Batman’s best, darkest story harnessed into real-world horror

There have been many dark moments throughout the Dark Knight’s nearly 90-year history, but 1992’s “Batman: Night Cries” might be the darkest. Contrary to “Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City,” which darkened with a touch of wild horrorThis brooding, unsettling yet hauntingly beautiful one-shot sees Gotham’s protector investigating a drug trafficking operation that he links to a series of murders involving child abuse. In addition to being one of the most disturbing Gotham City stories ever told, it’s also one of the best.

Batman stories run the gamut from wacky and fantastical to grounded and realistic. The 1950s and 1960s were particularly light, offering us The Most Bizarre Silver Age Villains in Batman History at a time when the adventures of the Caped Crusader were all about capitalizing on the popularity of science fiction. While Julius Schwartz managed to shake things up with the “new look” of Batman in 1964, it wasn’t until the ’70s and ’80s that the character truly became the “strange figure of darkness.” considered by creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1939. As dark and thematically rich as “Batman: Year One” or “The Dark Knight Returns” were, however, they were not as realistic and haunting as “Batman: Night Cries.”

Written by Archie Goodwin and illustrated by Scott Hampton, “Night Cries” not only tackled perhaps the darkest subject of all – child abuse – but also managed to explore the characters of Batman and James Gordon in compelling ways, creating an unforgettable Batman story that has unfortunately been overlooked in the broader discussion of classic Batman tales.

If “Batman: Night Cries” had been released more recently, it would easily be one of the the best DC Black Label comics. More than that, “Night Cries” deserves to be included in discussions of the best Batman comics never written, but has so far failed to achieve the same widespread recognition as other classic tales. But for those who have read it, it remains unforgettable.

The most striking thing about the comic is the art style. Dave McKean’s illustrations in “Arkham Asylum in A Serious House on Serious Earth” are rightly known for depicting some of the most striking and evocative art in Batman comics history. But for some reason, we don’t hear as much about Scott Hampton’s contributions to “Batman: Night Cries,” which were just as immersive and haunting. The art style of this oft-overlooked one-shot is not only beautifully atmospheric, but, like McKean’s work on “Arkham Asylum,” it plays on the story’s dark themes, enhancing the narrative through the visuals to form an unforgettable whole.

This tale is about as far removed from the fanciful exploits of the Silver Age caped crusader as possible, but that’s what makes “Night Cries” so brilliant. The story is as much about Commissioner James Gordon as it is Batman, with Archie Goodwin essentially using two protagonists to explore the issues raised by the criminal investigation. Examining the psyches of two protagonists alongside the main plot could have resulted in a disjointed or overly busy story, but it is remarkably coherent, using the themes evoked by the central narrative to gain insight into Gordon and Bruce. This approach leads to some of the most indelible moments in Batman history.

In “Batman: Night Cries,” James Gordon investigates the murders of two families while Batman investigates the arrival of a new drug in Gotham that “produces a faster and more violent effect than crack.” The Dark Knight quickly establishes a link between drugs and the murders and soon a horrible reality emerges. The victims were all involved in child abuse and the killer is apparently trying to avenge the children at the heart of this story.

Addressing such a poignant subject in a comic could have been considered inappropriate or even disrespectful. But it’s a testament to how Archie Goodwin and Scott Hampton have grounded their story in a world that feels real and, more importantly, serious, that “Night Cries” never treats its serious subject matter frivolously. Goodwin writes the often deeply moving scenes with a quiet respect for the seriousness of the subject while Hampton’s expressive painted art – which straddles the line between impressionist and naturalist – adds to the overall sense of maturity on display here.

This leads to several standout moments, including a surprisingly touching scene in which Batman unmasks to put an abused girl at ease. Bruce’s empathy for the victims reaffirms his own humanity and infuses the story with a tenderness one might not expect from what is otherwise one of the Dark Knight’s darkest tales. You can see echoes of “Night Cries” in 2022’s “The Batman,” in which Robert Pattinson’s vigilante sees himself in the grieving child of Gotham’s mayor. But the comic arguably explores this idea more deeply and effectively, which is just one reason why it deserves to be part of the conversation around the best Batman stories ever told.