It is odd to consider the fact that Batman, an eccentric detective who dresses as bat and combats largely prankish villains, has become one of the most universally beloved characters in modern history. Yet here we are, with yet another iteration of the character captivating audiences around the world.

Part of this is the elemental appeal the character and his world, but also the malleability of both. Certainly for me, as evidenced by my list above, the variety of possibility is what’s most exciting. I find it almost moving how films as wildly different as THE DARK KNIGHT and BATMAN: THE MOVIE can both be masterpieces and feel true to the core of the titular hero. And while Matt Reeves’ THE BATMAN is successful in how closely it represents the world of the comics, other auteurs like Burton or Nolan have been able to maintain their own sensibilities within the Batman space.

This is why, somewhat controversially, I believe Burton’s BATMAN RETURNS to still be the best Batman film ever. More than any of the other films, Burton was able to mix all the campy and melodramatic possibilities into a delectably weird expression of oddball noir that feels true to both Batman’s comic book roots and the filmmaker’s own reality as a storyteller.

That being said, all iterations of Batman are worthwhile in one or another, even the toyetic car crashes that are the Schumacher films or the almost admirably unpleasantness of Snyder’s take. Each shows us not only the power of interpretation, but also the ways in which a weirdo in a bat costume can continue to be a touchstone of modern heroism and iconography.