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Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-man, and still sometimes as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. He has since become, along with Superman and Spider-Man, one of the world's most recognized superheroes. Batman was co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, although only Kane receives official credit for the character.

Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, billionaire industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child leads him to train himself to the peak of physical and intellectual perfection, don a costume, and fight crime. Unlike many other superheroes, he does not possess superhuman powers or abilities; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, technology, and physical prowess in his war on crime.

Publication history

In early 1939, the success of Superman in Action Comics prompted editors at the comic book division of National Publications (later DC Comics, D.C. is short for Detective Comics, now a subsidiary of Time Warner) to request more superheroes for their titles. In response, Bob Kane created a character called "the Bat-Man". His collaborator Bill Finger offered such suggestions as giving the character a cowl instead of a simple domino mask, wearing a cape instead of wings, wearing gloves, and removing the red sections from the original costume. Finger came up with name "Bruce Wayne" for the character's secret identity.

In Jim Steranko's History of the Comics, vol. 1, Bill Finger reveals, "Bruce Wayne's first name came from Robert Bruce, the Scottish patriot. Wayne, being a playboy, was a man of gentry. I searched for a name that would suggest colonialism. I tried Adams, Hancock...then I thought of Mad Anthony Wayne."

Finger wrote the first Batman story and Kane provided the art. The Batman was a breakout hit, with sales on Detective Comics soaring to the point that National's comic book division was renamed "Detective Comics, Inc." Seen nowadays as having been one of the first examples of a classic comic book superhero archetype, Batman has been considered by some to have been the first comic book anti-hero, though Namor the Sub-Mariner, who debuted in the same year, is also a contender for that title.

Kane signed away any ownership that he might have in the character in exchange for, among other compensation, a mandatory byline on all Batman comics stating "Batman created by Bob Kane". At the time, no comic books and few company-owned comic strips were explicitly credited to their creative teams. Bill Finger's contract, by comparison, left him with little money and without a byline, even on comics he had written. Finger, like Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel, and many other creators during and after the Golden Age of Comic Books, would resent National for denying him money and credit he felt he was owed for his creations. By the time Finger died in 1974, he had never been officially credited for his work. Kane himself, however, willingly acknowledged Finger's contributions to the character. Though drawings of a "Batman" character by an artist named Frank Foster have been suggested by some as predating the creation of Kane and Finger by about seven years, this is more than likely a case of parallel evolution (as in DC's Catman and Holyoke's Cat-Man, or DC's Swamp Thing and Marvel's Man-Thing) rather than plagiarism, as it is unlikely that either Kane or Finger had seen the obscure drawings. Bela Lugosi's 1931 Dracula film was very influential and spawned several bat-like men in pulp magazines and serials (such as Bat-Men of Joba) before the close of the decade.

Evolution of the character

Inspirations for Batman's personality, character history, visual design and equipment include movies such as Douglas Fairbanks' The Mark of Zorro, The Bat, and Dracula; characters such as the Shadow, Sherlock Holmes, Dick Tracy, the Green Hornet, and Spring Heeled Jack; and even Leonardo Da Vinci.

Early Batman stories frequently use the grim tone of the film noir and gothic horror films of the day; a few stories even show Batman making use of firearms, and the vigilante shows little remorse over his enemies' deaths. Unsurprisingly, the body count in the first dozen or so published Batman stories is quite high.

This interpretation of Batman softens in Detective Comics #38 in 1940. Dick Grayson/Robin (named after Robin Hood) is introduced based on Finger's suggestion to Kane that Batman needed a "Watson". Kane, partly inspired by the Junior character from Dick Tracy, made the sidekick a young boy. The decision was controversial at first but proved revolutionary, and it led to a number of "boy wonders" in other superhero comics. In Batman #7, (1941) Batman is made an honorary member of Gotham City's police department, moving him even farther from his dark, vigilante roots. Batman's tone continues to stay light for the next several decades.

In Superman #76 (1952), Batman first teams up with Superman and learns his secret identity; following the success of this story, the separate Batman and Superman features that had been running in World's Finest Comics instead featured both together; this series of stories ran until the book's cancellation in 1986. The stories feature the two as close friends and allies, tackling threats that require both of their talents.

Starting in the mid-1950s, Batman's stories gradually become more science fiction-oriented, an attempt at mimicking the success of the top-selling Superman comics of the time. New characters such as Batwoman, Ace the Bat-Hound, and Bat-Mite (the latter two paralleling Krypto the Superdog and Mr. Mxyzptlk of the Superman titles) appear. Batman has adventures involving either odd transformations or dealing with bizarre space aliens. Batman is a highly public figure during the stories of the 1950s, regularly appearing at such events as charity functions and frequently appearing in broad daylight. In 1960, Batman becomes a member of the Justice League of America, which debuts in The Brave and the Bold #28.

Editor Julius Schwartz presided over drastic changes made to a number of DC's comic book characters, including Batman in 1964's Detective Comics #327. Schwartz introduced changes designed to make Batman more contemporary and return him to more detective stories, including a redesign of Batman's equipment, the Batmobile, and his costume (introducing the yellow ellipse behind the costume's bat-insignia), and brought in artist Carmine Infantino to help in this makeover. The space aliens and characters of the 1950s such as Batwoman, Ace, and Bat-Mite were retired. This makeover soon became known as the "New Look" Batman. Julius Schwartz created Aunt Harriet to live with Bruce and Dick. This influenced the campy Adam West Batman parody TV series in 1966, which ran until 1968.

Writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams made additional changes to Batman when they started working on the comic, reintroducing some of Batman's earlier grimmer elements, starting with Detective Comics #395's "The Secret of the Waiting Graves" (1970). Dick Grayson is sent off to college, making Batman a loner once again. O'Neil's tone influenced Batman's comics through the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s; 1977 and 1978's stories in Detective Comics written by Steve Englehart (with art by Marshall Rogers) are held by many as a high point of this era.

Writer Frank Miller grounded Batman further in his grim and gritty roots with the limited series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986), which takes place in a possible future, and 1987's four-issue "Batman: Year One". Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' popularity was nothing short of phenomenal and raised sales for comics across the board. Alan Moore and Brian Bolland continued this dark trend with 1988's Batman: The Killing Joke, in which the Joker, attempting to drive Commissioner Gordon insane, cripples his daughter Barbara Gordon, kidnaps him, and tortures him physically and mentally. These stories and others like them helped to raise the image of comic books beyond mere children's entertainment. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and stories following it (such as John Byrne's Superman revamp) also severed the close friendship of Batman and Superman, replacing it with a more antagonistic relationship.

Stories like these, in turn, have set the tone for the last two decades of Batman comics. Tim Burton's Batman movies, Warner Bros' Batman and Batman Returns features a darker, more Gothic Batman; the popularity of those movies in turn led to the noir-ish Batman: The Animated Series. The ongoing comic book series, meanwhile, has continued in this gritty trend, and this tone inspired imitators in other comic books and films.

Batman: Year One is significant in that it is set in, and significantly revises, Batman's early days. Since the original publication of Year One, many creators have set their stories in Batman's formative years, and the Batman title Legends of the Dark Knight in particular often features stories that take place in Batman's early days. Many of the stylistic notes of Year One, specifically text captions designed to look handwritten on note paper, have also been used quite successfully by other authors. In addition the general concept of a Year One book, taking a fresh look at the origins of an older character, as well as showing their learning process, has been embraced by the comics industry as a whole. Other comics which have since gotten a "Year One" treatment include Spider-Man and the Justice League.

Batman's evolution continues through the 2000s. 1988 saw Jason Todd, the second Robin, killed by the Joker, and in the years following this, Batman takes an even darker, often excessive approach to his crimefighting. 1993's "Knightfall" series introduces a new villain named Bane, who critically injures Batman. Jean-Paul Valley, known as Azrael, is called upon to wear the Batsuit during Bruce's convalescence. 1994's Zero Hour introduced Batman's status as an urban legend. In 1998, Gotham City is destroyed during the "Cataclysm" storyline, and Batman is deprived of many of his technological resources. DC's 2005 crossover event Identity Crisis, has Batman discovering that JLA member Zatanna had edited his memories, which leads to Batman losing trust in the rest of the superhero community.

Character origins

Created in the time before the modern concept of the superhero, Batman took after characters such as The Shadow, Zorro, The Phantom and other noir-style crimefighters (The Spirit, The Spider, etc.).

The Shadow, who debuted earlier in the 1930s in radio and pulp fiction, had at least two major similarities to Batman: his "wealthy playboy" alter ego, and his penchant for operating under cover of darkness and using fear to disarm his criminal targets. Despite being a "good guy", he was made in the vein of the noir anti-hero, and thus would not hesitate to gun down his enemies.

Zorro, who first appeared in pulp fiction in 1919, likewise has inherited wealth from his parents, and poses as a harmless gentleman of high society. Like Batman, he operates from a hidden cave near his home, and is known for fighting for justice for the common man. Great emphasis is placed on his acrobatics and education, two attributes which Batman possesses.

One could argue that certain of these traits were almost unavoidable in the crimefighters of the time. However, Batman's creators have routinely acknowledged these two characters as influences. Various retellings of the night Bruce Wayne's parents are murdered have depicted them as having just seen a "Zorro" movie, and, as far as The Shadow is concerned, Batman's creators specifically took care to distinguish their hero from the well-known crimefighter, taking away his gun early in his comic book adventures, and eventually giving Batman an anti-gun stance.

One can even trace Batman's roots further, though to lesser degrees of similarity, by looking at the influences for Batman's influences: Zorro was likely inspired by such characters as The Count of Monte Cristo and the Scarlet Pimpernel; the former was a wealthy man motivated by revenge over wrongs committed in his past, the latter a swashbuckler possessing an alter ego. Zorro may have been based upon real-life personas such as Joaquin Murrieta, a Mexican bandit sometimes compared to Robin Hood, and William Lamport, an Irishman who fought for Mexican independence in the 17th century.

Although those influences seem to bear little resemblance to the Caped Crusader, they all possess an aspect of vigilantism. Well before characters such as Superman, who boldly fought crime in broad daylight with their superpowers, the heroes of literature that youths admired were mortal and depended on cunning and wit to survive. Aside from occasional "reboots" by comic book writers, most of the above comic book and pulp characters are generally out of print. This makes Batman one of the last actively-published stories of an old-fashioned vigilante hero from the Golden Age.

Character biography

Over the years, Batman's origin story, history and tone have undergone various revisions, both minor and major. Some elements have changed drastically; others, like the death of his parents and his pursuit of justice, have remained constant.

Consistent across all versions of the Batman mythos, Batman is the alter-ego of Bruce Wayne, a millionaire or billionaire (depending on time period) playboy, industrialist and philanthropist who is driven to fight crime in Gotham City after his parents, the physician Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha Wayne, are murdered by a mugger.

Golden Age version

The Golden Age Batman first appears in Detective Comics #27, May 1939. Batman's origin is first presented in Detective Comics #33 in November 1939, and is later fleshed out in Batman #47, the 1985 four-issue limited series America vs. the Justice Society and 1986's Secret Origins (volume 2) #6. As these comics state, Bruce Wayne is born in the 1910s to Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, two wealthy Gotham City socialites. Bruce is brought up in Wayne Manor and its wealthy splendor and leads a happy and privileged existence until the age of eight, when his parents are killed by a small-time criminal named Joe Chill on their way home from the movie theater. Bruce is subsequently raised at Wayne Manor by his uncle, Philip Wayne.

Bruce Wayne swears an oath to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives. He engages in intense intellectual and physical training and studies a variety of areas which would aid him in his endeavors, including chemistry, criminology, forensics, martial arts, and gymnastics, as well as theatrical skills like disguise, escapology, and ventriloquism. He realizes, however, that these skills alone would not be enough.

"Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot", said Wayne, "so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible..." As if responding to his desires, a bat suddenly flies through the window settling in his palm, inspiring Bruce to assume the persona of Batman. His debut as the Caped Crusader in 1939 initially earns him the ire of the police; however, his relations with the law thaw by the early 1940s.

In 1940, Bruce takes in the orphaned circus acrobat Dick Grayson, who becomes his sidekick, Robin. In late 1940, Batman becomes a founding member of the Justice Society of America (DC Special #29).

Batman continues to function in Gotham City through the 1940s and into the 1950s. After the introduction of DC Comics' multiverse in the 1960s, it is retroactively established that the Golden Age Batman lives on the parallel world of Earth-Two. It is revealed that in the mid-1950s, after a brief flirtation and adventuring with Kathy Kane, Bruce Wayne partners with and marries the reformed Earth-Two Catwoman, Selina Kyle (as shown in Superman Family #211); the two have one child, Helena Wayne. Batman's activities soon lessen, as he goes into semi-retirement, only returning to action to engage in special cases, with Robin taking over much of his functioning in Gotham City. Upon the retirement of Commissioner Gordon, the Earth-Two Bruce Wayne takes over the post of Gotham City police commissioner.

In the late 1970s, Bruce Wayne's life becomes tumultuous, as he deals with the death of his wife Selina, who is fatally blackmailed by criminals into going into action one more time as Catwoman (as seen in DC Super-Stars #17). After Selina's death, Bruce permanently retires as Batman, but is forced to go into action again as Batman, when a criminal named Bill Jensen gains superpowers from a sorcerer named Frederic Vaux. Jensen and Wayne fight each other, Jensen eventually using his powers to destroy both himself and Batman. Wayne is laid to rest next to his wife Selina; after Vaux is defeated, the sorcerer Dr. Fate uses his powers to erase the knowledge of Wayne's secret identity from human memory, making all think the two had perished at almost the same time. (Adventure Comics #461-463).

After the 1985 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, this version of Batman and all memory of his existence are retroactively erased from history (along with Earth-Two's Robin, Catwoman and Huntress), with various activities in his career being attributed to Flying Fox, Rex Tyler and/or Dr. Charles McNider in the new continuity. However, in 2006, after the Infinite Crisis, some of his friends and acquaintances remember him again. In a post-Infinite Crisis issue of JSA, the Earth-Two Batman returns in ghost-form with other dead members of the JSA to help Jakeem Thunder and his Thunderbolt battle the Gentleman Ghost. When Jakeem Thunder, unaware of the existence of a parallel universe version of the Dark Knight, asks the Thunderbolt how it is possible for someone like Batman, whom he knows not to be dead, to appear as a ghost, the Thunderbolt responds by saying, "It's complicated."

Silver Age version

The Silver Age of comic books in DC Comics is sometimes held to have begun in 1956 when the publisher introduced Barry Allen as a new, updated version of The Flash. DC Comics gave several other superhero identities they had not used for a long time (such as Green Lantern) to other new characters but also updated characters they had published during the interim between the Golden and Silver ages. Batman is not significantly changed by the late 1950's for the continuity which would be later referred to as Earth-One. The lighter tone Batman had taken in the period between the Golden and Silver Ages led to the stories of the late 1950s and early 1960s that often feature a large number of science-fiction elements, and Batman is not significantly updated in the manner of other characters until 1964's Detective Comics #327, in which Batman reverts to his detective roots, with all science-fiction elements jettisoned from the series.

It is retroactively established within the pages of the 2006 limited series Infinite Crisis (when Bette Kane, a character from the pre-1964 era, is transferred to a re-created Earth-Two) that the pre-1964 Silver Age stories happen on Earth-Two, despite the fact that the year 1964 is years after the date of retirement of the Earth-Two Batman proposed in Superman Family #211, and that the Earth-One Batman has adventures with Superman, the Justice League of America, and other heroes in stories published before 1964. Much in the same way that many of the characters and creative concepts which remain after the 1964 revamp aren't given new origin stories (with some characters even seeming to recall some of their pre-1964 adventures), various new elements added to Batman's origin, background and history typically associated with the Silver Age were introduced as early as the 1950s, and are for that reason discussed in this section.

While the Golden Age and Silver Age distinctions are useful for discussing the character's evolution over the decades, said evolution is gradual, and the Silver Age Batman is in essence the same character as the Golden Age version. The character as he appears near the beginning of the Silver Age (in the mid-1950s) and after his 1964 revamp is different in many ways from how he appears near the end of the Silver Age (in the mid-1980s) due to many minor revisions and new directions in the character's publication history. As summarized in various later Silver Age stories, including 1980's Untold Legend of the Batman limited series that thoroughly retell Batman's Silver Age origin and history, Bruce Wayne is raised by wealthy socialites Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne in Wayne Manor. Eight year-old Bruce sees his parents murdered by small-time criminal Joe Chill, after which he is raised by his uncle Philip Wayne. Bruce swears to seek revenge on all criminals, and launches himself into a lifetime of dedicated training similar to the Golden Age Batman's training.

At some point early in his training, Bruce wears a costume similar to that of the future Robin's, in order to anonymously receive training from Gotham City police detective Harvey Harris (Detective Comics #226). He and his guardians visit Smallville, where he meets the youthful superhero Superboy with whom he works with him on several cases. Bruce Wayne attends college, taking various criminology and law-related courses, but soon decides that being a police officer isn't the path he should take. After graduating, Bruce ponders how to handle criminals alone in his study when suddenly a bat flies through his study window; he decides to create a bat costume, and calls himself "Batman".

Sometime after the start of his crimefighting career, Bruce takes in orphan Dick Grayson, whose parents had been killed by gangster Boss Zucco and his henchmen, and trains him as his sidekick Robin.

In Detective Comics #235 (September 1956), Batman learns that his parents' killing had not been chance, but an assassination ordered by gangster Lew Moxon. Shown in flashback, while Bruce is a child, his father wears a bat costume similar to Batman's future costume to a masquerade party, where he encounters and stops the mobster. Moxon swears revenge against Dr. Wayne and hires criminal Joe Chill to arrange a mugging that will result in their deaths. Batman, wearing his father's bat costume (his usual costume having been torn while in action) tracks down Moxon, but the panicked mobster, recognizing the costume, inadvertently flees into the middle of traffic, where he is struck by a police car and killed.

Batman meets and regularly works with other heroes, most notably Superman, whom he began regularly working alongside in a series of team-ups in World's Finest Comics, starting in 1954 and continuing through 1986. Batman and Superman are usually shown as close friends. Batman becomes a founding member of the Justice League of America, appearing in its first story in 1960's Brave and the Bold #28. In the 1970s and 1980s, Brave and the Bold became a Batman title, in which Batman teams up with a different DC Universe superhero each month.

In 1969, Dick Grayson attends college as part DC Comics' effort to revise the Batman comics. Additionally, Bruce also moves from Wayne Manor into a penthouse apartment atop the Wayne Foundation building in downtown Gotham City, in order to be closer to Gotham City's crime. Bruce spends the 1970s and early 1980s mainly working solo, with occasional team-ups with Robin and/or Batgirl. Batman's adventures also become somewhat darker and more grim during this period, depicting increasingly violent crimes, including the first appearance (since the early Golden Age) of an insane, murderous Joker.

Modern Age

After the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC "rebooted" or revised the histories of some of their major characters in an attempt at updating them for then-contemporary audiences. Frank Miller retells Batman's origin in the storyline "Batman: Year One" (Batman #404-407), which emphasizes a grittier tone to the character and largely ignores the sci-fi and campy elements of the 1950s and '60s Batman comics. However, unlike the reboots given to Superman and Wonder Woman's histories, many stories of Batman's Silver Age Earth-One career remain canonical in the post-Crisis universe. While Dick Grayson's past remains much the same, the history of Jason Todd, the second Robin, is altered, turning the boy into the orphan son of a petty crook, who tries to boost the tires from the Batmobile. Also removed is the guardian Phillip Wayne, leaving young Bruce to be raised by Alfred the butler. Additionally, Batman, as well as Superman and Wonder Woman, are no longer founding members of the JLA.

Batman's evolution continues through the late 1980s, notably with 1988's "A Death in the Family" storyline, for which DC Comics created a 900 number for readers to call to vote on whether Jason Todd lived or died. Originally, Jason is very similar to Dick Grayson, complete with similar circus background and origin. As mentioned above, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Jason's origin changes to that of a street punk found by Batman, and his character developed accordingly. Jason was killed by a narrow margin.

In 1993, the same year that DC Comics published the "Death of Superman" storyline, the publisher released the "Knightsaga" storyline. In the storyline's first phase, "Knightfall", new villain Bane critically injures Bruce Wayne, leading Bruce to ask Azrael to take on the role of Batman.

After the end of Knightfall, the storylines split in two directions. "KnightQuest: The Crusade", which follows the Azrael-Batman's adventures, and "KnightQuest: The Search", following Bruce Wayne. The story arcs realign in "KnightsEnd". As time passes, Azrael becomes increasingly violent; after a year, a healed Bruce Wayne defeats Azrael and takes back the mantle of Batman. Bruce is not ready to return, however, so he passes the mantle to Dick Grayson during "Prodigal" before returning once more.

1994's company-wide crossover Zero Hour, changes aspects of DC continuity again, including those of Batman. Noteworthy among these changes is that the general populace and the criminal element now considers Batman an urban legend rather than a known force. Similarly, the Waynes' killer is never caught or identified, effectively removing Joe Chill from the new continuity.

In 1998, Gotham City is destroyed during the Cataclysm storyline, depriving Batman of many of his technological resources. Lex Luthor rebuilds Gotham at the end of the No Man's Land storyline. Bruce Wayne is framed for murder in the Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive story arcs.

Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee began a 12-issue run on Batman in 2003. Lee's first regular comicbook work in nearly a decade, and the series became #1 on the Diamond Comics sales chart for the first time since Batman #500. The "Hush" storyline introduces Tommy Elliot, a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's, who had signficant influence on him during his youth. As Hush, Elliot attacks Batman by coordinating many of the hero's enemies, and a large number of them appear, including the Joker, Scarecrow, and the Riddler. Though the Jason Todd Batman fights is revealed to be Clayface, later issues reveal that Jason Todd, in fact, encounters Batman during this time. Batman revealed his identity to Catwoman and the two became romantically involved for a brief time, until Batman's growing sense of distrust ended their relationship.

Shortly after, Jason Todd is shown to have been operating without detection for several years with the help of Talia al Ghul. Despite returning to life six months after his death, Jason does not reveal himself to Batman until he fights him as the Red Hood.

Template:Spoiler DC's 2005 limited series Identity Crisis, reveals that JLA member Zatanna had edited Batman's memories, leading to his deep loss of trust in the rest of the superhero community. He later creates the Brother I satellite surveillance system to watch over the other heroes. Its eventual co-opting by Maxwell Lord, Black King of the government organization Checkmate, is one of the main events that leads to the Infinite Crisis, which again restructures DC continuity. In Infinite Crisis #7, Alexander Luthor mentions that in the newly-rewritten history of the "New Earth", created in the previous issue, the murderer of Martha and Thomas Wayne is captured, thus undoing the retcon created after Zero Hour.

Batman and a team of superheroes, including the new Blue Beetle, destroy Brother Eye and the OMACs. During the Battle of Metropolis, Batman holds Alexander Luthor, Jr. at gunpoint, until Wonder Woman intervenes.

Following Infinite Crisis, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Tim Drake retrace the steps Bruce had taken when he originally left Gotham City, to "rebuild Batman." Wonder Woman and a depowered Superman are also missing for the following year. Before the three leave, Batman asks Harvey Dent to be Gotham's new protector for the next year.

In the "Face the Face" storyline appearing in both Batman and Detective Comics, Batman and Robin return to Gotham City after their year-long absence. Harvey Dent has protected of the city, but the investigation into the KGBeast's murder pegs him as the prime suspect when the murders are found to have been committed using Two-Face's trademarks. Writer Grant Morrison and artist Andy Kubert are currently working on the follow-up story arc "Batman and Son", featuring Talia al Ghul.

Also, one year later, Selina Kyle has retired and has given birth to a baby she named Helena. This is a reference to Batman's Earth-Two daughter Huntress, but does not necessarily mean Batman is the father. Template:Endspoiler

Personas

Like Superman, the prominent persona of Bruce Wayne's dual identities varies with time. Present comics seem to favor portraying the decadent playboy aspect of his character (earlier versions of Bruce Wayne depict him as a more mature, refined gentleman) as the facade, while the masked and particularly dark, grim vigilante is marked as the "true" man. Wayne guards his secret identity well, as only a handful of individuals know of his superhero alter-ego. Several villains have also discovered his true identity over the years, most notably eco-terrorist Ra's Al Ghul, as well as Hugo Strange, the Riddler, Bane, and Hush.

Batman is often portrayed as the complete moral focus of the DC Universe, even moreso than their staple character of Superman. Although his tactics are viewed by some as barbaric, he is always the one to see the greater good in a situation, and always deduces the most just outcome. He does not let personal bias or friendship impede his rigid understanding of right and wrong. Batman's response to longtime friend Dr. Leslie Thompkins's decision to withhold medical treatment from Stephanie Brown, the fourth Robin, and allow her to die seems to substantiate this claim. Because Batman maintains a strict rule of never taking a life, he sees Thompkins as "nothing more than another murderer in my criminal database," and threatens to have her medical license revoked should she return to the United States.

Bruce Wayne

To the world at large, Bruce Wayne is an irresponsible, superficial playboy who lives off his family's personal fortune (amassed when Bruce's parents invested in Gotham real estate before the city was a bustling metropolis) and the profits of Wayne Enterprises, a major private technology firm that he inherits. Forbes Magazine once estimated Bruce Wayne to be the 7th-richest fictional character, with his $6.3 billion fortune. However, Wayne is also known for his contributions to charity, notably through the Wayne Foundation, a charity devoted to helping the victims of crime and preventing people from becoming criminals. Bruce creates the playboy public persona to aid in throwing off suspicion of his secret identity, often acting dim-witted and self-absorbed to further the act. Batman makes it clear that he considers keeping his secret identity a top priority; on various occasions he comes near death rather than use his skills in public as Bruce Wayne.

The Dark Knight

Bruce Wayne creates Batman to strike fear into the hearts of Gotham's underworld. The costume — and the way he acts while wearing it — are meant to be as imposing and intimidating as possible. While Bruce Wayne is lighthearted and irresponsible, Batman is stoic and driven. In addition to the change in costume and personality, Bruce Wayne also lowers his voice significantly to become Batman. The Dark Knight's voice is low and raspy, for both disguise and intimidation.

In keeping with the "dark" theme of the comics and the nature of bats, Batman is usually presented as operating primarily at night. After Zero Hour, DC Comics introduced the idea of Batman as an urban legend; however, Batman is "outed" in the "War Games" crossover, when his live image is broadcast over the news during a brief daytime appearance in front of a high school under siege in Gotham.

Matches Malone

Batman also occasionally goes undercover to infiltrate Gotham's criminal element. Matches Malone is a small-time thug who once acts as Batman's snitch; when Matches is killed, Batman assumes his identity. In the "War Games" storyline, it is revealed that Batman has created a plan that would make Matches Malone the crime boss of Gotham, giving Batman direct control over the criminals he stalks as Batman.

Skills, resources and abilities

Batman is a superhero despite his not having super-powers. His resourcefulness, insight, and years of rigorous training make up for the absence of any other special abilities.

Physically, he is at the peak of human ability in dozens of areas, notably martial arts, acrobatics, strength, and escape artistry. Intellectually, he is just as peerless; Batman is one of the world's greatest scientists, criminologists, and tacticians, as well as a master of disguise. He is regarded as one of the DC Universe's greatest detectives. Rather than simply out-fighting them, Batman often uses cunning and planning to outwit his foes.

Weaknesses

Being human, Batman's character flaws can be exploited. In modern comics, Batman is shown to have become steadily paranoid over the years and tends to not trust other heroes, even those he has known for years, like Superman. Some enemies use this to isolate the Dark Knight. Batman is sometimes portrayed as arrogant, treating allies with various degrees of disrespect. At one point, Batman's arrogance and mistrust so infuriate the resurrected Green Lantern Hal Jordan that Jordan hits him across the face. Additionally, his childhood trauma makes him emotionally distant from even those closest to him, and a common theme among the younger heroes he often works with is how hard it is to gain his approval. These traits have developed over the last few decades, whereas older portrayals of Batman usually tend to show him as more willing to work with others.

Equipment

Batman designs or modifies the majority of costumes, equipment, and vehicles he uses as Batman, producing them through various divisions of Wayne Enterprises, including Kordtronics. At various times, characters such as Oracle, Harold, and Toyman III create, modify, or repair Batman's equipment. Additionally, sometimes Batman adapts or reverse-engineers the technology of other villains and heroes, such as Mister Terrific's T-spheres.

Over the years, Batman accumulates a large arsenal of specialized gadgets (compare with the later James Bond), the designs of which usually share a common theme of dark coloration and a bat motif. A notable example is Batman's primary vehicle, the Batmobile, usually depicted as an imposing black car with large tailfins that suggest a bat's wings; another is his chief throwing weapon, the batarang, a bat-shaped boomerang/throwing star.

In proper practice, the "bat" prefix (as in batmobile or batarang) is rarely used by Batman himself when referring to his equipment, particularly after some portrayals (primarily the 1960s Batman live-action television show and the Super Friends animated series) stretched the practice to camp proportions. The 1960s television series Batman has an arsenal that includes such ridiculous, satirical "bat-" names as the bat-computer, bat-scanner, bat-radar, bat-cuffs, bat-pontoons, bat-drinking water dispenser, bat-camera with polarized bat-filter, shark repellent bat-spray, bat-comb and bat-rope. In one episode, Batman and Robin stop by an outdoor hamburger stand which sells "bat-burgers", beef sandwiches supposedly named in his honor. The storyline "A Death in the Family" suggests that given Batman's grim nature, he is unlikely to have adopted the "bat" prefix on his own.

Batman keeps most of his field equipment in a signature piece of apparel, a utility belt. Over the years it is shown to contain a virtually limitless variety of crimefighting tools. Different versions of the belt have these items stored in either pouches or hard cylinders attached evenly around it.

In some of his early appearances, Batman uses side arms (see especially Detective Comics #32, September 1939), but he uses them less over time, later eschewing their use because a gun was used to murder his parents. Some stories relax this rule, allowing Batman to arm his vehicles for the purpose of disabling other vehicles or removing inanimate obstacles. In the 1989 Batman film, firearms figure more prominently in the Dark Knight's arsenal; machine guns and grenades are mounted on the Batmobile, and missiles and machine cannons on the Batwing.

Costume

The details of the Batman costume change repeatedly through the character's evolution, but the most distinctive elements remain consistent: a black scallop-hem cape; a cowl covering most of the face featuring a pair of batlike ears, and a stylized bat emblem on the chest. His gloves also typically feature three scallops that protrude from the sides. The most significant costume variations over the years involve the chest emblem–a yellow ellipse was added in 1964, and has come and gone since then; and the color scheme, alternately lighter colors (medium blue and light gray) or darker (black and dark gray). The length of the cowl's ears and of the cape vary greatly depending on the artist. In Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman explains that the bright yellow ellipse on an otherwise dark costume provides an attractive target, as drawing shooters away from a headshot. In his earliest appearances, Batman wears a bulletproof vest, but it was dropped soon after, in order to make the character even more human.

Bat-Signal

One of the best-known elements of the Batman mythos is the Bat-Signal. When Batman is needed, the Gotham City police activate a searchlight with a bat-shaped insignia over the lens that shines into the night sky, creating a bat-symbol on a passing cloud which can be seen from any point in Gotham. The origin of the signal varies, depending on the continuity and medium.

In various incarnations, most notably the 1960s Batman (TV series), Commissioner Gordon also has a phone line (a.k.a. the Bat-Phone) which connects directly to the Batcave.

Batcave

The Batcave is Batman's secret headquarters, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor. It serves as his command centre for both local and global surveillance, as well as housing his vehicles and equipment for the war on crime. It also is a storeroom for Batman's memorabilia. The Batcave is considered one of the most advanced centers of intelligence and technology in the world. In the 2005 film Batman Begins, the cave is said to have been part of the Underground Railroad.

Gotham City

Modeled after cities such as Chicago, New York City, Boston, and Pittsburgh, Gotham is positioned on the northeast coast of the United States and is located in New Jersey, according to several sources. Suffering from urban blight, Gotham is generally portrayed as dirty, crime-ridden, and corrupt, in stark contrast to the bright, clean, futuristic feel of Superman's Metropolis. It has been said that Gotham is "New York at night", in reference to both New York's former reputation as a city struggling with crime. Thomas and Martha Wayne are gunned down in 'Crime Alley', formerly Gotham's ritzy Park Row but now a slum.

Supporting characters

Batman Family

Despite his reputation as a loner, Batman has worked with many people in his fight against crime. During Batman's history, four teenagers serve as the youthful sidekick Robin in succession, the current being Tim Drake. Alfred Pennyworth is Bruce Wayne's loyal butler and father figure, and also aids Batman by maintaining the Batcave. Police Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon works closely with Batman despite their differences on how to best enforce the law.

Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter, serves Batman and the superhero community at large as the computer hacker Oracle. As Oracle, Barbara directs the team known as Birds of Prey, among whose numbers is the Huntress. The Huntress' willingness to kill makes her alliance with Batman uneasy.

While primarily operating either alone or with Robin, Batman is at times a member of the Justice League of America or the Outsiders, though his status is often that of a part-time member. He even has a friendly rivalry with Mister Terrific.

Superman and Batman are featured together in both World's Finest comics and the current Superman/Batman series. In pre-Crisis continuity, the two are depicted as close friends; however, in current continuity, they have a mutually respectful but uneasy relationship, with an emphasis on their differing views on crimefighting and justice. In recent years, Batman's relationship with Superman warms, making Superman his closest ally in the Justice League. Batman keeps a Kryptonite ring, given to him by Superman, in case the world's most powerful being is ever manipulated or goes rogue.

Azrael is a hero who works with Batman but not as part of his team. Azrael eventually becomes Batman after the events of Knightfall, when supervillain Bane cripples Bruce Wayne. He is very different from Bruce Wayne, and he rejects Robin. Eventually, Wayne recovers and takes back his Batman identity.

Batman is involved romantically with many women throughout his various incarnations. These include villainesses such as Catwoman, Andrea Beaumont, and Talia al Ghul; reporters Vicki Vale and Vesper Fairchild; superheroines Wonder Woman, Batwoman and Zatanna; former sidekick Sasha Bordeaux; and others, including Silver St. Cloud, Julie Madison, physician Shondra Kinsolving, nurse Linda Page and even Lois Lane. While these relationships tend to be short, Batman's attraction to Catwoman is present in nearly every version and medium in which the characters appear. Authors have gone back and forth over the years as to how Batman manages the 'playboy' aspect of Bruce Wayne's personality; at different times he embraces or flees from the women interested in attracting "Gotham's most eligible bachelor".

Enemies of Batman

Batman's foes form one of the most distinctive rogues galleries in comics. The most familiar Batman villains were created in the 1930s and 1940s: the Joker, Catwoman, the Penguin, Two-Face, the Riddler, Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, and Clayface. Other well known villains emerge in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s including Mister Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Ra's Al Ghul. Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Black Mask and the Ventriloquist first appear in the 1980s, and Bane and Harley Quinn in the 1990s. Enemies introduced since 2000 include Hush, David Cain, and Jason Todd, who returned from the grave.

Homosexual interpretations

Psychologist Fredric Wertham's general assertion in his 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent is that readers imitated crimes committed in comic books, and that these works corrupt the morals of the youth. The most notorious charge in the book, however, is leveled at Batman, in a four-page polemic claiming that Batman and Robin are gay. "They live in sumptuous quarters, with beautiful flowers in large vases, and have a butler," Wertham wrote. "It is like a wish dream of two homosexuals living together." Wertham asserted, "the Batman type of story may stimulate children to homosexual fantasies."

Wertham became aware of this alternative reading through his conversations with fans of Batman in the fifties, who brought the comic book to his attention as an example of the idealization of a "homosexual lifestyle." Burt Ward has also remarked upon this interpretation, in his autobiography Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights noting the relationship could be interpreted as a sexual one, with the show's double entendres and lavish camp also possibly offering ambiguous interpretation. This is despite the fact that the TV series was an attempt at a tamer version of Batman which tried to be less violent than the comic series — one of Wertham's arguments against comics.

The fact that the original Robin costume is made up of tiny green shorts and pixie boots also lead to some homosexual suggestions; however, Robin's costume was designed in the late 1930's, and he was meant to appeal to children as a colorful, fun character in contrast to the darker Batman. The current Robin dresses in a more modern costume that is not as skimpy as the original design.

Despite the lack of any concrete cause-and-effect link between reading comics and "deviance", these suggestions raised a public outcry during the 1950s, eventually leading to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority. It has also been suggested by scholars that the characters of Batwoman (in 1956) and Bat-Girl (in 1961) were introduced in part to refute the allegation that Batman and Robin were gay, and the stories took on a campier, lighter feel.

Commenting on homosexual interpretations of Batman, writer Alan Grant has stated, "The Batman I wrote for 13 years isn't gay. Denny O'Neil's Batman, Marv Wolfman's Batman, everybody's Batman all the way back to Bob Kane... none of them wrote him as a gay character. Only Joel Schumacher might have had an opposing view." Devin Grayson has commented, "It depends who you ask, doesn't it? Since you're asking me, I'll say no, I don't think he is ... I certainly understand the gay readings, though."

While changing morals have made the issue less important today, popular culture and a number of artists continue to play off the homosexual connotation of the Batman-Robin relationship against the wishes of the publisher. One notable example occurred in 2000, when DC Comics refused to allow permission for the reprinting of four panels (from Batman issues 79, 92, 105 and 139) to illustrate Christopher York's paper All in the family: Homophobia and Batman Comics in the 1950s Another happened in the summer of 2005, when painter Mark Chamberlain displayed a number of watercolors depicting both Batman and Robin in suggestive poses. DC threatened both artist and gallery with legal action if they did not cease selling the works and demanded all remaining art, as well as any profits derived from then.

Most recently, George Clooney said in an interview with Barbara Walters that in Batman & Robin he played Batman as gay. "I was in a rubber suit and I had rubber nipples. I could have played Batman straight, but I made him gay."

Batman, both as a superhero and in his identity as Bruce Wayne, has been portrayed throughout his years in comics and other media as not only heterosexual, but also as having enjoyed a high number of romantic and/or sexual relationships with women, and his encounters with his female adversaries have also occasionally used sexual tension to add to the narrative. While it remains possible, through deconstruction and re-interpretation, to view these actions as a means by which Batman is deluding himself about his own homosexuality, the gay interpretation of Batman and Robin is ultimately subjective and not intended by creators in most contexts.

Bibliography

The modern Batman of the DC Universe is the main character in current comic book series Detective Comics, Batman, Legends of the Dark Knight and Superman/Batman. DC Comics has announced another title, Batman: Confidential. Canceled series in which Batman starred included Batman Family, The Brave and the Bold and World's Finest Comics.

He appears regularly in many other DC titles, including JLA, Robin, Nightwing, and Catwoman.

Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's notable Batman: The Killing Joke was intended to be non-canon, but the effects of its narrative have become canon. The revolutionary limited series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller is also notable and considered non-canon. Miller's current series All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is likewise not set in continuity.

In addition to Miller and Moore, comic book creators who have contributed significantly to the development of the Batman mythos are Bill Finger and Bob Kane's run on the series in the 1930s and 1940s; Denny O'Neil, Len Wein and Neal Adams's work in the 1970s; more recent creators such as Grant Morrison and Dave McKean.

Crossovers

From time to time, Batman appears in crossovers with characters from other comic book publishers, most frequently with Marvel Comics. Many of these stories are not canon for the companies involved, although the events of the JLA/Avengers crossover appear to have affected both universes.

Batman's first intercompany crossover is with Marvel's Hulk in the 1981 Marvel and DC Presents: Batman vs the Incredible Hulk, in which the two fight the Joker and the Shaper of Worlds. Jean-Paul Valley as Batman encounters the Punisher in Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire, in which they fight Jigsaw and the Joker. Bruce Wayne as Batman encounters the Punisher in Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights, in which they fight Jigsaw and the Joker again.

Batman and Captain America fight each other for the sake of their worlds in Marvel vs. DC. The two ally against the Red Skull and the Joker in Batman and Captain America, which is set in the same universe as Superman & Batman: Generations. They meet other again in JLA/Avengers, whose events are indirectly mentioned in the "Sydicate Rules" storyline of JLA. In all three team-ups, the two heroes meet for the "first" time.

Batman works with Spider-Man twice, the first titled Spider-Man/Batman: Disordered Minds, with appearances from Marvel's Carnage and the Joker. The sequel, Batman & Spider-Man: New Age Dawning, brings the two heroes together to face Ra's al Ghul and the Kingpin.

Batman meets Daredevil in Batman and Daredevil: An Eye for an Eye in which they encounter Two-Face and Mr. Hyde and Batman/Daredevil: The King of New York in which they encounter the Kingpin and the Scarecrow.

Batman has been featured in inter-company crossovers with characters including Judge Dredd, Spawn, Grendel, Predators, Aliens, Tarzan, Planetary, the Spirit, and Scooby-Doo.

In other media

In addition to comic books, Batman has appeared in newspaper syndicated comic strips, books, radio dramas, television and several theatrical feature films, including the 1989 film Batman starring Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. In 2005, the film Batman Begins took the character back to his roots. In addition, a Broadway show called Batman: The Musical, was set to premiere in 2005, and Tim Burton was signed on to direct. However, the project never occured. The Six Flags theme parks feature Batman stunt shows and rides.

As portrayed by Michael Keaton in the first Burton film, Batman is ranked at no. 46 on The AFI's Top 50 Heroes list.

Over the last decade, Batman has appeared in starring roles in the DC Animated Universe series, from Batman: The Animated Series to Justice League Unlimited.

Given Batman's cultural ubiquity and long-standing iconic status, references to Batman, either as homage, influence, or parody, are common. Other comic companies have often created their own version of the character, such as Marvel's Nighthawk, and Image Comics' Shadowhawk among others. In the Amalgam Comics, Batman and Wolverine were fused to create Dark Claw.

Batman has also appeared in both video games and board games, as well as Heroclix sets, the DC Overpower card game, and the DC Heroes roleplaying game. Both of the Raven NPCs from the Mutants and Masterminds role-playing game's Freedom City campaign setting are both variant homages to Batman.

DC Comics has licensed Minimates figures and building sets for Batman characters. Lego currently produces a Batman building set theme that features several characters and locations from the Batman mythos.

References

• Daniels, Les. DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes.
• Jones, Gerard. Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book.
• Beatty, Scott, et al., The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual. Quirk Books, 2005. ISBN 1594740232
• The Golden Age Batman Chronology
• The Golden Age Batman Web Site
• St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture
• Bookrags
• Article in The Guardian on Batman's 60th anniversary
• A chronological index and issue summaries of the Silver Age Batman's comics
• Batman Begins: The Masks of the Gods

Notes

1. The British newspaper The Guardian has called the character, commonly known as the Dark Knight, "the perfect cultural artifact for the 21st century" in an article about Batman's anniversary .
2. Kane, Bob (1989). Batman & Me. Forestville, CA: Eclipse Books. p. 44. 1-56060-017-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
3. Finger, Bill (w), Kane, Bob (p), Robinson, Jerry (i). "Robin the Boy Wonder" Detective Comics, vol. 1, no. 38 (April, 1940). National Comics.
4. "Bruce Wayne: Bachelor". Ninth Art: Andrew Wheeler Coment. Retrieved June 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
5. York, Christopher (2000). "All in the family: Homophobia and Batman Comics in the 1950s". The International Journal of Comic Art. 2 (2): 100–110.
6. "Is Batman Gay?". Retrieved December 28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
7. Garth, Ennis (March 2006). "Midnighter is the Gay Batman". Newsarama.
8. Beatty, Bart (2000). "Don't Ask, Don't Tell: How Do You Illustrate an Academic Essay about Batman and Homosexuality?". The Comics Journal (228): 17–18.
9. "Gallery told to drop 'gay' Batman". BBC. 19 August 2005. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
10. "Brokebat Mountain: "Batman is gay", says George Clooney". PinkNews.co.uk. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 2006-03-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

See also

• The Batman (TV series)
• Batman (TV series)
• Batman (1966 film)
• Batman (1989 film)
• Batman Returns
• Batman: The Animated Series
• Batman Forever
• Batman and Robin (1997 film)
• Batman Beyond
• Batman Begins
• Holy Terror, Batman!

External links

• DC Comics - Batman
• The official Warner Bros. Batman Site
• Batman Unmasked image gallery
• Batman The Animated Series. Batman
• The Dark Knight
• Reason's for Batman's Allure
• Batman-Superman Series. Batman
• Batman-On-Film.com
• Legions of Gotham
• TheBatSquad
• Batman: Yesterday, Today, & Beyond
• Batman 1989 Film Production Photos

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