Semi-obligatory Alan Moore apologia: I really think that you have to date grimdark Batman back to The Dark Knight Returns--you know, the one in which not only was Joker someone who piled the body count up by the hundreds (but didn't keep count--he left that to Bruce) but, in Miller's original version, raped Jason before killing him (DC took that part out), and set up the infamous 900-number "A Death in the Family" storyline. I think that TKJ gets the grief that it does because a) even Moore regrets it now, while Miller doesn't seem to give a shit, and b) Barbara.