5 Great Alternate Batmen You’ve Never Heard Of, Ranked

Everyone loves the mainline Batman, but shouldn’t some of his variants get a bit of love, too? To be fair, Batman is one of the most beloved heroes of all time. As the hero that carries DC Comics on his back, the Dark Knight has starred in thousands of stories, from movies to TV shows to video games, and, of course, comics. But as any seasoned comic book fan will tell you, there’s more than just one Batman to appreciate in DC’s wide multiverse, from counterparts of Bruce Wayne to other heroes who have taken up the mantle.

Now, when it comes to Batman variants, I think people are familiar enough with more popular ones like Absolute Batman or Thomas Wayne, the Flashpoint Batman. But there’s plenty of other Dark Knights that have popped up in the nearly century that DC has been putting out comics. There’s the Dark Multiverse’s Punisher-like Batman, the Grim Knight. Or for those who like a more lighthearted, fantastic creation, Bat Walker, an actual dinosaur who serves as his world’s Batman. Read on to discover 5 amazing Batmen I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard of.

5. The Grim Knight

If you’ve ever thought the Punisher and Batman were cut from the same cloth, this guy is right up your alley. The Grim Knight hails from one of the many broken worlds of the Dark Multiverse, and, like most of the Metal era’s evil Batmen, reflects a fear of Bruce’s. The Grim Knight in particular embodies Bruce’s fear of guns, showing how devastating he’d be if he had picked up Joe Chill’s gun after the Wayne murders. Armed to the teeth at any given moment, the Grim Knight is no hero, but he makes for a fascinating character study.

4. Tlano, the Batman of Planet X

No, I’m not talking about Bruce’s split persona. I’m talking about Tlano, the original Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. Before this version of Batman was reinvented for Grant Morrison’s Bat-Epic, Tlano was shown to be an alien who, by an incredible cosmic coincidence, also became Batman. Like the Batman we know, Tlano had numerous gadgets to aid his crime-fighting mission, including the Bat-Radia, a powerful object that could jam any electronic machinery. Tlano is a serious deep cut, but hey, for his one appearance, he was memorable enough to leave a mark on Batman’s history.

3. The Realworlds’ Batman

Realworlds was a short-lived collection of stories that explored iconic DC Comics’ heroes as we know them in reality. Realworlds: Batman starred a disabled man named Charlie who grew up idolizing the Adam West Batman show. After running into an old friend who’s gone down a dark path, Charlie takes a cue from the newer 1989 Batman film to help her out. Charlie isn’t exactly the Batman of his world, per se, but he’s a good guy with a big heart that does his best to live his life the way the Caped Crusader would.

2. Bat Walker

There are no surprises when it comes to an infinite universe filled with infinite possibilities. As such, Jurassic League revealed a prehistoric world that was protected by anthropomorphic dinosaurs like Bat Walker. Bat Walker is an Allosaurus who lost his parents and decided to fight crime to avenge them. Like the human Batman, Bat Walker is an incredible fighter thanks to his impressive size and physical traits like his claws. And yes, he’s got toys and gadgets, too. Maybe not as advanced as Bruce Wayne’s, but for his time and place, they’re pretty damn effective.

1. Bat-Man of China

Not too long after Batman took his operation global with Batman Inc, China decided to produce its own Dark Knight. After creating an intense training program to find the best possible candidate, Baixi Wang emerged as the Bat-Man of China. Though he’s a big greener than Bruce, Baixi is a certified genius, specializing in electronic and robotic gadgets. He even made his own automated Boy Wonder, Robinbot. Though he mostly sticks with his friends in the Justice League of China, he got Batman’s seal of approval and even joined Bruce’s enterprise in the most recent Batman Incorporated series.

Who’s your favorite little-known Batman? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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