7. Azrael Batman

See that monstrosity of spikes and "˜90s-ness? Would you believe it's from a storyline that's actually good?  "Knightfall", a storyline that ran through the Batman books in the mid-nineties, started with a bang. In the opening act, a brand new villain calling himself Bane took Bruce Wayne and shattered his spine, leaving him unable to continue Batman-ing. While he recovered, Bruce left the mantle of Batman to Jean-Paul Valley, AKA Azrael. Valley was a cult-indoctrinated vigilante who Bruce had mentored and help along the path to recovery.

Azrael became the Batman the "˜90s thought they wanted: Spikey, armored, and not afraid to kill bad guys. But as he descended into madness, Bruce returned to reclaim his mantle. What ensued was a fantastic battle of classic vs. new-school as Bruce staunchly refused to cross the line in the sand while Valley happily skipped rope over it. The reason I love Valley's tenure as the Dark Knight is because it perfectly illustrates why Bruce Wayne still works. Batman doesn't need to be "edgy", he's the goshdarn Batman. And while Valley was a fun change of pace, it's always nice to get back to basics.