe even more things that would cause old Bruce Wayne to laugh or at least shrug in confusion. Truth be told, Batman can get downright weird.

Think about it. Batman’s whole concept revolves around his fixation on bats. He’s clearly very traumatized by the violent deaths of his parents. Coupled with fantastic riches and a surprising lack of mental health support for a young trust fund kid, and you’ve got a recipe for one of the strangest vigilantes ever.

Yes, it’s true that Batman (who’s really Gotham billionaire Bruce Wayne) is a darn good crime fighter. He’s an even better detective and a clearly dedicated gym-goer. But, for all of the times that he was an upstanding member of the Justice League or put the Joker back into Arkham Asylum, Batman also has a rainbow batsuit. Or a zebra one. Or a suit that is glowing green from radiation and needs to be covered in mummy bandages.

Some of the examples that follow are clearly tongue-in-cheek. Others, however, are the result of a strange confluence of writers, cultural trends, and a major force known as the Comics Code Authority.

Before you dive in, a quick warning: some of these entries contain spoilers. It’s occasionally necessary to explain the plot of a story, or why, exactly, Batman is wearing a parti-colored suit and hallucinating something known as a “Bat-Mite.” However, none of them should be enough to ruin your enjoyment of some of the strangest, most utterly weird stories to ever take on the Batman himself.