5 Batman Moments From 2025 That Made Our Jaws Drop

Another year of Batman history is in the books, and, as fans expected, it was a banner year for the Dark Knight. As DC Comics’ flagship character, Batman was everywhere, headlining several ongoing titles and miniseries, and popping up in supporting roles. Not to mention, this was the first full year we had the Absolute Universe, which prominently featured Bruce Wayne’s massive mirror image, the Absolute Batman. No matter what universe, Batman was there like always, pushing his mind, body, and spirit to the limit to keep the world safe, no matter the cost to himself.

Looking back, it’s hard to see all the wild adventures Bruce went on this year. We got a look at his earliest days with the miniseries Batman: Dark Patterns, and we saw him meet Deadpool on two separate occasions (one of which was penned by Grant Morrison). There was a lot of great Batman content this year, but what are the moments that truly stood out, that had fans gripped and gasping at the pages in delight? Read on to discover 5 Batman moments from 2025 that reminded us why he’s such an amazing character.

5. Batman Makes a Flame Back Down

Batman: Dark Patterns touched on a lot of themes, but one of its best was how legends and myths are shaped. In the series’ final issue, the Caped Crusader is out to stop an arsonist whose fires are ravaging Gotham. Amid the inferno, Batman turns back and raises a hand to the flame, which seems to make the fires back down. Bruce, of course, denies he did anything, but to the people of Gotham (and us readers), it was an amazing example of how Batman is more than man in a costume, he’s heroism incarnate.

4. Batman’s Great Locked Room Murder Case

I generally skip annuals but I’m so glad I didn’t in this case because Detective Comics 2025 Annual #1 had the World’s Greatest Detective investigate one hell of a mystery. Batman comes across the body of a tech magnate in a locked room, with a strange note that reads “Do not solve my murder”. I’ve read plenty of Batman stories involving suspicious deaths, but this was an amazing read and honestly, a good case for getting Al Ewing on an ongoing Batman title (or at the very least a miniseries).

3. Absolute Batman’s Final Battle with Bane

Much of 2025 had Batman’s Absolute counterpart locked in a long confrontation with his world’s version of Bane. Bane tested Batman in ways his Prime doppelganger could only dream of. And though Bane nearly broke Batman (not to mention mutilate Bruce’s friends), the Dark Knight was able to pull out all the stops and defeat Bane in a public fight. From dropping a building on Bane to overloading his system with Venom, Absolute Batman outmaneuvered Bane in every way, reducing the hulking abomination to nothing more than a brain, a pair of eyes and a spinal column.

2. Met (and Merged) with Deadpool

We got two Deadpool and Batman crossovers this year, and as wild as the first one was, Grant Morrison and Dan Mora’s Batman/Deadpool special went all out. The Dark Knight and the Merc with a Mouth were trapped in a mental prison by Cassandra Nova. But thanks to the extra-dimensional manipulations of a suspiciously familiar writer, Batman and Deadpool merged into one form, appropriately called Deadbat. Though the fusion was over as quickly as it appeared, it was awesome seeing two of the biggest comic book icons merge into one badass-looking superhero.

1. Batman Killed by the Joker

You can’t talk about jaw-dropping Batman moments without mentioning the plot twist that left fans everywhere stunned. DC K.O.’s first issue featured the preliminary round of its highly anticipated tournament and it seemed like Batman was all in the clear to make it in. That is, until the villains crashed the party and took Batman out with a spear to the chest. While Batman is still involved with the miniseries thanks to the Knightfight tie-in, seeing Batman removed from the tournament and replaced by the Joker of all people was a moment that really surprised all of us.

What was your favorite Batman moment in 2025? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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