Detective's Greatest Years, Ranked

When was the golden age of Detective? We ranked every year by the accumulated weighted rating of its best Detective titles — a year rises when it delivered many strongly-rated entries, not just a lone classic. Data from 3eyedraven's catalog.

  1. #1 2020 25 great titles Best: The King: Eternal Monarch
  2. #2 2019 25 great titles Best: Unbelievable
  3. #3 2021 25 great titles Best: Mare of Easttown
  4. #4 2022 25 great titles Best: Black Bird
  5. #5 2024 25 great titles Best: Dead Boy Detectives
  6. #6 2025 23 great titles Best: Dept. Q
  7. #7 2014 22 great titles Best: True Detective
  8. #8 2018 22 great titles Best: Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey
  9. #9 2023 20 great titles Best: The Apothecary Diaries
  10. #10 2011 18 great titles Best: Grimm
  11. #11 2015 19 great titles Best: The Jinx
  12. #12 2012 17 great titles Best: Hyouka
  13. #13 2017 17 great titles Best: Dark
  14. #14 2010 16 great titles Best: Sherlock
  15. #15 2013 16 great titles Best: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
  16. #16 2004 14 great titles Best: Veronica Mars
  17. #17 2009 14 great titles Best: Southland
  18. #18 2016 13 great titles Best: ERASED
  19. #19 2007 13 great titles Best: Death Note Relight 1: Visions of a God
  20. #20 2006 11 great titles Best: Death Note
  21. #21 1984 10 great titles Best: Sherlock Holmes
  22. #22 1987 10 great titles Best: Inspector Morse
  23. #23 2002 10 great titles Best: What's New, Scooby-Doo?
  24. #24 1997 9 great titles Best: The New Batman Adventures
  25. #25 1995 9 great titles Best: Se7en
  26. #26 1999 9 great titles Best: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  27. #27 2001 9 great titles Best: Mulholland Drive
  28. #28 1998 9 great titles Best: Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target
  29. #29 1989 8 great titles Best: Agatha Christie's Poirot
  30. #30 2000 8 great titles Best: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
  31. #31 1994 8 great titles Best: Furuhata Ninzaburo
  32. #32 2005 8 great titles Best: Hell Girl
  33. #33 1992 7 great titles Best: Batman: The Animated Series
  34. #34 1996 7 great titles Best: Detective Conan
  35. #35 2003 6 great titles Best: Memories of Murder
  36. #36 2008 6 great titles Best: Black Butler
  37. #37 1986 6 great titles Best: Blue Velvet
  38. #38 1980 6 great titles Best: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
  39. #39 2026 5 great titles Best: Spider-Noir
  40. #40 1985 5 great titles Best: Edge of Darkness