Batman
| Batman | |
|---|---|
Batman Art by Jim Lee | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Historical: Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) Modern: Batman #404 (Batman: Year One #1, February 1987) |
| Created by | Bob Kane Bill Finger |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Bruce Wayne |
| Team affiliations | Batman Family, Superman, Outsiders, JLA Earth-Two: Justice Society of America, All-Star Squadron |
| Notable aliases | Matches Malone |
| Abilities | None; peak human physical condition, genius-level intellect, master detective, martial arts master, access to high tech equipment. |
Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-man, and still sometimes as the Batman) is the second staple 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.[1] Batman was co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, although only Kane receives official credit for the character.
His true identity is Bruce Wayne, billionaire industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child led 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 also came up with name "Bruce Wayne" for the character's secret identity (see Trivia section).
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 also been considered by some to have also been the first comic book anti-hero, though Namor the Sub-Mariner, who debuted in the same year, would also be 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 unlikely either Kane or Finger had seen the obscure drawings, which only became even a little well-known well after Foster's death in 1995.
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 was driven to fight crime in Gotham City after his parents, the physician Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha Wayne, were murdered by a mugger.
Golden Age version
The Golden Age Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27, May 1939. Batman's origin was first presented in Detective Comics #33 in November 1939, and was 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 was born in the late 1910s to Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, two wealthy Gotham City socialites. Bruce was brought up in Wayne Manor and its wealthy splendor and led a happy and privileged existence until the age of eight, when his parents were killed by a small-time criminal named Joe Chill on their way home from the movie theater. Bruce was subsequently raised at Wayne Manor by his uncle, Philip Wayne.
Bruce Wayne swore an oath to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives. He engaged in intense intellectual and physical training and studied 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 realized, 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 flitted through the window, inspiring Bruce to assume the persona of Batman. His debut as the Caped Crusader 1939 initially earned him the ire of the police; however, his relations with the law thawed by the early 1940s.
In 1940, Bruce took in the orphaned circus acrobat Dick Grayson, who became his sidekick, Robin. Also, in late 1940, Batman became a founding member of the Justice Society of America (DC Special #29).
Batman continued to function in Gotham City through the 1940s and into the 1950s. After the introduction of DC Comics' multiverse in the 1960s, it was retroactively established that the Golden Age Batman lived on the parallel world of Earth-Two. It was also revealed that in the mid-1950s, Bruce Wayne had partnered with and married the reformed Catwoman, Selina Kyle (as shown in Superman Family #211); the two had their first and only child in 1957, Helena Wayne. Batman's activities soon lessened, as he went 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 took over the post of Gotham City police commissioner.
In the late 1970s, Bruce Wayne's life became tumultuous, as he dealt with the death of his wife Selina, who was 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 retired as Batman, but was forced to go into action again as Batman, when a criminal named Bill Jensen had gained superpowers from a sorcerer named Frederic Vaux. Jensen and Wayne fought each other, with Jensen eventually using his powers to destroy both himself and Batman[2]. Wayne was laid to rest next to his wife Selina; after Vaux was defeated, the sorcerer Dr. Fate used his powers to erase from human memory the knowledge of Wayne's secret identity, 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, was retroactively erased (along with Earth-Two's Robin and Huntress). In a post-Crisis and post-Infinite Crisis issue of JSA, however, the Earth-two Batman, with other dead members of the JSA, returned in the form of ghosts to help Jakeem Thunder battle The Gentleman Ghost. When Thunder raised the question of how it was possible for this ostensibly dead Batman to be again considered part of continunity, the only answer given was that it was "complicated."
Silver Age version
From the 1950s through the 1970s, various new elements were added to Batman's origin, background and history. The Silver Age Batman first appeared sometime in the mid-1950s, with an origin that was (as revealed in various stories in the ensuing decades) similar to that of the Golden Age version of Batman. While the Golden Age and Silver Age distinctions are useful for discussing the character's evolution over the decades, the character's evolution was gradual, and there is no specific comic issue at which the Golden Age version gave way to the Silver Age version. Likewise, the character as he appeared near the beginning of the Silver Age (in the mid-1950s) was different in many ways than he appeared 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 stories, including 1980's the Untold Legend of the Batman limited series that thoroughly retold Batman's Silver Age origin and history, Bruce Wayne was raised by wealthy socialites Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne in Wayne Manor. Eight year-old Bruce saw his parents murdered by small-time criminal Joe Chill, after which he was raised by his uncle Philip Wayne. Bruce swore to seek revenge on all criminals, and launched himself into a lifetime of dedicated training similar to the Golden Age Batman's training.
At some point early in his training, Bruce wore 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 also visited Smallville, where he met the youthful superhero Superboy and worked with him on several cases. Bruce Wayne went on to attend college, taking various criminology and law related courses, but soon decided that being a police officer wasn't the path he should take. After graduating, Bruce, while pondering alone in his study on how to handle criminals, sees a bat fly through his study window, and decides to create a bat costume, calling himself "Batman".
Sometime after the start of his crimefighting career, Bruce took in an orphan named Dick Grayson, whose parents had been killed by gangster Boss Zucco and his henchmen, and trained him as his sidekick, Robin.
In Detective Comics #235 (September 1956), Batman learned that his parents' killing had not been chance, but an assassination ordered by gangster Lew Moxon. As a child, Bruce's father had worn a bat costume (similar to Batman's future costume) to a masquerade party, where he encountered and stopped the mobster. Moxon swore revenge against Dr. Wayne, and hired the criminal Joe Chill to arrange a mugging that would result in their deaths. Batman soon tracked down Moxon (while wearing his father's bat costume, his usual costume having been torn while in action), but Moxon, recognizing the costume, inadvertently fled into the middle of traffic in a state of panic, where he was struck by a truck and killed.
Batman soon went on to meet and regularly work with other heroes, most notably Superman, who he began regularly working alongside in a series of teamups in World's Finest Comics, starting in 1954 and continuing through 1986. Batman and Superman were usually shown as being close friends. Batman also went on to become a founding member of the Justice League of America, appearing in their first story in 1960's Brave and the Bold #28. In the 1970s and 1980s, Brave and the Bold became a Batman title, where Batman would teamup with a different DC Universe superhero each month.
The early Silver Age Batman stories of the late 1950s and early 1960s often featured heavy amounts of science-fiction elements; starting in 1964's Detective Comics #327, Batman had reverted to his detective roots, with said science-fiction elements jettisoned. It was retroactively established years later that all pre-1964 stories had happened on Earth-Two, despite the fact that 1964 was well into the Silver Age (and therefore years after the supposed retirement of the Earth-Two Batman), and that the characters and creative concepts which remained post-1964 weren't given new origin stories. The characters also seemed to recall their pre-1964 adventures, and the version of Batman which was established as living on Earth-One had been having adventures with the Justice League of America since well before 1964.
In 1969, Dick Grayson was sent to college as part of a revision effort of the Batman comics; Bruce also subsequently decided to move from Wayne Manor into a penthouse apartment on top of the Wayne Foundation building in downtown Gotham City, in order to be closer to Gotham City and its crimes as Batman. Bruce spent the 1970s and early 1980s mainly working solo, with occasional teamups with Robin and/or Batgirl. Batman's adventures also became somewhat darker and grimmer during this period, with the Masked Manhunter often dealing with increasingly violent crimes, including the first appearance (since the early Golden Age) of an insane, murderous Joker.
Modern Age version
Batman: Year One
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 retold Batman's origin in the storyline Batman: Year One (Batman 404-407), which emphasized a grittier tone to the character and ignoring the sci-fi and campy comics of the '50s and '60s for the most part; unlike the reboots given to Superman and Wonder Woman's histories, however, various stories of Batman's Silver Age/pre-Crisis career remained canonical in the post-Crisis universe. While Dick Grayson's past remained much the same, Jason Todd's was altered, turning the boy into the orphan son of a petty crook, who tried to boost the tires from the Batmobile. Also removed was the guardian Phillip Wayne, leaving young Bruce to be raised by Alfred.
Modern Age storylines
Batman's evolution continued through the late 1980s, notably with 1988's Batman: A Death in the Family storyline, for which readers were allowed to call a 900 number to decide whether Jason Todd, the second Robin, lived or died. Jason was killed by a narrow margin.
In 1993's Knightsaga series, Bruce Wayne was critically injured by Bane, a new villain, and a new hero, Azrael, was called upon to wear the costume of Batman. As time passed, Azrael became increasingly violent; after a year, a healed Bruce Wayne defeated Azrael and took back the mantle of Batman.
In 1994's company-wide crossover Zero Hour, some aspects of DC continuity were changed again, allowing the Batman writers to make a variety of changes. Noteworthy among them was that Batman was now considered an urban legend among the general populace and criminal element, rather than a known force. Similarly, the Waynes' killer was never caught or identified, effectively removing Joe Chill from the new continuity.
In 1998, Gotham City was destroyed during the Cataclysm storyline, and Batman became deprived of many of his technological resources, forcing him to reconnect with the more mythical side of his persona. Gotham was rebuilt at the end of No Man's Land storyline. Again critically wounded in the Hush storyline of 2003, Batman chose to reveal his identity to Catwoman and the two became romantically involved for a brief time. Batman's growing sense of distrust ended their relationship.
Infinite Crisis
Template:Spoiler In DC's 2005 crossover event Identity Crisis, the discovery that JLA member Zatanna had edited his memories, leading to Batman's deep loss of trust in the rest of the superhero community. His creation of the Brother I satellite surveillance system to watch over the other heroes, and its eventual co-opting by the villainous Checkmate, has been one of the main precursor events of the follow up event Infinite Crisis, currently in progress.
In Infinite Crisis #7, Alexander Luthor mentioned that in the now-rewritten history of the "New Earth" that was created in the previous issue, the murderer of Martha and Thomas Wayne was captured, undoing the retcon created after Zero Hour. Before Crisis on Infinite Earths, Joe Chill was also caught for the murder of the Waynes.
52
Following Infinite Crisis, Bruce Wayne, along with Dick Grayson and Tim Drake retraced the steps Bruce took when he originally left Gotham City, to "rebuild Batman." Wonder Woman and Superman (who was depowered) also went MIA for the following year. Before the three left, Batman left Harvey Dent to be Gotham's new, more ruthless, protector for the next year.
One Year Later
One Year after the events of Infinite Crisis, Batman and Robin return to Gotham City after a year long absence. Harvey Dent has been the protector of the city, but the investigation of the KGBeast's murder has him pegged as the prime suspect. All evidence points to Two-Face trademarks. Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert are 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
Personae
Like Superman, the prominent persona of Bruce Wayne's dual identities has varied with time. Present comics seem to favor portraying the decadent playboy aspect of his character (earlier versions of Bruce Wayne depicted 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.
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 technological firm that he has inherited. However, Wayne is also known for his contributions to charity, notably through the Wayne Foundation, a foundation devoted to helping the victims of crime and preventing people from turning to it. Bruce Wayne's playboy public persona was created by Bruce to aid in throwing off suspicion of his secret identity, often acting dim-witted and self-absorbed to further the act. Batman has made it clear that he considers keeping his secret identity his top priority; he has on various occasions come near to death rather than use his skills in public as Bruce Wayne.
The Dark Knight
Bruce Wayne created Batman to strike fear into the hearts of Gotham's underworld. The costume–and the way he acts while wearing it–is 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 significantly changes his voice to become Batman. The Dark Knight's voice is low and raspy, both as a disguise and as intimidation.
In keeping with the "dark" theme of the comics and the nature of bats, Batman is usually presented as operating primarily at night. In recent comics, the idea was introduced of Batman being an urban legend; however, this notion is contradicted by various previous stories. Compensating for this flaw in continuity, Batman was "outed" in War Games, a story that stretched across all Batman titles, when his live image was broadcast over the news as he made a brief daytime appearance in front of a violence-overtaken high school in Gotham.
Matches Malone
Batman also occasionally goes undercover to infiltrate the criminal element of Gotham. Matches Malone was a small time thug who once acted as Batman's snitch; when Matches was killed, Batman assumed his identity. In the recent War Games storyline, it was revealed that Batman had a plan that would make Matches Malone the crime boss of Gotham, in effect giving Batman direct control over the criminals he stalks as Batman.
Skills, resources and abilities
One of the highlights of Batman's character is that he is a superhero despite not having super-powers. His years of rigorous training, resourcefulness and insights make up for lack of any other special abilities.
Physically he is at the peak of human ability in dozens of areas, most notably martial arts, acrobatics, strength, and escape artistry. Intellectually he is just as peerless, being at once one of the world's greatest scientists, criminologists, and tacticians, as well as a master of disguise. He is regarded as one of the world's greatest fictional detectives. Lacking superpowers, he often uses cunning and planning to outwit his foes, rather than simply out-fighting them.
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, and some enemies have used this to isolate the Dark Knight. Batman has also been portrayed as arrogant, treating many of his allies with various degrees of disrespect. At one point, Batman's arrogance and mistrust so infuriated the resurrected Green Lantern Hal Jordan that Jordan hit him across the face (ironically, Batman called Hal Jordan arrogant after recovering from the punch). 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. Additionally, his childhood trauma makes him emotionally distant from even those allies closest to him, and a common theme among the younger heroes he often works with is how hard it is to gain his approval.
Equipment
Bruce designs or modifies the costumes, equipment, and vehicles he uses as Batman, which are produced by a division of Wayne Industries. Over the years, he has accumulated a large arsenal of specialized gadgets (compare with the later James Bond). The designs of most of Batman's equipment share a common theme of dark coloration with a bat motif. A notable example is Batman's primary vehicle, the Batmobile, often depicted as an imposing black car with large tail fins that suggest a bat's wings; another is his chief throwing weapon, the batarang, a bat-shaped boomerang. In proper practice, the "bat" prefix (as in batmobile or batarang) is rarely used by Batman himself when referring to his equipment, especially as this has been stretched to camp in some portrayals (namely the 1960s Batman live-action television show and the Super Friends animated series). The 1960s live-action television show arsenal included such ridiculous, satirical "bat-" names as a bat-computer, bat-rope, bat-scanner, bat-radar, bat-cuffs (handcuffs), bat-phone, bat-pontoons, bat-drinking water dispenser, bat-camera with polarized bat-filter, shark repellent bat-spray, bat-funnel, alphabet soup bat-container, and emergency bat-turn lever. In one episode, Batman and Robin stop by an outdoor hamburger stand which sells "bat-burgers", beef sandwiches supposedly named in his honor.
Batman keeps most of his field equipment in a signature piece of apparel, a yellow utility belt. Over the years it has contained 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 used side arms (see especially Detective Comics #32, September 1939), but since that time, he has eschewed their use because his parents were murdered by a gunman. Some stories have relaxed this rule to allow Batman to arm his vehicles for purposes of disabling other vehicles or removing inanimate obstacles. In the 1989 movie version, however, firearms figured more prominently in the Dark Knight's arsenal; machine guns and grenades were mounted on the Batmobile and missiles and machine cannons on the Batwing. Burton's Batman was not afraid to cause collateral damage and was willing to kill.
Costume
The details of the Batman costume have changed repeatedly through the character's evolution, but the most distinctive elements have remained consistent: a black scallop-hem cape; a cowl covering most of the face and 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, which are variously 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.
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.
Gotham City
As much as Gotham's crime ridden streets were the cause of Batman's creation, the Dark Knight utilizes the Gothic nature of his city to strike fear in the hearts of criminals. Modeled after New York City, Gotham is positioned on the northeast coast of the United States and is located in New Jersey in 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. Owing to the New York comparison, it is frequently said that Gotham is 'New York at night', in reference to both New York's former reputation as a city struggling with crime, and to the fact that most of Batman's stories take place largely at night. Thomas and Martha Wayne were gunned down in 'Crime Alley', formerly Gotham's ritzy Park Row but now a slum.
Characters
Supporting characters
Robin is perhaps Batman's most important ally; no fewer than five teenage sidekicks having served in the role: Dick Grayson (the original Robin, later Nightwing), Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown and Carrie Kelly in the non-canonical Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Both Jason Todd and Stephanie Brown were killed in the line of duty, though Jason was alive again six months after his death.
Alfred Pennyworth is Bruce Wayne's loyal butler and father figure while Lucius Fox acts as his business manager. Police Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon works closely with Batman despite their differences on how to best enforce the law.
Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's red-haired daughter, previously fought crime at Batman's side as Batgirl; in recent comics, she became the computer hacker known as Oracle. Most recently, Cassandra Cain assumed the Batgirl identity, though she has recently given up the mantle following a confrontation against Lady Shiva.
Jean-Paul Valley, also known as Azrael, briefly became Batman during the Knightfall Saga and is currently presumed dead.
In pre-Crisis continuity, the Huntress was Helena Wayne, daughter to Earth-Two's Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Post-Crisis, the Huntress' secret identity is Helena Bertinelli, who has no biological relations to Catwoman or Batman. Her willingness to kill makes her alliance with Batman extremely uneasy.
Batman is also supported by Superman and members of the Justice League of America and the Outsiders, both of which he is usually a part-time member. Superman especially crosses paths with Batman often, given that the two are DC Comics' most prominent characters. In pre-Crisis continuity, the two were depicted as close friends, and appeared together monthly in the pages of World's Finest Comics. In current continuity, the two are usually depicted as having a mutually respectful but uneasy relationship, with an emphasis on their differing views on crimefighting and justice.
Although in recent years their relationship has became less frosty and Superman is probably the member of the Justice League to whom Batman is closest. The nickname "World's Finest" (taken from the World's Finest Comics title) is often used to describe Superman-Batman teamups. Although Superman currently holds his trust, Batman keeps a Kryptonite ring, given to him by Superman, in case the world's most powerful being should ever be manipulated or go rogue. Currently, DC is publishing a monthly teamup title, called simply Superman/Batman. In addition, Batman has a friendly rivalry with Mister Terrific, his opposite number in the Justice Society of America.
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 childhood friend Dr. Leslie Thompkins's decision to withhold medical attention from Stephanie Brown, the fourth Robin, and allowing her to die, seems to substantiate this claim. Because Batman maintains an extremely strict rule of never taking a life, Batman sees Thompkins as "nothing more than another murderer in [his] criminal database," and threatens to have her medical license revoked should she return to the United States.
Batman has had many romantic relationships throughout his various incarnations. They have been with villainesses (Catwoman, Talia al Ghul and Poison Ivy); reporters (Vicki Vale and Vesper Fairchild); superheroines (Wonder Woman, Batwoman and Zatanna); an ex-sidekick (Sasha Bordeaux); and others, including Silver St. Cloud, Julie Madison, physician Shondra Kinsolving, Dr. Chase Meridian and nurse Linda Page. With the exception of Catwoman, these relationships have been notable only for their short duration; Batman's attraction to Catwoman, however, has been in nearly every version and medium in which the character has appeared. 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 is variously embracing or fleeing 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. In the 1930s and 1940s the most familiar Batman villains evolved: The Joker, Catwoman, the Penguin, Two-Face, the Riddler, Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, Man-Bat and Clayface.
Other well known villains emerged in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s including Mister Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Ra's Al Ghul. Killer Croc, Black Mask and the Ventriloquist emerged in the 1980s, and Bane and Harley Quinn in the 1990s. Later enemies have been introduced, such as Hush, David Cain and a new Red Hood (Jason Todd returned from the dead). These enemies, with Bane, Ra's and the Riddler, know Batman´s true identity and use that against him.
Crossovers
Batman as a DC Comics' character has from time to time been featured in crossovers with characters from other comic companies, most commonly with Marvel Comics. Many of these stories are not canon for the companies involved, although the DC/Marvel crossovers appear to have some ongoing validity in the DC universe.
The first such crossover was with the Incredible Hulk in the late 1981 in Marvel and DC presents: Batman vs the Incredible Hulk where they fight the Joker and the Shaper of Worlds. Batman (Jean-Paul Valley) encountered the Punisher in Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire where they fight Jigsaw and the Joker. Batman (Bruce Wayne) encountered the Punisher in Punisher/Batman: Deadly knights where they fight Jigsaw and the Joker once again. These stories take place in a shared universe.
Batman and Captain America have both fought each other in the Marvel vs. DC event when both universes where in danger. The two were allies against the Red Skull and the Joker in Batman and Captain America which took place in the Superman & Batman: Generations universe. Since then, they have encountered each other again in JLA/Avengers, whose events were indirectly mentioned in the Sydicate Rules storyline of JLA. In all three team-ups of Batman and Captain America, the two heroes meet for the "first" time.
Batman has also worked together with Spider-Man twice, the first titled Spider-Man/Batman: Disordered Minds, with appearances from Marvel's Carnage and DC's Joker. The sequel, Batman & Spider-Man: New Age Dawning, brought the two heroes together to face Ra's al Ghul and the Kingpin. Two other Batman and Marvel crossovers feature Daredevil. The first was in Batman and Daredevil: An Eye for an Eye where they encounter Two-Face and Mr. Hyde and the second was in Batman/Daredevil: The King of New York where they encounter the Kingpin and the Scarecrow. All of these stories take place in a shared universe.
Crossovers with other companies include Judge Dredd, Spawn, Grendel, Predators, Aliens, Tarzan, Danger Girl, Planetary and The Spirit.
Homosexual interpretations
In 1954, psychologist Fredric Wertham's general assertion in his book Seduction of the Innocent was that readers would imitate crimes committed in comic books, and that these works would corrupt the morals of the youth. The most notorious charge in the book, however, was leveled at Batman, in a four-page polemic claiming that Batman and Robin were 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." What was more, 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 autobiographical Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights noting that the relationship could be interpreted as a sexual one, with the show's double entendres and lavish camp also possibly offering ambiguous interpretation.[2] 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 was 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 is dressed in a more modern costume that isn't 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.[3]
However, commenting on homosexual interpretations of Batman, writer Alan Grant has stated that "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.", whilst 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."[4]
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 their relationship, against the wishes of the publisher.[5] 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[6] 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 also demanded that all remaining art as well as any profits be handed over.[7]
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."[8]
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 in-continuity Batman of the DC Universe can currently be seen as the primary character in current comic book series such as Detective Comics, Batman, Legends of the Dark Knight and Superman/Batman.
Long running former 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, Batgirl, Birds of Prey, Gotham Central and Catwoman.
The series All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is not in continuity.
Significant developments in the Batman mythos were seen during 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, and later others such as Grant Morrison and Dave McKean. In addition to their contributions, notable limited series which featured Batman include Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.
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, there is a musical theatre (Batman: The Musical), set to premiere sometime in 2006/2007. There are several Batman video games, and the Six Flags theme parks host Batman shows and rides. Over the last decade, Batman has appeared in starring or supporting roles in the Bruce Timm-helmed DC Animated Universe, 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' Darkwing among others. In the Amalgam Comics, Batman and Wolverine were fused to create Dark Claw.
Batman has also appeared in both video and board games, as well as various 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.
There is even a Lego Batman theme that will be widely available in late 2006. The theme features many famous characters and locations in brick form.
Trivia
- Bob Kane explains that "the alliteration of the names — Bruce Wayne, Bob Kane — was probably one reason Bill [Finger] came up with the name [Bruce Wayne]." In Jim Steranko's History of the Comics, vol. 1, Bill Finger reveals that "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."[9]
- A personality trait that creator Bob Kane shared with Batman was a certain fondness for keeping late hours.[citation needed]
- In all Spanish language dubs and translations, Bruce Wayne is named Bruno Díaz.
- Official DC statistics state that Batman stands 6 ft 2 in and weighs 210 lb. Adam West is supposedly the only actor to portray Batman and stand at that same height. Christian Bale may possibly be the second, but there are many disputes over his true height.
- Forbes Magazine once estimated Bruce Wayne to be the 7th-richest fictional character, with his $6 billion-plus fortune trailing only Willy Wonka, Thurston Howell III, Scrooge McDuck, Daddy Warbucks, Richie Rich, and the #1 choice, Santa Claus.
- Two men have been superheroing as Batman and Robin in Whitley, Berkshire, England. They began in 2004 and tried to save the Engineers Arms pub from being torn down.[10]
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
- ^ The British newspaper The Guardian has lauded Batman as "the perfect cultural artefact for the 21st century" in an article about Batman's anniversary [1].
- ^ "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) - ^ York, Christopher (2000). "All in the family: Homophobia and Batman Comics in the 1950s". The International Journal of Comic Art. 2 (2): 100–110.
- ^ "Is Batman Gay?". Retrieved December 28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Garth, Ennis (March 2006). "Batman is the Gay Batman". Newsarama.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Gallery told to drop 'gay' Batman". BBC. 19 August 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Brokebat Mountain: "Batman is gay", says George Clooney". PinkNews.co.uk. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 2006-3-12.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ Kane, Bob (1989). Batman & Me. Forestville, CA: Eclipse Books. p. 44. 1-56060-017-9.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Race is on to unmask Reading's very own Batman and Robin" Unexplainedresearch.com. URL Accessed May 14, 2006.
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 The Animated Series. Batman
- Cover gallery by Jim Lee
- Reason's for Batman's Allure
- Batman-Superman Series. Batman
- Legions of Gotham
- TheBatSquad
- Batman: Yesterday, Today, & Beyond
- Batman 1989 Film Production Photos
- Action figures
- All-Star Squadron members
- Batman
- DC Comics anti-heroes
- DC Comics heroes, non-superpowered
- DC Comics superheroes
- DC Comics martial artists
- Fictional Americans in DC Comics
- Fictional atheists
- Fictional businesspeople
- Fictional detectives
- Fictional millionaires
- Fictional orphans
- Fictional socialites
- Fictional vigilantes
- Film noir
- Justice League (animated) members
- Justice League members
- Justice Society members
- Outsiders members