While the World's Greatest Detective is widely known for his gritty, street-level noir stories, Batman has flexed his martial arts prowess on many occasions. Much of Bruce's training consisted of learning every possible combat style he could, and that training culminated in exciting fights spanning his early to veteran years.
And as dense and contained as Gotham is, he's been locked in battle with street-level mortals and metahumans with godlike strength alike. Whether it's a heated encounter with a SWAT team or the high stakes of a rampaging Superman mind-controlled by Poison Ivy, Batman stars in some of DC's most memorable fights.
10 Bane
Knightfall
In one of the hero's prolific '90s comics, a team of writers and artists gave Batman one of his biggest tests of endurance. Knightfall was Bane's first major role in a storyline, with the villain manipulating a mass breakout at Arkham Asylum to wear the hero thin.
This story arc was what cemented Bane's status as one of the most brutal Batman villains in comics, boasting the title of the man who "broke the Bat" figuratively and physically. It was a shocking fight with sincere stakes, which is welcome in a medium that treats concepts like death lightly.
9 Superman
Hush
One of the decade's best Batman comics, World's Finest, highlights his friendship with Superman. Even so, Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Hush showed one of the most iconic hero-versus-hero battles in comics. It isn't truly antagonistic, as Superman is under the mind control of Poison Ivy's superpowered pheromones.
Batman is forced to take on a destructive Superman in his attempts to find out who is behind these personal assaults on Bruce Wayne's life. And given the gulf in strength between a human and a Kryptonian, the Dark Knight needs to use all his cunning and gadgets to edge out a win.
8 SWAT
Year One
Miller and David Mazzucchelli's origin is an essential crime-noir, as Year One depicts Bruce's early days in a grittier, bare-knuckle approach. Back when organized crime and systemic corruption were Gotham's biggest threats, this fledgling Dark Detective tangled with SWAT.
It's a far cry from metahumans like Superman or even enhanced mortals like Bane, but that's part of what made this fight so tense. He didn't have the benefit of an outright brawl and was severely outnumbered. Batman desperately had to immobilize and evade militarized enemies, all while in a crumbling building set to be bombed.
7 Talon
The Court Of Owls
Scott Snyder is one of most talented contemporary Batman writers, with his New 52 run alongside artist Greg Capullo one of the most consistently high quality. The Court of Owls creeps from out of the shadows to prevent Bruce's plans to push progress in Gotham City.
Trapped within the Court's labyrinth, the cabal's Talon cruelly and steadily stalks Batman to break him down for entertainment. The Court of Owls is a riveting look at Batman in a rare state of severe physical and mental vulnerability, reversing the typical predator-prey dynamic when tackling his villains.
6 Superman
The Dark Knight Returns
Hush wasn't the only nor first time the Dark Knight and Man of Steel clashed. Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is one of the best Batman comics available, and part of its climax is a brutal bout between a government-weaponized Superman and rebel-fighter Batman.
This works as a great alternate timeline, with this blockbuster-level fight feeling similarly cathartic to Loeb and Lee's comic that would follow it. But even with Batman's specialized suit tailor-made to handle such a Herculean task, Green Arrow deserves just as much credit for orchestrating this fight.
5 Joker
Endgame
Despite being Batman's most iconic and fascinating villain, some might understandably feel like the Joker's presence is oversaturated. However, Snyder and Capullo's "final" Batman vs. Joker grudge match was a thrilling sendoff for the villain's major role in the New 52 continuity.
The Clown Prince of Crime returns in Endgame in an attempt to burn Batman and everything he represents down, with his twisted perception of their dynamic "ruined." In the climax, the two engage in an explosive, gruesome fight underground that's shocking to see play out, even by Batman standards.
4 Mutant Leader
The Dark Knight Returns
While his fight with Superman gets the most attention in The Dark Knight Returns, the grizzled Caped Crusader's clash against the Mutant's leader is a worthy highlight. Feeling compelled to once again don the cape and cowl, Bruce aims to reclaim Gotham from the Clockwork Orange-like street gang.
Batman and the Mutant leader's rematch was arguably even more cathartic than with the Man of Steel. A battle-hardened Bruce gives one of the greatest humblings to a villain in the comics. The arrogant, hyper-violent gangster is firmly put in his place using the only language he understands.
3 Ra's Al Ghul
Birth Of The Demon
Ra's al Ghul is a compelling rogue, proving to be a rare physical and intellectual equal. Birth of the Demon by Dennis O'Neil and Norm Breyfogle is the villain's origin story, but it takes the plot back to the present as the Dark Knight works to destroy his rejuvenating Lazarus Pits.
The tensions get even higher when Talia al Ghul -- the daughter of the Demon and Bruce's love -- gets involved, giving Batman and Ra's' fight an air of tragedy. Complete with a bare-chested swordfight, Birth of the Demon is a swashbuckling spectacle emblematic of the hero's '90s comics.
2 KGBeast
Ten Nights Of The Beast
He's undoubtedly a more obscure Batman villain, but KGBeast made a strong first impression in Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo's Ten Nights of the Beast. This lethal KGB remnant travels to Gotham City to assassinate specific figures, proving to be more than a challenge for Batman.
Somewhat similar to physically formidable villains like Bane, seeing the hero clash with KGBeast is satisfying in how it gives the Caped Crusader a physical match. The former's marksmanship also gives him a unique edge, forcing Batman to take desperate measures.
1 Red Hood
Under The Red Hood
A Death in the Family was one of the most consequential story arcs in Batman's mythos. But in Under the Red Hood, Jason Todd is resurrected and returns to Gotham with his bloody and unforgiving idea of justice.
Naturally, a collision course with his surrogate father was inevitable, making Under the Red Hood the storyline with some of Batman's most profoundly intimate fights. Aside from the titular antihero being a worthy physical and tactical adversary, the emotional core of an estranged son raging at his father's greatest failure makes this quarrel so significant.