When it comes to superheroes, there’s no shortage of television shows, movies, comic books, and web shows to keep fans entertained. But with what feels like a new plotline appearing at every turn, it can be hard to remember where everything started. Take Batman for example. The Caped Crusader has been protecting the world of comic books, films, and television from villains like the Penguin, the Joker, and the Riddler for the last 80 years. But how exactly did he get his start?
Batman: The Beginning
After the wildly successful creation of Superman in Action Comics in 1938, editors at National Comics Publications, now known as the famous DC Comics, realized the potential in adding more superheroes to its lineup of comic book characters. Hoping to play off of the popularity of Superman, the editors requested the creation of additional superheroes to be added to upcoming publications. (Want a complete list of DC superheroes? We’ve got you covered!)
Writer and artist Bob Kane and fellow writer Bill Finger met the challenge head-on, drawing on 1930s pop culture for inspiration in Batman’s personality, look, and choice of weapons. Kane’s original creation was slightly different than the version of Batman viewers came to know and love.
According to Finger, “(Kane) had drawn a character who looked very much like Superman with a kind of ... reddish tights, I believe, with boots ... no gloves, no gauntlets ... with a small domino mask, swinging on a rope. He had two stiff wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign ... BATMAN.”
Finger and Kane collaborated to make several adjustments to the original character drawing, including swapping the wings for a cape, adding gloves, and changing the style of Batman’s mask. The character’s secret identity was inspired by Robert Bruce, the Scottish patriot, and Mad Anthony Wayne. Kane also indicated that he was influenced by The Phantom, a popular comic strip character at the time created by Lee Falk.
The first appearance of Batman came in the story The Case of the Chemical Syndicate, which was published in Detective Comics #27 in May of 1939. Originally, Batman’s personality was in line with the violent nature of the times, and unlike the more modern iterations of the character, he showed little to no regret or remorse for injuring or killing those he was matched against.
Batman: The Evolution
After a few appearances Batman evolved, now featuring a more pronounced jawline and different ears. Batman’s utility belt first appeared in Detective Comics #29 in July of 1939, while the Batarang and the character’s first vehicle, the Batplane, appeared in Detective Comics #31 in September of 1939. That November, Batman’s origin story was revealed throughout a two-page narrative depicting the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents in front of their son, and his vow to “avenge their deaths by spending the rest of my life warring on all criminals.”
Within a year, Detective Comics was the top-selling comic in the industry, primarily thanks to the success of superheroes Batman and Superman. By 1940, Batman was one of the leading characters at National Comics Publications, and in addition to his role in Detective Comics, he also received his own title. It was during the first issue of the character’s solo series that readers were introduced to two of the most iconic Batman villains: The Joker and Catwoman. The issue also prompted editor Whitney Ellsworth to mandate that Batman would no longer kill his enemies or use a firearm.
It was during this time that Batman’s personality evolved and began to resemble the character fans know today. The addition of Robin gave Batman a softer side, as well as someone to talk to. The pairing of these superheroes sparked the addition of sidekicks for other characters, as well as nearly doubled the sales of Detective Comics.
Batman: Teaming Up
During the 1950s, comic books lost some of the mystique that they had created previously, and revenue dropped. However, Batman remained one of the few superheroes who continuously appeared throughout the dry period. In June of 1952, Superman #76 brought the two superheroes together in the story “The Mightiest Team in the World.”
The story was such a huge success that the publication World’s Finest Comics was rewritten to include both superheroes, replacing the individual storylines that had been previously created. The pairing was a success, both in terms of readership popularity as well as financially, especially during a time when interest in comic books was declining. The superheroes remained paired together until the book was canceled in 1986.
Batman: Under Fire
Unfortunately for the popular group of superheroes, the comic book industry, including Batman, received harsh examination following the release of Seduction of the Innocent in 1954, a book by psychologist Fredric Wertham alleging that children were being corrupted by the violence and negative actions of the comic books they read. In addition, Wertham claimed that rather than being a sidekick, Robin was actually Batman’s lover. The book caused outrage among parents and the general public. In response, the Comics Magazine Association of America created the Comics Code Authority in 1954 to help ensure that publications were producing content that was appropriate for its intended audiences. DC Comics was one of the last companies to abandon the code, which it finally did in January of 2011.
Many believe that the introduction of superheroes Batwoman in 1956 and Batgirl in 1961 was the publication’s response to Wertham’s allegations. In the late 1950s, storylines for Batman became more obscure, possibly in an attempt to duplicate the success that DC Comics was seeing in the storylines of other characters. Batman became a part of the Justice League of America in February of 1960 with the release of The Brave and the Bold #28 and appeared in multiple other Justice League comics in the following year.
Batman: Reinvented
By 1964, Batman’s popularity had dwindled, and sales of the series declined substantially. According to Kane, DC Comics actually debating killing off the character, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, editor Julius Schwartz was chosen to oversee the titles. The first issue published under his leadership was Detective Comics #327 in May of 1964, which was advertised as a new look for Batman. The themes and several superheroes that had been added in the 1950s, including space aliens, time travel, and Batwoman and Bat-Mite, were written out. The character himself underwent a full redesign, with changes including a redesign of the Batmobile, the addition of the yellow outline behind the Bat Symbol, and the theme behind the comic returning to a more detective-based storyline.
Batman: Television
The creation of a Batman tv series in 1966 starring Adam West dramatically played into the development of the character in the comic books, and sales increased to a circulation of nearly 900,000 copies. The series featured a much happier and “campy” rendition of Batman, a stark contrast to the original crime fighter the creators had once envisioned.
In between the two television seasons, the series’ cast and crew filmed the first Batman theatrical film, aptly titled “Batman.” The success of the series also caused the production of the first animated Batman in The Batman/Superman Hour. Later, Batman’s segments would be edited into a series entitled The Adventures of Batman and Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder, producing 33 episodes from 1968 to 1977.
Unfortunately, the success of the Batman the series, as well as the positive influence it had on the sales of Batman comics, was short-lived. The show was canceled in 1968, and in turn, the comic book writers worked to distance the character from the campy feel of the television series almost immediately.
From 1973 to 1986, Batman appeared on television in the Super Friends series on ABC. While Olan Soule originally voiced Batman in Super Friends, he was later replaced by West. Batman: The Animated Series premiered in 1992 on Fox and ran for two seasons, featuring the voice of Kevin Conroy as Batman. The series was an instant hit, collecting multiple Emmy Awards as well as serving as the motivation for the film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. It also inspired several spin-off series featuring various superheroes, including Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and The New Batman Adventures. Several other iterations of the character have appeared over the years in various television series, including The Batman, Beware the Batman, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. However, none garnered nearly as much success or attention as the 1992 series.
A reinvention of the Batman character, specifically the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Gotham City Police Department detective James Gordon, was created as a series on Fox. Titled Gotham, the show stars Ben McKenzie as James Gordon and explores the origin stories of villains Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, Scarecrow, Ra’s al Ghul, Bane, and Poison Ivy, as well as Gordon’s attempt at solving the murders of Batman’s parents, Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife, Martha. The series premiered on September 22, 2014, and ran for five seasons, with the final episode airing April 25, 2019.
Batman: On the Big Screen
The first stand-alone, big-budget theatrical film featuring Batman premiered in 1989. Starring Michael Keaton as Batman and directed by Tim Burton, the film was an instant success. Not only was it the top-grossing film of that year and ranking as the fifth highest grossing film in history at the time, but it also secured the Academy Award for Best Art Direction as well.
The film’s success led to the creation of three sequels: 1992’s Batman Returns, 1995’s Batman Forever, and 1997’s Batman and Robin. Joel Schumacher replaced Burton as the director for the latter two films, with Val Kilmer and George Clooney, respectively, replacing Keaton. While the second of three films didn’t match the success of its predecessor, it didn’t do nearly as bad as Batman and Robin, the response to which caused Warner Bros. to cancel the production of a fourth movie, Batman Unchained, which was originally scheduled to premiere in 1999.
Warner Bros. refused to give up on the potential for the character, however. In 2005, Batman Begins was released by the production company in an attempt to reinvent the series. Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Batman, the series produced three successful films featuring various superheroes. The second film, The Dark Knight, set the record for the highest grossing opening weekend of all time in the United States with an income of over $158 million, and was also the film to reach the $400 million mark the fastest, setting the record on its 18th day. The late Heath Ledger, who portrayed the Joker in the film, took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, one of two Academy Awards received by the film.
2016 brought another portrayal of Batman, with Ben Affleck lending his acting to the character for the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Affleck reprised his role with a short appearance in Suicide Squad, also in 2016, as well as for the 2017 film Justice League. On October 23, 2018, it was announced that actor Dante Pereira-Olson would star as a young Bruce Wayne in the film Joker, set to be released on October 4, 2019.
Batman: Video Games
In addition to television, comic books, and feature films, Batman has also done well in the video game industry. In 2009, Rocksteady Studios released Batman: Arkham Asylum. It was met with fantastic reviews, with Metacritic reporting that it received a 92% approval rating. The sequel, Batman: Arkham City, was released in 2011, with a 94% approval rating. In 2013, WB Games Montreal released a prequel to Arkham Asylum entitled Batman: Arkham Origins, while Batman: Arkham Knight was released by Rocksteady in 2015. Kevin Conroy remained as the voice of the animated characters throughout the series of games with the exception of Arkham Origins. Since the game is intended to be a prequel, WB Games Montreal chose Roger Craig Smith as the voice because he was portraying a younger version of the character.
Batman: The Recap
Overall, the character of Batman has evolved dramatically throughout its 80-year history. However, fans of the character have remained steady in their dedication. Whether you’re a fan of the early comic book series, prefer the more recent Justice League Batman, or just want to rock superheroes in general, Sons of Gotham has something perfect for you. Click here to shop the entire DC Collection, or filter by your favorite character, movie, popular culture icon, or television show! Be sure to follow Sons of Gotham on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for access to special discounts — you don’t want to miss out!