Set in a dark gritty city, and with a number of fantastic villains that sometimes upstage him a little, Batman has become one of the most popular superhero franchises to date. The Caped Crusader first swooped into comic books in 1939 and has been adapted for countless television series (both live-action and animated), video games, and of course, many movies.
Given that a number of directors that have worked with Batman, there have also been a number of movie posters made, often in different styles. The best ones capture the essence of Batman and the city of Gotham with bold graphics, dark comic book aesthetics, and in one instance, a meme-able tagline.
Batman (1989)
One of the most famous Batman movies is Tim Burton's Batman. The 1989 movie was the second movie about the Dark Knight and the first to give Batman a darker tone.
By utilizing the icon Batman logo and giving it a sleek upgrade to match the gritty Gotham settings, this poster is the perfect example of less is more. As a result, the poster is not only one of the best DC movie posters but also one of the most successful movie poster campaigns of all time.
Batman Begins (2005)
The first of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is Batman Begins, the first successful attempt to bring Batman back into the movies after the mixed reviews of Batman Forever and the so-bad-it's-funny flop that was Batman & Robin.
What makes this poster particularly spectacular is the use of strong shadows, the viewer looking directly up at Batman swooping down with his cape exactly like bat wings, and the use of real bats, a key point in this version of Batman. All these elements together create the perfect gothic comic book movie poster.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Nolan's second venture into Gotham resulted in one of the most iconic versions of Batman's arch-nemesis of all time. Heath Ledger's nasty Joker is undoubtedly the star of The Dark Knight, and his appearance in the movie posters is just brilliant.
The viewer gets an idea of just how terrifying this version of the Joker is without even fully revealing his face. With the dark eye make-up, the smeared red smile and the memorable catchphrase "Why So Serious?" this poster is more than worthy of display, providing it doesn't scare the viewer at night.
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
The Lego Batman Movie was an unexpected delight and a great movie, partially due to Will Arnett's brilliant voiceover of the Dark Knight. The poster campaigns for the movie are bold and fun, staying true to Batman and his signature black and yellow colors whilst bringing the fun of the Lego franchise - and let's not forget the brilliant meme-able movie tagline: "Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman."
This poster in particular is successful because it's bold, dynamic and perhaps the closest to capturing what the original Batman is all about whilst still looking distinctly Lego-esque.
Batman Ninja (2018)
There is no question that the anime movie Batman Ninja is visually stunning, and the posters are no exception. This poster in particular is a work of art worthy of any display wall as it beautifully captures this alternative universe to perfection.
The clean-cut background is reminiscent of ancient Japanese art, yet the details in the protagonists' costumes are extraordinary especially Batman's samurai armor. The icing on the cake is the glimpse of Batman's enemies in the title lettering. It's enough to show who they are without overcrowding the main poster.
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
Batman: The Killing Joke is probably the most famous Batman comic arc of all time, so it was only natural that a movie adaptation would be made. The original comic book cover by Brian Bolland is one of the most easily recognizable Batman artworks to date so to recreate it in a movie poster would be a sure hit or a horrific miss.
Instead, the original illustration is used with an updated color palette and added drops of raining blood. Sometimes it's best not to mess with the classics, as this poster proves.
Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993)
Based on the popular and successful Batman: The Animated Series TV show, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is not only Batman's first animated movie but also DC's first animated superhero movie. It was well-received by critics and it is considered one of the best animated Batman movies today.
The theatrical poster adds to the success, with its style and tone remaining true to both the movie and the TV show in the form of a dynamic piece of artwork. One cool and noteworthy detail in the poster is that a subtle Gotham city skyline can be seen behind the Phantasm.
Batman Forever (1995)
Whilst not the most successful Batman movie, Batman Forever still remains memorable and fun for a lot of fans. For some, it's an underrated Batman movie and this is partly due to Jim Carrey's manic performance as The Riddler. As with the 1989 movie, this teaser poster is a good case of less is more.
The signature Batman logo is encompassed by a large question mark, the emblem of Riddler, and is highlighted with bright greens and blues. It may not be the best Batman movie but this poster is arguably one of the most iconic in the Batman movie franchise, perhaps even mainstream movie history.
Justice League (2017)
Between them, the theatrically released Justice League and the Zack Snyder's Justice League had a vast number of posters. But the ones that stand out, in particular, were a set of character posters done for when the movie was first released in 2017.
Each one depicts the five main superheroes, Batman included, with their logos cut out over the top of a black and white photograph of their real identities to reveal their superhero self in color. The effect looks extraordinary and really cool, and it works so well as a set.
Batman: The Long Halloween (2021)
The most recent animated Batman adventure is The Long Halloween, which was split into two parts. Although very fresh out of the box, it is already proving popular with Batman fans.
Whilst it was direct to video release and technically does not have a theatrical movie poster, the two Blu-ray covers are outstanding, particularly as a set. Depicted beautifully, even with the Joker's half face leering nastily at the viewer, these would still look fantastic put up on display anywhere. (Look at the Batman logo as the jack o'lantern's smile!)