"Bruce Wayne" redirects here. For the Amalgam Comics character, see Bruce Wayne (Amalgam Comics).
This article is about the superhero character. For other uses, see API (disambiguation).

API
Promotional art for Batman #608 (October 2002, second printing) Pencils by Jim Lee and inks by Scott Williams
Publication information
Publisher | DC Comics
First appearance | Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
Created by | Bob Kane (concept) Bill Finger[1] (developer, uncredited)
In-story information
Alter ego | Bruce Wayne
Team affiliations | Batman Family Justice League Wayne Enterprises Outsiders Batman Incorporated
Partnerships | Robin Batgirl Superman Wonder Woman
Notable aliases | Matches Malone, Sir Hemingford Grey, Mordecai Wayne, The Insider
Abilities | Genius-level intellect Peak physical and mental conditioning Master martial artist, acrobat, detective, strategist, tactician, and escapologist Use of high-tech equipment, weapons, gadgets Master of stealth Master of disguise Proficient with technology Access to vast wealth and criminal records Trained computer hacker Excellent observational skills Photographic memory Expert marksman

Batman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics. Originally referred to as "The Bat-Man" and still referred to at times as "The Batman", he is additionally known as "The Caped Crusader",[2] "The Dark Knight",[2] and "The World's Greatest Detective,"[2] among other titles.

In the original version of the story and the vast majority of retellings, Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, an American millionaire (later billionaire) playboy, industrialist, and philanthropist. Having witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, he swore revenge on criminals, an oath tempered with the greater ideal of justice. Wayne trains himself both physically and intellectually and dons a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime.[3] Batman operates in the fictional American Gotham City, assisted by various supporting characters including his crime-fighting partner, Robin, his butler Alfred Pennyworth, the police commissioner Jim Gordon, and occasionally the heroine Batgirl. He fights an assortment of villains such as the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, Ra's al Ghul, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, among others. Unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, martial arts skills, an indomitable will, fear, and intimidation in his continuous war on crime.

Batman became a very popular character soon after his introduction and gained his own comic book title, Batman, in 1940. As the decades wore on, differing interpretations of the character emerged. The late 1960s Batman television series used a camp aesthetic which continued to be associated with the character for years after the show ended. Various creators worked to return the character to his dark roots, with varying results. The comic books of this dark stage culminated in the acclaimed 1986 miniseries The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller, as well as Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, among others. The overall success of Warner Bros.' live-action Batman feature films have also helped maintain public interest in the character.[4]

A cultural icon, Batman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film, and appears on a variety of merchandise sold all over the world such as toys and video games. The character has also intrigued psychiatrists with many trying to understand the character's psyche and his true ego in society. In May 2011, Batman placed second on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time, after Superman. Empire magazine also listed him second in their 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time.[5]

## Publication history[edit]

See also: List of Batman comics

### Creation[edit]

In early 1939, the success of Superman in Action Comics prompted editors at the comic book division of National Publications (the future DC Comics) to request more superheroes for its titles. In response, Bob Kane created "the Bat-Man."[6] Collaborator Bill Finger recalled "Kane had an idea for a character called 'Batman', and he'd like me to see the drawings. I went over to Kane's, and he had drawn a character who looked very much like Superman with kind of ... reddish tights, I believe, with boots ... no gloves, no gauntlets ... with a small domino mask, swinging on a rope. He had two stiff wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign ... BATMAN."[7]

Finger offered such suggestions as giving the character a cowl instead of a simple domino mask, a cape instead of wings, and gloves, and removing the red sections from the original costume.[8][9][10][11] Finger said he devised the name Bruce Wayne for the character's secret identity: "Bruce Wayne's first name came from Robert Bruce, the Scottish patriot. Bruce, 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."[12] He later said his suggestions were influenced by Lee Falk's popular The Phantom, a syndicated newspaper comic-strip character with which Kane was familiar as well.[13]

Kane and Finger drew upon contemporary 1930s popular culture for inspiration regarding much of the Bat-Man's look, personality, methods and weaponry. Details find predecessors in pulp fiction, comic strips, newspaper headlines, and autobiographical details referring to Kane himself.[14] As an aristocratic hero with a double identity, the Bat-Man had predecessors in the Scarlet Pimpernel (created by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, 1903) and Zorro (created by Johnston McCulley, 1919). Like them he performed his heroic deeds in secret, averted suspicion by playing the fool in public, and marked his work with a signature symbol. Kane specifically noted the influence of the films The Mark of Zorro (1920) and The Bat Whispers (1930) in the creation of the character's iconography. Finger, drawing inspiration from pulp heroes like Doc Savage, The Shadow, and Sherlock Holmes, made the character a master sleuth.[15]

Kane, in his 1989 autobiography, detailed Finger's contributions to Batman's creation:

> One day I called Bill and said, 'I have a new character called the Bat-Man and I've made some crude, elementary sketches I'd like you to look at'. He came over and I showed him the drawings. At the time, I only had a small domino mask, like the one Robin later wore, on Batman's face. Bill said, 'Why not make him look more like a bat and put a hood on him, and take the eyeballs out and just put slits for eyes to make him look more mysterious?' At this point, the Bat-Man wore a red union suit; the wings, trunks, and mask were black. I thought that red and black would be a good combination. Bill said that the costume was too bright: 'Color it dark gray to make it look more ominous'. The cape looked like two stiff bat wings attached to his arms. As Bill and I talked, we realized that these wings would get cumbersome when Bat-Man was in action, and changed them into a cape, scalloped to look like bat wings when he was fighting or swinging down on a rope. Also, he didn't have any gloves on, and we added them so that he wouldn't leave fingerprints.[13]

### Subsequent Creation Credit[edit]

Kane signed away ownership in the character in exchange for, among other compensation, a mandatory byline on all Batman comics. This byline did not, originally say "Batman created by Bob Kane"; his name was simply written on the title page of each story. The name disappeared from the comic book in the mid-1960s, replaced by credits for each story's actual writer and artists. In the late 1970s, when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster began receiving a "created by" credit on the Superman titles, along with William Moulton Marston being given the byline for creating Wonder Woman, Batman stories began saying "Created by Bob Kane" in addition to the other credits.

Finger did not receive the same recognition. While he had received credit for other DC work since the 1940s, he began, in the 1960s, to receive limited acknowledgment for his Batman writing; in the letters page of Batman #169 (February 1965) for example, editor Julius Schwartz names him as the creator of the Riddler, one of Batman's recurring villains. However, Finger's contract left him only with his writing page rate and no byline. Kane wrote, "Bill was disheartened by the lack of major accomplishments in his career. He felt that he had not used his creative potential to its fullest and that success had passed him by."[12] At the time of Finger's death in 1974, DC had not officially credited Finger as Batman co-creator.

Jerry Robinson, who also worked with Finger and Kane on the strip at this time, has criticized Kane for failing to share the credit. He recalled Finger resenting his position, stating in a 2005 interview with The Comics Journal:

> Bob made him more insecure, because while he slaved working on Batman, he wasn't sharing in any of the glory or the money that Bob began to make, which is why... [he was] going to leave [Kane's employ]. ... [Kane] should have credited Bill as co-creator, because I know; I was there. ... That was one thing I would never forgive Bob for, was not to take care of Bill or recognize his vital role in the creation of Batman. As with Siegel and Shuster, it should have been the same, the same co-creator credit in the strip, writer and artist.[16]

Although Kane initially rebutted Finger's claims at having created the character, writing in a 1965 open letter to fans that "it seemed to me that Bill Finger has given out the impression that he and not myself created the ''Batman, t' [[ [sic]]] as well as Robin and all the other leading villains and characters. This statement is fraudulent and entirely untrue." Kane himself also commented on Finger's lack of credit. "The trouble with being a 'ghost' writer or artist is that you must remain rather anonymously without 'credit'. However, if one wants the 'credit', then one has to cease being a 'ghost' or follower and become a leader or innovator."[17]

In 1989, Kane revisited Finger's situation, recalling in an interview,

> In those days it was like, one artist and he had his name over it [the comic strip] ? the policy of DC in the comic books was, if you can't write it, obtain other writers, but their names would never appear on the comic book in the finished version. So Bill never asked me for it [the byline] and I never volunteered ? I guess my ego at that time. And I felt badly, really, when he [Finger] died.[18]

### Early years[edit]

Batman made his debut in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) ? cover art by Bob Kane

The first Batman story, "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate," was published in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Finger said, "Batman was originally written in the style of the pulps,"[19] and this influence was evident with Batman showing little remorse over killing or maiming criminals. Batman proved a hit character, and he received his own solo title in 1940, while continuing to star in Detective Comics. By that time, National was the top-selling and most influential publisher in the industry; Batman and the company's other major hero, Superman, were the cornerstones of the company's success.[20] The two characters were featured side-by-side as the stars of World's Finest Comics, which was originally titled World's Best Comics when it debuted in fall 1940. Creators including Jerry Robinson and Dick Sprang also worked on the strips during this period.

Over the course of the first few Batman strips elements were added to the character and the artistic depiction of Batman evolved. Kane noted that within six issues he drew the character's jawline more pronounced, and lengthened the ears on the costume. "About a year later he was almost the full figure, my mature Batman," Kane said.[21] Batman's characteristic utility belt was introduced in Detective Comics #29 (July 1939), followed by the boomerang-like batarang and the first bat-themed vehicle, the Batplane, in #31 (September 1939). The character's origin was revealed in #33 (November 1939), unfolding in a two-page story that establishes the brooding persona of Batman, a character driven by the death of his parents. Written by Finger, it depicts a young Bruce Wayne witnessing his parents' murder at the hands of a mugger. Days later, at their grave, the child vows that "by the spirits of my parents [I will] avenge their deaths by spending the rest of my life warring on all criminals."[22][23][24]

The early, pulp-inflected portrayal of Batman started to soften in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940) with the introduction of Robin, Batman's kid sidekick.[25] Robin was introduced, based on Finger's suggestion Batman needed a "Watson" with whom Batman could talk.[26] Sales nearly doubled, despite Kane's preference for a solo Batman, and it sparked a proliferation of "kid sidekicks."[27] The first issue of the solo spin-off series Batman was notable not only for introducing two of his most persistent antagonists, the Joker and Catwoman, but for a story in which Batman shoots some monstrous giants to death. That story prompted editor Whitney Ellsworth to decree that the character could no longer kill or use a gun.[28]

By 1942, the writers and artists behind the Batman comics had established most of the basic elements of the Batman mythos.[29] In the years following World War II, DC Comics "adopted a postwar editorial direction that increasingly de-emphasized social commentary in favor of lighthearted juvenile fantasy." The impact of this editorial approach was evident in Batman comics of the postwar period; removed from the "bleak and menacing world" of the strips of the early 1940s, Batman was instead portrayed as a respectable citizen and paternal figure that inhabited a "bright and colorful" environment.[30]

### 1950s and early 1960s[edit]

Batman was one of the few superhero characters to be continuously published as interest in the genre waned during the 1950s. In the story "The Mightiest Team in the World" in Superman #76 (June 1952), Batman teams up with Superman for the first time and the pair discovers each other's secret identity.[31] Following the success of this story, World's Finest Comics was revamped so it featured stories starring both heroes together, instead of the separate Batman and Superman features that had been running before.[32] The team-up of the characters was "a financial success in an era when those were few and far between";[33] this series of stories ran until the book's cancellation in 1986.

Batman comics were among those criticized when the comic book industry came under scrutiny with the publication of psychologist Fredric Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent in 1954. Wertham's thesis was that children imitated crimes committed in comic books, and that these works corrupt the morals of the youth. Wertham criticized Batman comics for their supposed homosexual overtones and argued that Batman and Robin were portrayed as lovers.[34] Wertham's criticisms raised a public outcry during the 1950s, eventually leading to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority. The tendency towards a "sunnier Batman" in the postwar years intensified after the introduction of the Comics Code.[35] Scholars have suggested that the characters of Batwoman (in 1956) and the pre-Barbara Gordon 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.[36]

In the late 1950s, Batman stories gradually became more science fiction-oriented, an attempt at mimicking the success of other DC characters that had dabbled in the genre.[37] New characters such as Batwoman, Ace the Bat-Hound, and Bat-Mite were introduced. Batman's adventures often involved odd transformations or bizarre space aliens. In 1960, Batman debuted as a member of the Justice League of America in The Brave and the Bold #28 (February 1960), and went on to appear in several Justice League comic series starting later that same year.

### "New Look" Batman and camp[edit]

By 1964, sales on Batman titles had fallen drastically. Bob Kane noted that, as a result, DC was "planning to kill Batman off altogether."[38] In response to this, editor Julius Schwartz was assigned to the Batman titles. He presided over drastic changes, beginning with 1964's Detective Comics #327 (May 1964), which was cover-billed as the "New Look". Schwartz introduced changes designed to make Batman more contemporary, and to return him to more detective-oriented stories. He brought in artist Carmine Infantino to help overhaul the character. The Batmobile was redesigned, and Batman's costume was modified to incorporate a yellow ellipse behind the bat-insignia. The space aliens and characters of the 1950s such as Batwoman, Ace, and Bat-Mite were retired. Batman's butler Alfred was killed off (though his death was quickly reversed due to fan response) while a new female relative for the Wayne family, Aunt Harriet, came to live with Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.[39]

The debut of the Batman television series in 1966 had a profound influence on the character. The success of the series increased sales throughout the comic book industry, and Batman reached a circulation of close to 900,000 copies.[40] Elements such as the character of Batgirl and the show's campy nature were introduced into the comics; the series also initiated the return of Alfred. Although both the comics and TV show were successful for a time, the camp approach eventually wore thin and the show was canceled in 1968. In the aftermath, the Batman comics themselves lost popularity once again. As Julius Schwartz noted, "When the television show was a success, I was asked to be campy, and of course when the show faded, so did the comic books."[41]

Starting in 1969, writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams made a deliberate effort to distance Batman from the campy portrayal of the 1960s TV series and to return the character to his roots as a "grim avenger of the night."[42] O'Neil said his idea was "simply to take it back to where it started. I went to the DC library and read some of the early stories. I tried to get a sense of what Kane and Finger were after."[43]

O'Neil and Adams first collaborated on the story "The Secret of the Waiting Graves" (Detective Comics #395, January 1970). Few stories were true collaborations between O'Neil, Adams, Schwartz, and inker Dick Giordano, and in actuality these men were mixed and matched with various other creators during the 1970s; nevertheless the influence of their work was "tremendous."[44] Giordano said: "We went back to a grimmer, darker Batman, and I think that's why these stories did so well... Even today we're still using Neal's Batman with the long flowing cape and the pointy ears."[45] While the work of O'Neil and Adams was popular with fans, the acclaim did little to help declining sales; the same held true with a similarly acclaimed run by writer Steve Englehart and penciler Marshall Rogers in Detective Comics #471?476 (August 1977?? April 1978), which went on to influence the 1989 movie Batman and be adapted for Batman: The Animated Series, which debuted in 1992.[46] Regardless, circulation continued to drop through the 1970s and 1980s, hitting an all-time low in 1985.[47]

### The Dark Knight Returns and later[edit]

See also: Alternative versions of Batman

Frank Miller's limited series The Dark Knight Returns (February?June 1986), which tells the story of a 55-year old Batman coming out of retirement in a possible future, reinvigorated the character. The Dark Knight Returns was a financial success and has since become one of the medium's most noted touchstones.[48] The series also sparked a major resurgence in the character's popularity.[49]

That year Dennis O'Neil took over as editor of the Batman titles and set the template for the portrayal of Batman following DC's status quo-altering miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. O'Neil operated under the assumption that he was hired to revamp the character and as a result tried to instill a different tone in the books than had gone before.[50] One outcome of this new approach was the "Year One" storyline in Batman #404?407 (February?May 1987), in which Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli redefined the character's origins. Writer Alan Moore and artist Brian Bolland continued this dark trend with 1988's 48-page one-shot Batman: The Killing Joke, in which the Joker, attempting to drive Commissioner Gordon insane, cripples Gordon's daughter Barbara, and then kidnaps and tortures the commissioner, physically and psychologically.

The first issue of The Dark Knight Returns, which redefined Batman in the 1980s ? cover art by Frank Miller

The Batman comics garnered major attention in 1988 when DC Comics created a 900 number for readers to call to vote on whether Jason Todd, the second Robin, lived or died. Voters decided in favor of Jason's death by a narrow margin of 28 votes (see Batman: A Death in the Family).[51] The following year saw the release of Tim Burton's Batman feature film, which firmly brought the character back to the public's attention, grossing millions of dollars at the box office, and millions more in merchandising. However, the three sequels, Tim Burton's Batman Returns and director Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman Robin, did not perform as well at the box office. The Batman movie franchise was rebooted with director and co-writer Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins in 2005, The Dark Knight in 2008 and The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. In 1989, the first issue of Legends of the Dark Knight, the first new solo Batman title in nearly fifty years, sold close to a million copies.[52]

The 1993 "Knightfall" story arc introduced a new villain, Bane, who critically injures Bruce Wayne. Jean-Paul Valley, known as Azrael, is called upon to wear the Batsuit during Wayne's convalescence. Writers Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, and Alan Grant worked on the Batman titles during "Knightfall," and would also contribute to other Batman crossovers throughout the 1990s. 1998's "Cataclysm" storyline served as the precursor to 1999's "No Man's Land", a year-long storyline that ran through all the Batman-related titles dealing with the effects of an earthquake-ravaged Gotham City. At the conclusion of "No Man's Land", O'Neil stepped down as editor and was replaced by Bob Schreck.

Another writer who rose to prominence on the Batman comic series, was Jeph Loeb. Along with longtime collaborator Tim Sale, they wrote two miniseries ("The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory") that pit an early in his career version of Batman against his entire rogue's gallery (most notably Two-Face, whose origin was re-envisioned by Loeb) while dealing with various mysteries involving serial killers Holiday and the Hangman, of which the former was the subject of intense debate and speculation amongst Batman fans. In 2003, Loeb teamed with artist Jim Lee to work on another mystery arc: "Batman: Hush" for the main Batman book. The twelve issue storyline saw Batman and Catwoman running the gauntlet against Batman's entire rogue's gallery, including an apparently resurrected Jason Todd, while seeking to find the identity of the mysterious supervillain Hush. While the character of Hush failed to catch on with readers, the arc was a sales success for DC. As the storyline was Jim Lee's first regular comic book work in nearly a decade, the series became #1 on the Diamond Comic Distributors sales chart for the first time since Batman #500 (October 1993) and Jason Todd's appearance laid the groundwork for writer Judd Winick's subsequent run as writer on Batman, with another multi-issue epic, "Under the Hood," which ran from Batman #637?650.

In 2005, DC launched All-Star Batman and Robin, a stand-alone comic series set outside the existing DC Universe. Written by Frank Miller and drawn by Jim Lee, the series was a commercial success for DC Comics[53][54] though widely panned by critics for its writing.[55][56]

Starting in 2006, the regular writers on Batman and Detective Comics were Grant Morrison and Paul Dini, with Grant Morrison reincorporating controversial elements of Batman lore (most notably, the science fiction themed storylines of the 1950s Batman comics, which Morrison revised as hallucinations Batman suffered under the influence of various mind-bending gases and extensive sensory deprivation training) into the character. Morrison's run climaxed with "Batman R.I.P.", which brought Batman up against the villainous "Black Glove" organization, which sought to drive Batman into madness. "Batman R.I.P." segued into Final Crisis (also written by Morrison), which saw the apparent death of Batman at the hands of Darkseid. In the 2009 miniseries Batman: Battle for the Cowl, Wayne's former prot?g? Dick Grayson becomes the new Batman, and Wayne's son Damian becomes the new Robin.[57][58] In June 2009, Judd Winick returned to writing Batman, while Grant Morrison was given his own series, titled Batman and Robin.[59]

In 2010, the storyline Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne saw Bruce travel through history, eventually returning to the present day. Although he reclaimed the mantle of Batman, he also allowed Grayson to continue being Batman as well. Bruce decided to take his war on crime globally, which is the central focus of Batman Incorporated. DC Comics would later announce that Grayson would be the main character in Batman, Detective Comics and Batman and Robin, while Wayne would be the main character in Batman Incorporated. Also, Bruce appeared in another ongoing series, Batman: The Dark Knight.

### 2011: The New 52 relaunch[edit]

In September 2011, DC Comics' entire line of superhero books, including its Batman franchise, was canceled and relaunched with new #1 issues as part of The New 52 reboot. Bruce Wayne is the only character to be identified as Batman and will be featured in Batman, Detective Comics, Batman and Robin, and Batman: The Dark Knight. Dick Grayson returns to the mantle of Nightwing and appears in his own ongoing series. While many characters have their histories significantly altered to attract newer, younger readers, Batman's history remains mostly intact. Batman Incorporated was be relaunched in 2012 to complete the "Leviathan" storyline.

## Fictional character biography[edit]

Batman's history has undergone various revisions, both minor and major. Few elements of the character's history have remained constant. Scholars William Uricchio and Roberta E. Pearson noted in the early 1990s, "Unlike some fictional characters, the Batman has no primary urtext set in a specific period, but has rather existed in a plethora of equally valid texts constantly appearing over more than five decades."[60]

The central fixed event in the Batman stories is the character's origin story.[61] As a little boy, Bruce Wayne is horrified and traumatized to see his parents, the physician Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, being murdered by a mugger in front of his very eyes. This drives him to fight crime in Gotham City as Batman. Pearson and Uricchio also noted beyond the origin story and such events as the introduction of Robin, "Until recently, the fixed and accruing and hence, canonized, events have been few in number,"[61] a situation altered by an increased effort by later Batman editors such as Dennis O'Neil to ensure consistency and continuity between stories.[62]

### Golden Age[edit]

See also: Batman (Earth-Two)

In Batman's first appearance in Detective Comics #27, he is already operating as a crimefighter.[63] Batman's origin is first presented in Detective Comics #33 (November 1939), and is later fleshed out in Batman #47. As these comics state, Bruce Wayne is born to Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, two very wealthy and charitable Gotham City socialites. Bruce is brought up in Wayne Manor, with 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 while on their way home from a movie theater. 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; however, he realizes that these skills alone would not be enough. "Criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot," Wayne remarks, "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, inspiring Bruce to take on the persona of Batman.[64]

In early strips, Batman's career as a vigilante earns him the ire of the police. During this period Wayne has a fianc?e named Julie Madison.[65] Wayne takes in an orphaned circus acrobat, Dick Grayson, who becomes his sidekick, Robin. Batman also becomes a founding member of the Justice Society of America,[66] although he, like Superman, is an honorary member,[67] and thus only participates occasionally. Batman's relationship with the law thaws quickly, and he is made an honorary member of Gotham City's police department.[68] During this time, butler Alfred Pennyworth arrives at Wayne Manor, and after deducing the Dynamic Duo's secret identities joins their service.[69]

### Silver Age[edit]

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. Batman is not significantly changed by the late 1950s 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 Detective Comics #327 (May 1964), in which Batman reverts to his detective roots, with most science-fiction elements jettisoned from the series.

After the introduction of DC Comics' multiverse in the 1960s, DC established that stories from the Golden Age star the Earth-Two Batman, a character from a parallel world. This version of Batman partners with and marries the reformed Earth-Two Catwoman, Selina Kyle (as shown in Superman Family #211) and fathers Helena Wayne, who, as the Huntress, becomes (along with Dick Grayson, the Earth-Two Robin) Gotham's protector once Wayne retires from the position to become police commissioner, a position he occupies until he is killed during one final adventure as Batman. Batman titles however often ignored that a distinction had been made between the pre-revamp and post-revamp Batmen (since unlike The Flash or Green Lantern, Batman comics had been published without interruption through the 1950s) and would on occasionally make reference to stories from the Golden Age.[70] Nevertheless, details of Batman's history were altered or expanded upon through the decades. Additions include meetings with a future Superman during his youth, his upbringing by his uncle Philip Wayne (introduced in Batman #208, January/February 1969) after his parents' death, and appearances of his father and himself as prototypical versions of Batman and Robin, respectively.[71][72] In 1980 then-editor Paul Levitz commissioned the Untold Legend of the Batman limited series to thoroughly chronicle Batman's origin and history.

Batman meets and regularly works with other heroes during the Silver Age, 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 the series' cancellation in 1986. Batman and Superman are usually depicted as close friends. Batman becomes a founding member of the Justice League of America, appearing in its first story in 1960s 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 of DC Comics' effort to revise the Batman comics. Additionally, Batman also moves from his mansion, 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. Batman 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 the Joker as a homicidal psychopath, and the arrival of Ra's al Ghul, a centuries-old terrorist who knows Batman's secret identity. In the 1980s, Dick Grayson becomes Nightwing.[3]

In the final issue of Brave and the Bold in 1983, Batman quits the Justice League and forms a new group called the Outsiders. He serves as the team's leader until Batman and the Outsiders #32 (1986) and the comic subsequently changed its title.

### Modern Batman[edit]

After the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics retconned the histories of some major characters in an attempt at updating them for contemporary audiences. Frank Miller retold Batman's origin in the storyline "Year One" from Batman #404?407, which emphasizes a grittier tone in the character.[73] Though the Earth-Two Batman is erased from history, many stories of Batman's Silver Age/Earth-One career (along with an amount of Golden Age ones) remain canonical in the post-Crisis universe, with his origins remaining the same in essence, despite alteration. For example, Gotham's police are mostly corrupt, setting up further need for Batman's existence. 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 steal the tires from the Batmobile.[74] Also removed is the guardian Phillip Wayne leaving young Bruce to be raised by Alfred Pennyworth. Additionally, Batman is no longer a founding member of the Justice League of America, although he becomes leader for a short time of a new incarnation of the team launched in 1987. To help fill in the revised backstory for Batman following Crisis, DC launched a new Batman title called Legends of the Dark Knight in 1989 and has published various miniseries and one-shot stories since then that largely take place during the "Year One" period. Various stories from Jeph Loeb and Matt Wagner also touch upon this era.

In 1988's "Batman: A Death in the Family" storyline from Batman #426?429 Jason Todd, the second Robin, is killed by the Joker.[3] Subsequently Batman begins exhibiting an excessive, reckless approach to his crime-fighting, a result of the pain of losing Jason Todd. Batman works solo until the decade's close, when Tim Drake becomes the new Robin.[75] In 2005, writers resurrected the Jason Todd character and have pitted him against his former mentor as the murderous vigilante the Red Hood.

Many of the major Batman storylines since the 1990s have been inter-title crossovers that run for a number of issues. In 1993, DC published both "The Death of Superman" storyline and "Knightfall" . In the Knightfall storyline's first phase, the new villain Bane paralyzes Batman, leading Wayne to ask Azrael to take on the role. After the end of "Knightfall," the storylines split in two directions, following both the Azrael-Batman's adventures, and Bruce Wayne's quest to become Batman once more. The story arcs realign in "KnightsEnd," as Azrael becomes increasingly violent and is defeated by a healed Bruce Wayne. Wayne hands the Batman mantle to Dick Grayson (then Nightwing) for an interim period, while Wayne trains to return to the role.[76]

The 1994 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, rendering stories such as "Year Two" non-canon.

Batman once again becomes a member of the Justice League during Grant Morrison's 1996 relaunch of the series, titled JLA. While Batman contributes greatly to many of the team's successes, the Justice League is largely uninvolved as Batman and Gotham City face catastrophe in the decade's closing crossover arc. In 1998's "Cataclysm" storyline, Gotham City is devastated by an earthquake and ultimately cut off from the United States Government afterwards. Deprived of many of his technological resources, Batman fights to reclaim the city from legions of gangs during 1999's "No Man's Land".

Meanwhile, Batman's relationship with the Gotham City Police Department changed for the worse with the events of "Batman: Officer Down" and "Batman: War Games/War Crimes"; Batman's long-time law enforcement allies Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock are forced out of the police department in "Officer Down", while "War Games" and "War Crimes" saw Batman become a wanted fugitive after a contingency plan of his to neutralize Gotham City's criminal underworld is accidentally triggered, resulting in a massive gang war that ends with the sadistic Black Mask the undisputed ruler of the city's criminal gangs. Other troubles come for Batman in the form of Lex Luthor (secretly behind the events of "No Man's Land"), who seeks revenge for Bruce Wayne cancelling all of his company's government contracts upon Luthor being elected President of the United States. Luthor arranges for the murder of Batman's on-again, off-again love interest Vesper (introduced in the mid-1990s) during the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" and "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" story arcs. Though Batman is able to clear his name, he loses another ally in the form of his new bodyguard Sasha, who is recruited into the organization known as "Checkmate" while stuck in prison due to her refusal to turn state's evidence against her employer. While he was unable to prove that Luthor was behind the murder of Vesper, Batman does get his revenge with help from Talia al Ghul in Superman/Batman #1?6: not only does he bring down Lex Luthor's Presidency but also engages in a hostile take-over of Luthor's corporate holdings, bankrupting the villain in the process.

DC's 2005 limited series Identity Crisis reveals that JLA member Zatanna had edited Batman's memories to prevent him from stopping the League from lobotomizing Dr. Light after he raped Sue Dibny. This served as a retcon for Batman's complete distrust for his fellow superheroes after he remembers, which, under writers such as Mark Waid in the "Tower of Babel" arc in JLA, manifested itself in the form of Batman keeping extensive files on how to kill his fellow superheroes. Batman later creates the Brother I satellite surveillance system to watch over and if necessary, kill the other heroes. It is eventually co-opted by Maxwell Lord, who then kills superhero Blue Beetle to keep him from alerting the Justice League of the existence of Batman's murderous creation. The revelation of Batman's creation and his tacit responsibility for Blue Beetle's death becomes a driving force in the lead-up to the Infinite Crisis miniseries, which again restructures DC continuity. In Infinite Crisis #7, Alexander Luthor, Jr. mentions that in the newly rewritten history of the "New Earth", created in the previous issue, the murderer of Martha and Thomas Wayne ? again, Joe Chill ? was captured, thus undoing the retcon created after Zero Hour. Batman and a team of superheroes destroy Brother Eye and the OMACs, though at the very end Batman reaches his apparent breaking point when Alexander Luthor Jr. seriously wounds Nightwing. Picking up a gun, Batman nearly shoots Luthor in order to avenge his former sidekick, until Wonder Woman convinces him to not pull the trigger.

Following Infinite Crisis, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson (having recovered from his wounds), and Tim Drake retrace the steps Bruce had taken when he originally left Gotham City, to "rebuild Batman."[77] In the Face the Face storyline, Batman and Robin return to Gotham City after their year-long absence. Part of this absence is captured during Week 30 of the 52 series, which shows Batman fighting his inner demons.[78] Later on in 52, Batman is shown undergoing an intense meditation ritual in Nanda Parbat. This becomes an important part of the regular Batman title, which reveals that Batman is reborn as a more effective crime fighter while undergoing this ritual, having "hunted down and ate" the last traces of fear in his mind.[79][80]

At the end of the "Face the Face" story arc, Bruce officially adopts Tim (who had lost both of his parents at various points in the character's history) as his son.[81] The follow-up story arc in Batman, Batman Son, introduces Damian Wayne, who is Batman's son with Talia al Ghul. Batman, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, reforms the Justice League in the new Justice League of America series,[82] and is leading the newest incarnation of the Outsiders.[83]

Grant Morrison's 2008 storyline, Batman R.I.P., featuring Batman being physically and mentally broken by the enigmatic "Black Glove," garnered much news coverage in advance of its highly promoted conclusion, which would supposedly feature the death of Bruce Wayne.[84][85] The original intention was, in fact, not for Batman to die in the pages of "R.I.P.," but for the story to continue with the current DC event Final Crisis and have the death occur there. As such, a two-issue bridge arc was designed called "Last Rites" that showed Batman survive his helicopter crash into the Gotham City River and return to the Batcave, only to be summoned to the Hall of Justice by the JLA to help investigate Orion's death. This in turn led into the events of "Final Crisis" (which began publication during the conclusion of "Batman RIP"), where Batman is kidnapped by Granny Goodness. "Last Rites" told the tale of Batman being mentally probed by Darkseid's minions Mokkari and Simyon, in an attempt to cull the personality traits that make Batman the successful superhero that he is in order to transplant them into cloned bodies. The plan fails due to the clones, unable to handle the stress and grief Batman processes on a daily basis choose to kill themselves rather than endure such a tortured existence. The two-parter concludes with a major "Final Crisis" plot point, as it is revealed that Batman kept the bullet used to kill Orion in his utility belt.[86]

The Batman's apparent death occurs in Final Crisis #6 when he confronts Darkseid, and announces that he will make a once-in-a-lifetime exception by using a firearm when facing the villain. Wielding a sidearm made by Apokolips, Batman shoots Darkseid in the chest with a bullet made of Radion (the same bullet used to kill Orion), just as Darkseid unleashes his Omega Sanction, or the "death that is life", upon Batman.[87] However, the Omega Sanction does not actually kill its target, but sends its consciousness into parallel worlds. Although the presence of Batman's corpse would suggest that he is dead, at the conclusion of Final Crisis it is revealed that Batman has been sent to the distant past where he is able to watch the passing of Anthro.[88][89]

The three-issue Battle for the Cowl miniseries ('cowl' referring to Batman's mask) sees those closest to Wayne compete for the "right" to assume the role of Batman. Eventually, Grayson reluctantly assumes the role.[90] Tim Drake takes on the identity of Red Robin, questing around the world searching for Bruce Wayne, who he believes is still alive.[91]

In Blackest Night, the villain Black Hand is seen digging up Bruce Wayne's body, stealing his skull, and recruiting it into the Black Lantern Corps.[92] Deadman, whose body has also become a Black Lantern, rushes to aid the new Batman and Robin, along with Red Robin against the Gotham villains who have been reanimated as Black Lanterns, as well as their own family members.[93] The skull was briefly reanimated as a Black Lantern, reconstructing a body in the process by Black Hand's lord, Nekron, to move against the Justice League and the Titans. After the Black Lantern Batman created several black power rings to attach to and kill the majority of the Justice League, the skull was returned to normal after Nekron explained it served its purpose as an emotional tether. Nekron also referred to the skull as "Bruce Wayne", knowing that the body was not authentic.[94]

In Batman and Robin's third storyline, "Blackest Knight," it is revealed that the body left behind at the end of Final Crisis #6 was actually a clone created from a failed attempt by Darkseid to amass an army of "Batmen". Because of this, the skull that was used by the Black Lantern Corps and reanimated by Nekron was a fake. Dick Grayson, thinking it was Bruce Wayne's real body, attempted to resurrect it in a Lazarus Pit only to be met with a fierce, mindless combatant. He then realized the truth about the body.[95][96]

Morrison's storyline continues with the miniseries Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne. In the miniseries, Bruce travels through time from the prehistoric era back to present-day Gotham. However, the Dark Knight must overcome unforeseen obstacles: unbeknownst to the hero, Darkseid turned him into a living doomsday weapon when he sent him back in time, which forces Batman's allies to stop him.[97][97][98][99] Thanks to his allies, Batman is able to foil Darkseid's final plan and return to the present.

After Bruce's return, he returns to his role as the Dark Knight on a global scale, thus allowing Dick and Damian to continue as Gotham's Dynamic Duo. This is seen in the new ongoing series Batman Incorporated, where Batman will form an army of heroes that will serve as the Batman on every country of the world. To this end, Bruce publicly announces that Wayne Enterprises will aid Batman on his mission, known as "Batman, Incorporated." Also, Batman is the protagonist in the new title Batman: The Dark Knight, which will be written and drawn by David Finch. This new title details Batman's most recent adventures in Gotham to investigate about the disappearance of his friend Dawn Golden, in an environment of mysticism and magic.

### The New 52 relaunch[edit]

In the 2011 The New 52, Bruce Wayne is the sole character to be identified as Batman while Dick Grayson returns to the Nightwing identity. Damian will continue to be Robin under his father's guidance. The principal antagonists of the relaunched Batman series are the Court of the Owls, a shadowy organisation that has ruled Gotham for centuries. When Batman begins to interfere with their influence they go on the offensive, launching assassins against major figures throughout Gotham in the crossover event Night of the Owls, with Batman and his various allies racing to stop them.

## Characterization[edit]

Batman's primary character traits can be summarized as "wealth; physical prowess; deductive abilities and obsession."[61] The details and tone of Batman comic books have varied over the years due to different creative teams. Dennis O'Neil noted that character consistency was not a major concern during early editorial regimes: "Julie Schwartz did a Batman in Batman and Detective and Murray Boltinoff did a Batman in the Brave and the Bold and apart from the costume they bore very little resemblance to each other. Julie and Murray did not coordinate their efforts, did not pretend to, did not want to, were not asked to. Continuity was not important in those days."[100]

The driving force behind Batman's character is from his childhood. Bob Kane and Bill Finger discussed Batman's background and decided that "there's nothing more traumatic than having your parents murdered before your eyes."[101] Despite his trauma, he is driven to train to become a brilliant scientist[102][103] and train his body into absolute physical perfection[102][103] to fight crime in Gotham City as Batman, an inspired idea from Wayne's insight into the criminal mind.[102][103] Another of Batman's characterizations is a vigilante; in order to stop evil that started with the death of his parents, he must sometimes break laws himself. Although manifested differently by being re-told by different artists, it is nevertheless that the details and the prime components of Batman's origin have never varied at all in the comic books, the "reiteration of the basic origin events holds together otherwise divergent expressions".[104] The origin is the source of the character's traits and attributes, which play out in many of the character's adventures.[61]

Batman is often treated as a vigilante by other characters in his stories. Frank Miller views the character as "a dionysian figure, a force for anarchy that imposes an individual order."[105] Dressed as a bat, Batman deliberately cultivates a frightening persona in order to aid him in crime-fighting,[106] a fear that originates from the criminals' own guilty conscience.[107]

### Bruce Wayne[edit]

The Batman is, in his everyday identity, Bruce Wayne, a wealthy business owner living in Gotham City. Wayne averts suspicion by acting the part of a superficial, dull-witted playboy idly living off his family's fortune (amassed through investment in real estate before the city became a bustling metropolis)[108] and the profits of Wayne Enterprises, his inherited conglomerate.[109] Wayne supports philanthropic causes through his nonprofit Wayne Foundation but is more widely known as a celebrity socialite.[110] In public Wayne pretends to be a heavy drinker, using ginger ale to suggest champagne and liberally serving intoxicating beverages to guests that he never actually consumes himself. In reality, he is a strict teetotaler concerned to maintain top physical fitness and mental acuity. In public Wayne appears frequently in the company of fashionable women to encourage tabloid gossip. In reality there is less than meets the eye: though he leads an active romantic life, crime-fighting activities account for most of his night hours.[111]

Bruce Wayne's calculated persona as a vapid, self-indulgent son of privilege finds literary precedent in Sir Percival Blakeney, hero of the The Scarlet Pimpernel stories by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (1903), and Don Diego de la Vega, hero of the Zorro tales by Johnston McCulley (1919). Like Wayne, Sir Percy and Don Diego are each members of gentry who invite contempt by publicly playing the fool. Also like Wayne, each performs heroic deeds in secret and marks his work with a signature symbol.

The name "Bruce Wayne" was chosen for certain connotations. According to co-creator Bill Finger, "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."[112]

Writers of Batman and Superman stories have often compared and contrasted the two. Interpretations vary depending on the writer, the story, and the timing. Grant Morrison[113] notes that both heroes "believe in the same kind of things" despite the day/night contrast their heroic roles display. He notes an equally stark contrast in their real identities. Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent belong to different social classes: "Bruce has a butler, Clark has a boss." T. James Musler's book Unleashing the Superhero in Us All explores the crucial role played by wealth in the Bruce Wayne story.[114]

Modern stories tend to portray Bruce Wayne as the character's facade and the Batman as the truer representation of his personality[115] (in counterpoint to the post-Crisis Superman, whose "Clark Kent" persona is the 'real' personality, and "Superman" is the 'mask').[116][117] In Batman Unmasked, a television documentary about the psychology of the character, Associate Professor of Social Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an adjunct behavioral scientist at the Rand Corporation Benjamin Karney, notes that the Batman's personality is driven by Bruce Wayne's inherent humanity; that "Batman, for all its benefits and for all of the time Bruce Wayne devotes to it, is ultimately a tool for Bruce Wayne's efforts to make the world better".

Will Brooker notes in his book Batman Unmasked that "the confirmation of the Batman's identity lies with the young audience...he doesn't have to be Bruce Wayne; he just needs the suit and gadgets, the abilities, and most importantly the morality, the humanity. There's just a sense about him: 'they trust him... and they're never wrong."[118]

### Dick Grayson[edit]

Main article: Dick Grayson

While Wayne traveled through time to get back to the present, Dick Grayson became the new Batman. This was the second time he had taken on the mantle in Bruce Wayne's absence; the first time was when Wayne was recovering from his broken back. After Wayne's "death", Grayson stated that he had no problem becoming Batman, but Wayne had left a prerecorded message telling him not to take up the mantle and to continue fighting crime as Nightwing with Robin at his side. Realizing that Gotham still needed the Dark Knight, Grayson retired his Nightwing mantle to become the new Batman. With Wayne's return and plans to launch Batman worldwide, Grayson remained the Batman of Gotham City. After the events of Flashpoint, he returned to being Nightwing.

In an interview with IGN, Morrison details that having Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin represented a "reverse" of the normal dynamic between Batman and Robin, with, "a more light-hearted and spontaneous Batman and a scowling, badass Robin." Morrison explains his intentions for the new characterization of Batman: "Dick Grayson is kind of this consummate superhero. The guy has been Batman's partner since he was a kid, he's led the Teen Titans, and he's trained with everybody in the DC Universe. So he's a very different kind of Batman. He's a lot easier; He's a lot looser and more relaxed."[57]

## Powers, abilities, and resources[edit]

Batman has no inherent superhuman powers. To compensate for this he relies on "his own scientific knowledge, detective skills, and athletic prowess."[25] In the stories Batman is regarded as one of the world's greatest detectives, if not the world's greatest crime solver.[119] In Grant Morrison's first storyline in JLA, Superman describes Batman as "the most dangerous man on Earth," able to defeat a team of superpowered aliens by himself in order to rescue his imprisoned teammates. He has spent a significant portion of his life traveling the world and acquiring the skills needed to aid in his crusade against crime. His knowledge and expertise in almost every discipline known to man is nearly unparalleled by any other character in the DC Universe.[120] He is also a master of disguise, often gathering information under the identity of Matches Malone, a notorious gangster. Additionally, the Batman has been repeatedly described as one of the greatest martial artists in the DC Universe; his skills in hand-to-hand combat are said to rival such notable martial artists as Lady Shiva, Bronze Tiger, and Richard Dragon. His batsuit also aids in his combat against enemies, having the properties of both Kevlar and Nomex. It protects him from gunfire and other significant impacts. However, Batman's most defining characteristic is his strong commitment to justice and his unwillingness to take life, regardless of the situation he has faced. This unyielding moral rectitude has earned him the respect of several heroes in the DC Universe, most notably that of Superman and Wonder Woman.

### Costume[edit]

Main article: Batsuit

Batman's costume incorporates the imagery of a bat in order to frighten criminals.[121] The details of the Batman costume change repeatedly through various stories and media, but the most distinctive elements remain consistent: a scallop-hem cape, a cowl covering most of the face featuring a pair of batlike ears, and a stylized bat emblem on the chest, and the ever-present utility belt. The costumes' colors are traditionally blue and grey,[121] although this colorization arose due to the way comic book art is colored.[121] Finger and Kane conceptualized Batman as having a black cape and cowl and grey suit, but conventions in coloring called for black to be highlighted with blue.[121] This coloring has been claimed by Larry Ford, in Place, Power, Situation, and Spectacle: A Geography of Film, to be an inversion of conventional color-coding symbolism, which sees "bad guys" wearing dark colors.[122] Batman's gloves typically feature three scallops that protrude from long, gauntlet-like cuffs, although in his earliest appearances he wore short, plain gloves without the scallops. A yellow ellipse around the bat logo on the character's chest was added in 1964, and became the hero's trademark symbol, akin to the red and yellow "S" symbol of Superman.[123] The overall look of the character, particularly the length of the cowl's ears and of the cape, varies greatly depending on the artist. Dennis O'Neil said, "We now say that Batman has two hundred suits hanging in the Batcave so they don't have to look the same . . . Everybody loves to draw Batman, and everybody wants to put their own spin on it."[124]

### Equipment[edit]

See also: Batman's utility belt
The 1966 television Batmobile, built by George Barris from a Lincoln Futura concept car

Batman uses a large arsenal of specialized gadgets in his war against crime, the designs of which usually share a bat motif. Batman historian Les Daniels credits Gardner Fox with creating the concept of Batman's arsenal with the introduction of the utility belt in Detective Comics #29 (July 1939) and the first bat-themed weapons the batarang and the "Batgyro" in Detective Comics #31 and #32 (September; October, 1939).[21] Batman's primary vehicle is the Batmobile, which is usually depicted as an imposing black car with large tailfins that suggest a bat's wings. Batman's other vehicles include the Batplane (aka the Batwing), Batboat, Bat-Sub, and Batcycle.

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 campy proportions. The 1960s television series Batman has an arsenal that includes such "bat-" names as the bat-computer, bat-scanner, bat-radar, bat-cuffs, bat-pontoons, bat-drinking water dispenser, bat-camera with polarized bat-filter, bat-shark repellent bat-spray, and bat-rope. 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 utility belt. Over the years it is shown to contain a virtually limitless variety of crime-fighting tools. Different versions of the belt have these items stored in either pouches or hard cylinders attached evenly around it. A typical major exception to the range of Batman's equipment are conventional firearms, which he refuses to use on principle considering that weapon class was the instrument of his parents' murder. Modern depictions of Batman have him compromise for practicality by arming his vehicles mainly for the purpose of removing obstacles or disabling enemy vehicles.

### Bat-Signal[edit]

Main article: Bat-Signal

When Batman is needed, the Gotham City police activate a searchlight with a bat-shaped insignia over the lens called the Bat-Signal, which 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 dedicated phone line, dubbed the Bat-Phone, connected to a bright red telephone (in the TV series) which sits on a wooden base and has a transparent cake cover on top. The line connects directly to Batman's residence, Wayne Manor, specifically both to a similar phone sitting on the desk in Bruce Wayne's study and the extension phone in the Batcave.

### Batcave[edit]

Main article: Batcave

The Batcave is Batman's secret headquarters, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his mansion, Wayne Manor. It serves as his command center for both local and global surveillance, as well as housing his vehicles and equipment for his war on crime. It also is a storeroom for Batman's memorabilia. In both the comic Batman: Shadow of the Bat (issue #45) and the 2005 film Batman Begins, the cave is said to have been part of the Underground Railroad. Of the heroes and villains who see the Batcave, few know where it is located.

## Supporting characters[edit]

Main article: List of Batman supporting characters
Batman with his sidekick Robin, painting by Alex Ross, based on the cover of Batman #9 by Jack Burnley

The Batman's interactions with the characters around him, both heroes and villains, have over time developed a strong supporting cast around the character.[61] Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon, Batman's ally in the Gotham City police, debuted along with Batman in Detective Comics #27. Gordon has been a consistent presence ever since. As a crime-fighting Everyman, he shares the Batman's goals while offering, much as the character of Watson does in Sherlock Holmes stories, a normal person's perspective on the work of an extraordinary genius. Later the Batman gained a butler. Alfred Pennyworth serves as Bruce Wayne's loyal father figure and is one of the few persons to know his secret identity. The character "[lends] a homey touch to Batman's environs and [is] ever ready to provide a steadying and reassuring hand" to the hero and his sidekick.[125] In the 1970s Lucius Fox appeared as Bruce Wayne's business manager and technology specialist.

A widely recognized supporting character for many years has been the young sidekick Robin.[126] The first Robin, Dick Grayson, was introduced in 1940. In the 1970s he finally grew up, went off to college and became the hero Nightwing. A second Robin, Jason Todd, appeared in the 1980s. In the stories he was eventually badly beaten and then killed in an explosion set by the Joker, but later revived as an adversary using the Joker's old persona, the Red Hood. Carrie Kelly, the first female Robin to appear in Batman stories, was the last Robin in in-universe chronology, joining up with a retiring Batman in Frank Miller's Dark Knight series in the middle 1980s. The third Robin in in-universe chronology, Tim Drake, first appeared in 1989. He went on to star in his own comic series. In the first decade of the new millennium, Stephanie Brown served as the fourth in-universe Robin between the character's stints as The Spoiler and Batgirl.

Batman co-creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger disagreed about adding Robin as a character. That division has perpetuated itself among writers and fans ever since. For Kane, the Batman was by definition a solitary figure. Bruce Wayne is an orphan; the character is defined by an essential loneliness. Keeping the Batman solitary keeps the Batman unique, his world clean of line, his world adult, and the stories more realistic. Modern interpreters such as filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton have viewed the character the same way. The practical need for allies and confidants for the character is for them adequately met by characters such as Jim Gordon, Lucius Fox and Alfred Pennyworth. For Finger, Robin introduced an element of fantasy and gave young readers a way to participate vicariously in the Batman's adventures. In the years since, writers who have been attracted to the character, including Frank Miller, find that Robin adds a welcome sense of family for a lonely hero, a sense of fantasy in a gritty universe, and a slang-happy, wisecracking foil to world populated by noir-ish and even psychotic characters. Problems of realism and ethics arise for today's older comic-book audiences when an adult routinely endangers a minor, as the Batman does when involving Robin in life-threatening situations. Most writers ignore the problem, making Robin a fantasy element much as Bill Finger intended. Miller took a different approach, making questions of protection and endangerment of the young an important theme in his story.

The Batman is at times a member of superhero teams such as the Justice League of America and the Outsiders. Batman has often been paired in adventure with his Justice League teammate Superman, notably as the co-stars of World's Finest and 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 crime-fighting and justice. In Superman/Batman #3 (December 2003), Superman observes, "Sometimes, I admit, I think of Bruce as a man in a costume. Then, with some gadget from his utility belt, he reminds me that he has an extraordinarily inventive mind. And how lucky I am to be able to call on him."[127]

Bruce Wayne has been portrayed as involved romantically with many women through his various incarnations. Some have been respected society figures: Julie Madison, Vicki Vale, and Silver St. Cloud. Some have been allies: Wonder Woman and Sasha Bordeaux. Some have been villainesses: the Catwoman and Talia al Ghul. With the latter he sired a son, Damian, and with the former of whom sired a daughter, Helena (on Earth-Two). While these relationships tend to be short, Batman's attraction to the Catwoman is present in nearly every version and medium in which the characters appear. Writers have varied in the approach over the years to the 'playboy' aspect of Bruce Wayne's persona. Some show his playboy reputation as mainly manufactured illusion as the workaholic Batman grimly pursues his mission; others depict Bruce Wayne as enjoying rather often the benefits of being "Gotham's most eligible bachelor."

Other supporting characters in the Batman's world include former Batgirl Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter who, now using a wheelchair due to a gunshot wound inflicted by the Joker, serves the superhero community at large as the computer hacker Oracle; Azrael, a would-be assassin who replaces Bruce Wayne as Batman for a time; Cassandra Cain, an assassin's daughter who became the new Batgirl; Huntress, the sole surviving member of a mob family turned Gotham vigilante who has worked with Batman on occasion, Stephanie Brown, the daughter of a criminal who operated as the Spoiler and temporarily as Robin, Ace the Bat-Hound, Batman's Canine partner;[128] and Bat-Mite, an extra-dimensional imp who idolizes Batman.[128]

### Enemies[edit]

Main article: List of Batman Family enemies
A gathering of Batman's villains; art by Jim Lee

Batman faces a variety of foes ranging from common criminals to outlandish supervillains. The list is one of the most recognizable in popular cultureEmpty citation‎ (help) , many of them mirror aspects of the Batman's character and development, often having tragic origin stories that lead them to a life of crime.[125] Batman's "most implacable foe" is the Joker, a psychopathic, clown-like criminal who, as a "personification of the irrational", represents "everything Batman [opposes]."[29] Other long time recurring antagonists include Catwoman, Bane, the Scarecrow, the Penguin, Two-Face, the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Ra's al Ghul, among many others.

## Cultural impact[edit]

Batman has become a pop culture icon, recognized around the world. The character's presence has extended beyond his comic book origins; events such as the release of the 1989 Batman film and its accompanying merchandising "brought the Batman to the forefront of public consciousness."[52] In an article commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the character, The Guardian wrote, "Batman is a figure blurred by the endless reinvention that is modern mass culture. He is at once an icon and a commodity: the perfect cultural artefact for the 21st century."[129] In addition, media outlets have often used the character in trivial and comprehensive surveys ? Forbes magazine estimated Bruce Wayne to be the 8th-richest fictional character with his $6.9?billion fortune, several places after Iron Man, who is at 5.[130] BusinessWeek listed the character as one of the ten most intelligent superheroes appearing in American comics.[131] Entertainment Weekly named Batman as one of The 20 All Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture.[132] He also was placed on AFI's 100 Years?100 Heroes and Villains from the 1989 feature film by the American Film Institute.[133] The character was the focus of the 2008 non-fiction book Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero by E. Paul Zehr.

### In other media[edit]

Main article: Batman franchise media

The character of Batman has appeared in various media aside from comic books. The character has been developed as a vehicle for newspaper syndicated comic strips, books, radio dramas, television, a stage show, and several theatrical feature films. The first adaptation of Batman was as a daily newspaper comic strip which premiered on October 25, 1943.[134] That same year the character was adapted in the 15-part serial Batman, with Lewis Wilson becoming the first actor to portray Batman on screen. While Batman never had a radio series of his own, the character made occasional guest appearance in The Adventures of Superman starting in 1945 on occasions when Superman voice actor Bud Collyer needed time off.[135] A second movie serial, Batman and Robin, followed in 1949, with Robert Lowery taking over the role of Batman. The exposure provided by these adaptations during the 1940s "helped make [Batman] a household name for millions who never bought a comic book."[135]

In the 1964 publication of Donald Barthelme's collection of short stories "Come Back, Dr. Caligari", Barthelme wrote "The Joker's Greatest Triumph." Batman is portrayed for purposes of spoof as a pretentious French-speaking rich man.[136]

The Batman television series, starring Adam West, premiered in January 1966 on the ABC television network. Inflected with a camp sense of humor, the show became a pop culture phenomenon. In his memoir, Back to the Batcave, West notes his dislike for the term 'camp' as it was applied to the 1960s series, opining that the show was instead a farce or lampoon, and a deliberate one, at that. The series ran for 120 episodes, ending in 1968. In between the first and second season of the Batman television series the cast and crew made the theatrical release Batman (1966). The Kinks performed the theme song from the Batman series on their 1967 album Live at Kelvin Hall. The popularity of the Batman TV series also resulted in the first animated adaptation of Batman in the series The Batman/Superman Hour;[137] the Batman segments of the series were repackaged as The Adventures of Batman and Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder which produced thirty-three episodes between 1968 and 1977. From 1973 until 1986, Batman had a starring role in ABC's Super Friends series, which was animated by Hanna-Barbera. Olan Soule was the voice of Batman in all these series, but was eventually replaced during Super Friends by Adam West, who also voiced the character in Filmation's 1977 series The New Adventures of Batman.

In 1989, Batman returned to movie theaters in director Tim Burton's Batman, starring Michael Keaton as the title character. The film was a huge success; not only was it the top-grossing film of the year, but at the time was the fifth highest-grossing film in history.[138] The film spawned three sequels: Batman Returns (1992); Batman Forever (1995), and Batman Robin (1997), the latter two of which were directed by Joel Schumacher instead of Burton, and replaced Keaton as Batman with Val Kilmer and George Clooney, respectively. The second Schumacher film, while a box office success, failed to outgross any of its predecessors and was critically panned, causing Warner Bros. to cancel the planned Batman Triumphant, and place the film series on hiatus.

Batman as he was depicted in Batman: The Animated Series (1992?95)

In 1992, Batman returned to television in Batman: The Animated Series, which was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and broadcast on the Fox television network. Les Daniels described the series as "[coming] as close as any artistic statement has to defining the look of Batman for the 1990s" in his reference book, Batman: The Complete History.[139] The series' success led to the theatrical spin-off film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993), as well as various other TV series set in the same continuity, including Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. As with Batman: The Animated Series, each of these productions featured Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman. The futuristic series Batman Beyond was also set in this same animated continuity and featured a newer, younger Batman voiced by Will Friedle. In 2004, a new animated series titled The Batman made its debut with Rino Romano as the title character. In 2008, this show was replaced by another animated series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, with Diedrich Bader as Batman. In 2013, a new CGI-animated series titled Beware the Batman will make its debut.

In 2005, Batman Begins was released to theaters as a reboot of the film series; directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Batman. Its sequel, The Dark Knight (2008), set the record for the highest grossing opening weekend of all time in the U.S., earning approximately $158 million,[140] and became the fastest film to reach the $400 million mark in the history of American cinema (eighteenth day of release).[141] These record breaking attendances saw The Dark Knight end its run as the second-highest domestic grossing film (at the time) with $533 million, bested then only by Titanic.[142] It was eventually followed by another sequel, The Dark Knight Rises (2012), which serves as a conclusion to Nolan's film series.

Batman has also starred in multiple video games, most of which were adaptations of the various cinematic or animated incarnations of the character. Among the most successful of these was Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), which was released by Rocksteady Studios to critical acclaim; review aggregator Metacritic reports it as having received 92% positive reviews.[143] It was followed by the sequel Batman: Arkham City (2011), which also received widespread acclaim and holds a Metacritic ranking of 94%.[144] As with most animated Batman media, Kevin Conroy has provided the voice of the character in these games.

### Homosexual interpretations[edit]

Further information: Homosexuality in the Batman franchise
Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson ? panel from Batman #84 (June 1954), page 24

Controversy has arisen over various sexual interpretations made regarding the content of Batman comics in the early decades. Homosexual interpretations have been part of the academic study of Batman since psychologist Fredric Wertham asserted in his Seduction of the Innocent in 1954 that "Batman stories are psychologically homosexual." He claimed, "The Batman type of story may stimulate children to homosexual fantasies, of the nature of which they may be unconscious." Wertham wrote, "Only someone ignorant of the fundamentals of psychiatry and of the psychopathology of sex can fail to realize a subtle atmosphere of homoeroticism which pervades the adventures of the mature 'Batman' and his young friend 'Robin.'"[145]

Andy Medhurst wrote in his 1991 essay "Batman, Deviance, and Camp" that Batman is interesting to gay audiences because "he was one of the first fictional characters to be attacked on the grounds of his presumed homosexuality," "the 1960s TV series remains a touchstone of camp," and "[he] merits analysis as a notably successful construction of masculinity."[146]

Creators associated with the character have expressed their own opinions. 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." Writer 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."[147] While Frank Miller has described the relationship between Batman and the Joker as a "homophobic nightmare,"[148] he views the character as sublimating his sexual urges into crimefighting, concluding, "He'd be much healthier if he were gay."[149] Burt Ward, who portrayed Robin in the 1960s television show, has also remarked upon this interpretation in his autobiography Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights; he writes that the relationship could be interpreted as a sexual one, with the show's double entendres and lavish camp also possibly offering ambiguous interpretation.[150]

Such homosexual interpretations continue to attract attention. One notable example occurred in 2000, when DC Comics refused to allow permission for the reprinting of four panels (from Batman #79, 92, 105 and 139) to illustrate Christopher York's paper All in the Family: Homophobia and Batman Comics in the 1950s.[151] Another happened in the summer of 2005, when painter Mark Chamberlain displayed a number of watercolors depicting both Batman and Robin in suggestive and sexually explicit poses.[152] DC threatened both artist and the Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts gallery with legal action if they did not cease selling the works and demanded all remaining art, as well as any profits derived from them.[153]

Will Brooker argues in Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon,[154] that a queer reading of Batman is a valid interpretation, and that homosexual readers would naturally find themselves drawn to the lifestyle depicted within, whether the character of Bruce Wayne himself is explicitly homosexual or not. He also identifies a homophobic element to the vigour with which mainstream fandom rejects the possibility of a homosexual reading of the character. In the April 2012 issue of Playboy, long time Batman writer Grant Morrison said that "Gayness is built into Batman. I?m not using gay in the pejorative sense, but Batman is very, very gay. There?s just no denying it. Obviously as a fictional character he?s intended to be heterosexual, but the basis of the whole concept is utterly gay. I think that?s why people like it. All these women fancy him and they all wear fetish clothes and jump around rooftops to get to him. He doesn?t care?he?s more interested in hanging out with the old guy and the kid.?[155] Building on this, a Comics Alliance opinion piece titled The Gayness of Batman discussed the question of homosexual readings of the character, citing his relationship with the flamboyant Joker as "a monstrous distortion of the conflict between the closet and the scene."[156]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Goulart, Ron, Comic Book Encyclopedia (Harper Entertainment, New York, 2004) ISBN 0-06-053816-3
2. ^ a b c Fleisher, Michael L. The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Volume 1 Batman Collier Books 1976 ISBN 0-02-080090-8 p. 31
3. ^ a b c Beatty, Scott (2008). "Batman". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. pp. 40?44. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5.
4. ^ "The Big Question: What is the history of Batman, and why does he still appeal?". The Independent (London). July 22, 2008.
5. ^ "Batman ? Top 100 Comic Book Heroes". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
6. ^ Daniels, Les. Batman: The Complete History. Chronicle Books, 1999. ISBN 0-8118-4232-0, pg. 18
7. ^ Steranko, Jim. The Steranko History of Comics 1. Reading, PA: Supergraphics, 1970. (ISBN 0-517-50188-0)
8. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 21, 23
9. ^ Havholm, Peter; Sandifer, Philip (Autumn 2003). "Corporate Authorship: A Response to Jerome Christensen". Critical Inquiry 30 (1): 192. doi:10.1086/380810. ISSN 0093-1896.
10. ^ Biography by Joe Desris, in Batman Archives, Volume 3 (DC Comics, 1994), p. 223 ISBN 1-56389-099-2
11. ^ Daniels, Les (1999). Batman: The Complete History. Chronicle Books. pp. 21, 23. ISBN 0-8118-4232-0.
12. ^ a b Kane, Andrae, p. 44
13. ^ a b Kane, Andrae, p. 41
14. ^ Daniels, Les. DC Comics: A Celebration of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes. New York: Billboard Books/Watson-Guptill Publications, 2003, ISBN 0-8230-7919-8, pg. 23
15. ^ Boichel, Bill. "Batman: Commodity as Myth." The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media. Routledge: London, 1991. ISBN 0-85170-276-7, pg. 6?7
16. ^ Groth, Gary (October 2005). "Jerry Robinson". The Comics Journal 1 (271): 80?81. ISSN 0194-7869. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
17. ^ Comic Book Artist 3. Winter 1999. TwoMorrows Publishing
18. ^ "Comic Book Interview Super Special: Batman" Fictioneer Press, 1989
19. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 25
20. ^ Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 2001. ISBN 0-8018-7450-5, pg. 19
21. ^ a b Daniels (1999), pg. 29
22. ^ Bill Finger (w), Bob Kane (p), Sheldon Moldoff (i). "The Batman and How He Came to Be" Detective Comics 33: 1?2 (November, 1939), DC Comics
23. ^ Detective Comics #33 (November 1939), Grand Comics Database
24. ^ John Jefferson Darowski, "The Mythic Symbols of Batman" December 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2008. Archived on 2008-03-20.
25. ^ a b Wright, pg. 17
26. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 38
27. ^ Daniels (2003), pg. 36
28. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 42
29. ^ a b Boichel, pg. 9
30. ^ Wright, pg. 59
31. ^ Edmund Hamilton (w), Curt Swan (p). "The Mightiest Team In the World" Superman #76 (June 1952), DC Comics
32. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 88
33. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 91
34. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 84
35. ^ Boichel, pg. 13
36. ^ York, Christopher (2000). "All in the Family: Homophobia and Batman Comics in the 1950s". The International Journal of Comic Art 2 (2): 100?110.
37. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 94
38. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 95
39. ^ Bill Finger (w), Sheldon Moldoff (p). "Gotham Gang Line-Up!" Detective Comics 328 (June, 1964), DC Comics
40. ^ Benton, Mike. The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor, 1989. ISBN 0-87833-659-1, pg. 69
41. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 115
42. ^ Wright, pg. 233
43. ^ Pearson, Roberta E.; Uricchio, William. "Notes from the Batcave: An Interview with Dennis O'Neil." The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media. Routledge: London, 1991. ISBN 0-85170-276-7, pg. 18
44. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 140
45. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 141
46. ^ SciFi Wire (March 28, 2007): "Batman Artist Rogers is Dead": "Even though their Batman run was only six issues, the three laid the foundation for later Batman comics. Their stories include the classic 'Laughing Fish' (in which the Joker's face appeared on fish); they were adapted for Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990s. Earlier drafts of the 1989 Batman movie with Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight were based heavily on their work."[dead link]
47. ^ Boichel, pg. 15
48. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 147, 149
49. ^ Wright, pg. 267
50. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 155, 157
51. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 161
52. ^ a b Pearson, Roberta E.; Uricchio, William. "Introduction." The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media. Routledge: London, 1991. ISBN 0-85170-276-7, pg. 1
53. ^ "Diamond's 2005 Year-End Sales Charts Market Share". newsarama.com. 2006. Archived from the original on May 25, 2006. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
54. ^ "July 2005 Sales Charts: All-Star Batman Robin Lives Up To Its Name". newsarama.com. 2005. Archived from the original on September 7, 2006. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
55. ^ Review by Iann Robinson, Crave Online
56. ^ Review by William Gatevackes, PopMatters, February 10, 2006
57. ^ a b Phillips, Dan (August 8, 2009). "Grant Morrison's New Batman and Robin". IGN. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
58. ^ George, Richard (March 11, 2009). "Morrison discusses Batman and Robin". IGN. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
59. ^ Wilkins, Alasdair (June 27, 2009). "Batman Is Reborn...With A Vengeance". io9. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
60. ^ Pearson, pg. 185
61. ^ a b c d e Pearson; Uricchio. "'I'm Not Fooled By That Cheap Disguise.'" Pg. 186
62. ^ Pearson, pg. 191
63. ^ Bill Finger (w), Bob Kane (p). "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" Detective Comics #27 (May, 1939), DC Comics
64. ^ Bill Finger (w), Bob Kane (p). "The Batman Wars Against the Dirigible of Doom" Detective Comics #33 (November, 1939), DC Comics
65. ^ She first appears in Detective Comics #31 (Sept. 1939)
66. ^ Paul Levitz (w), Joe Staton (p). "The Untold Origin of the Justice Society" DC Special 29 (August/September 1977), DC Comics
67. ^ Gardner Fox (w). All Star Comics 3 (Winter 1940/41), DC Comics
68. ^ Bill Finger (w), Bob Kane (p). Batman 7 (November, 1941), DC Comics
69. ^ Batman #16 (May 1943); his original last name, Beagle, is revealed in Detective Comics #96 (Feb. 1945)
70. ^ One example is the Englehart/Rogers run of the late 1970s, which has editorial notes directing readers to issues such as Batman #1
71. ^ Bill Finger (w), Sheldon Moldoff (p). "The First Batman" Detective Comics 235 (September, 1956), DC Comics
72. ^ Edmond Hamilton (w), Dick Sprang (p). "When Batman Was Robin" Detective Comics 226 (December, 1955), DC Comics
73. ^ Miller, Frank; David Mazzucchelli and Richmond Lewis (1987). Batman: Year One. DC Comics. p. 98. ISBN 1-85286-077-4.
74. ^ Max Allan Collins (w), Chris Warner (p). "Did Robin Die Tonight?" Batman 408 (June, 1987), DC Comics
75. ^ Alan Grant (w), Norm Breyfogle (p). "Master of Fear" Batman 457 (December, 1990), DC Comics
76. ^ Dixon, Chuck. et al. "Batman: Prodigal". Batman 512?514, Shadow of the Bat 32?34, Detective Comics 679?681, Robin 11?13. New York: DC Comics, 1995.
77. ^ "Infinite Crisis" #7, p. 32
78. ^ 52 #30
79. ^ Batman #673
80. ^ Batman #681
81. ^ James Robinson (w), Don Kramer (p). "Face the Face ? Conclusion" Batman 654 (August, 2006), DC Comics
82. ^ Brad Meltzer (w), Ed Benes (p). "The Tornado's Path" Justice League of America (vol. 2) 1 (August, 2006), DC Comics
83. ^ Chuck Dixon (w), Julian Lopex (p). Batman and the Outsiders (vol. 2) 1 (November, 2007), DC Comics
84. ^ Rothstein, Simon. "Batman killed by his OWN dad." November 28, 2008. The Sun. Archived November 28, 2008.
85. ^ Adams, Guy. "Holy smoke, Batman! Are you dead?" November 28, 2008, The Independent. Archived November 28, 2008.
86. ^ Newsarama: "Batman R.I.P. ? Finally?" January 15, 2009
87. ^ Grant Morrison (w), J. G. Jones (p). "How to Murder the Earth" Final Crisis #6 (January 2009), DC Comics
88. ^ Grant Morrison (w). Final Crisis #7 (January 2009), DC Comics
89. ^ "Grant Morrison: Final Crisis Exit Interview, Part 2".
90. ^ Tony Daniel (w). Battle for the Cowl #3 (May 2009), DC Comics
91. ^ Chris Yost (w). Red Robin #1 (August 2009), DC Comics
92. ^ Geoff Johns (w). Blackest Night #0 (June 2009), DC Comics
93. ^ Peter J. Tomasi (w). Blackest Night: Batman #1 (October 2009), DC Comics
94. ^ Geoff Johns (w). Blackest Night #5 (January 2010), DC Comics
95. ^ Grant Morrison (w). Batman and Robin #7 (January 2010), DC Comics
96. ^ Grant Morrison (w). Batman and Robin #8 (February 2010), DC Comics
97. ^ a b Geddes, John (December 9, 2009). "Grant Morrison on return of original Batman". USA Today. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
98. ^ Segura, Alex (December 9, 2009). "DCU in 2010: The Return of Bruce Wayne hits in April". DC Comics. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
99. ^ "Batman solicitations for May 2010 at DC's The Source". DC Comics. February 11, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
100. ^ Pearson; Uricchio. "Notes from the Batcave: An Interview with Dennis O'Neil" p. 23
101. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 31
102. ^ a b c DETECTIVE Comics #33, November 1939, Bill Finger, Bob Kane
103. ^ a b c BATMAN #1 Spring 1940,Bill Finger, Bob Kane
104. ^ Pearson, pg. 194
105. ^ Sharrett, Christopher. "Batman and the Twilight of the Idols: An Interview with Frank Miller." The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media. Routledge: London, 1991. ISBN 0-85170-276-7, pg. 44
106. ^ Pearson, pg. 208
107. ^ Dennis O'Neil, Wizard Batman Special 1998
108. ^ Dennis O'Neil Batman: Knightfall. 1994, Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-09673-7
109. ^ Daniels, 1999, pg. ??
110. ^ Pearson, pg. 202
111. ^ Morrison, Grant (w). Batman Incorporated v2, 0 (September 2012), DC Comics
112. ^ Jim Steranko History of the Comics, vol. 1
113. ^ http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2010/08/13/batman-versus-superman-as-class-warfare-bruce-has-a-butler-clark-has-a-boss/
114. ^ T. James Musler. 2006. Unleashing the Superhero in Us All.
115. ^ Scott Beatty, The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual. 2005, Quirk Books, p51. ISBN 1-59474-023-2
116. ^ Aichele, G. (1997). Rewriting Superman. In G. Aichele T. Pippin (Eds.), The Monstrous and the Unspeakable: The Bible as Fantastic Literature (pp. 75?101). Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
117. ^ Superman vol. 2, #53
118. ^ Brooker, Will (2001). Batman Batman Unmasked. NY/London: Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 368. ISBN 0-8264-1343-9.
119. ^ Mike Conray, 500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes. 2002, Collins Brown. ISBN 1-84411-004-4
120. ^ Grant Morrison (w), Howard Porter (p). "War of the Worlds" JLA 3 (March, 1997), DC Comics
121. ^ a b c d Daniels (1999)
122. ^ Larry Ford, "Lighting and Color in the Depiction" in Place, Power, Situation, and Spectacle: A Geography of Film, Stuart C. Aitken, Leo Zonn, Leo E. Zonn eds. 1994 Rowman Littlefield, p132. ISBN 0-8476-7826-1
123. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 98
124. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 159?60
125. ^ a b Boichel, pg. 8
126. ^ Boichel, pg. 7
127. ^ Loeb, Jeph (w), McGuinness, Ed (p), Vines, Dexter (i). "Running Wild" Superman/Batman 3 (December 2003), DC Comics
128. ^ a b Daniels (1995), pg. 138
129. ^ Finkelstein, David; Macfarlane, Ross (March 15, 1999). "Batman's big birthday". The Guardian (London: Guardian News and Media Limited). Retrieved June 19, 2007.
130. ^ Noer, Michael; David M. Ewalt (April 23, 2012). "The Forbes Fictional 15, Bruce Wayne". Forbes. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
131. ^ Pisani, Joseph (2006). "The Smartest Superheroes". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on December 03 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007. Check date values in: `|archivedate=` (help)
132. ^ "20 All Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 21, 2010. [verification needed]
133. ^ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
134. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 50
135. ^ a b Daniels (1999), pg. 64
136. ^ Olsen, Lance. "Linguistic Pratfalls in Barthelme", South Atlantic Review 5.4 (1986), pp. 69?77. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3199757
137. ^ Boichel, pg. 14
138. ^ "Batman (1989)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2007.
139. ^ Daniels (1999), pg. 178
140. ^ "Opening Weekends". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
141. ^ "Fastest to $400 million". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
142. ^ "All Time Domestic Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 05 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008. Check date values in: `|archivedate=` (help)
143. ^ Batman: Arkham Asylum at Metacritic, accessed June 12, 2012
144. ^ Batman: Arkham City at Metacritic, accessed June 12, 2012
145. ^ Wertham, Fredric. Seduction of the Innocent. Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1954. pg. 189?90
146. ^ Medhurst, Andy. "Batman, Deviance, and Camp." The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media. Routledge: London, 1991. ISBN 0-85170-276-7, pg. 150
147. ^ "Is Batman Gay?". Retrieved December 28, 2005. [dead link]
148. ^ Sharrett, pg. 37?38
149. ^ Sharrett, pg. 38
150. ^ "Bruce Wayne: Bachelor". Ninth Art: Andrew Wheeler Comment. Archived from the original on April 28, 2005. Retrieved June 21, 2005.
151. ^ 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.
152. ^ Chamberlain "Mark Chamberlain (American, 1967)". Artnet.
153. ^ "Gallery told to drop 'gay' Batman". BBC News Online. August 19, 2005.
154. ^ Brooker, Will (2001) Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon, Continuum
155. ^ Playboy Grant Morrison interview, accessed May 2, 2012
156. ^ The Gayness of Batman, accessed May 2, 2012

## References[edit]

- Beatty, Scott (2005). The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual. Quirk Books. ISBN 9781594740237.
- Daniels, Les. Batman: The Complete History. Chronicle Books, 1999. ISBN 9780811824705
- Daniels, Les. DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes. Bulfinch, 1995. ISBN 0-8212-2076-4
- Jones, Gerard. Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book. Basic Books, 1995. ISBN 0-465-03657-0
- Pearson, Roberta E.; Uricchio, William (editors). The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media. Routledge: London, 1991. ISBN 0-85170-276-7
- Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. ISBN 9780801865145

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Batman
Creators | Bob Kane Bill Finger Other creators
Batman family |
Shared codenames | Batman Robin Batwoman Batgirl Huntress Nightwing Red Robin
Character names | Ace the Bat-Hound Bat-Mite Helena Bertinelli Stephanie Brown Cassandra Cain Tim Drake Barbara Gordon Dick Grayson Betty Kane Katherine Kane Selina Kyle (Catwoman) Alfred Pennyworth Jason Todd Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael) Bruce Wayne Damian Wayne Helena Wayne
Supporting characters | Crispus Allen Harvey Bullock Lucius Fox Talia al Ghul Commissioner James Gordon Renee Montoya Lady Shiva Leslie Thompkins Professor Carter Nichols Vicki Vale Martha Wayne Thomas Wayne Mayors of Gotham City
Adversaries | Bane Catwoman Clayface Harley Quinn Joe Chill Joker Killer Croc Mad Hatter Man-Bat Mr. Freeze Penguin Poison Ivy Ra's al Ghul Riddler Scarecrow Two-Face
Locations | Gotham City Arkham Asylum Batcave Blackgate Penitentiary Gotham City Police Department Wayne Enterprises Wayne Manor Blüdhaven
Equipment | Batarang Batcomputer Batsuit Utility Belt Bat-Signal
Vehicles | Batboat Batcopter Batcycle Batmobile Batplane Redbird
Miscellanea | Publications Detective Comics Batman Alternative versions of Batman Alternative versions of Robin Alternative versions of Barbara Gordon Homosexuality in the Batman franchise
In other media | Batman in other media Robin in other media Barbara Gordon in other media Joker in other media

Links to related topics
Batman publications and storylines
Current series | Batgirl Batman Batman: Arkham Unhinged Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Batman: The Dark Knight Batman and Robin Batman Beyond Universe Batman/Superman Batwing Batwoman Birds of Prey Catwoman Detective Comics Nightwing Red Hood and the Outlaws
Former ongoing series | Azrael Batman: Gotham Knights Batman: Shadow of the Bat Batman: Streets of Gotham The Batman Adventures The Batman Chronicles Batman Confidential Batman Family Batman Incorporated The Brave and the Bold Gotham Central Gotham City Sirens Red Robin Robin Superman/Batman World's Finest Comics
Completed limited series | Anarky Batgirl: Year One Batman: Arkham City Batman: Battle for the Cowl Batman: Cacophony Batman: The Cult Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Batman: Dark Victory Batman: Gates of Gotham Batman: GCPD Batman: Gotham County Line Batman: The Long Halloween Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne Batman: Turning Points Batman: The Widening Gyre Batman: Year 100 Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity Batman and the Mad Monk Batman and the Monster Men Batman Black and White The Dark Knight Strikes Again First Wave Gotham Underground Robin: Year One Superman & Batman: Generations Trinity The Untold Legend of the Batman
One-shots | Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth The 12 Cent Adventure Castle of the Bat Dark Knight Dynasty Digital Justice Batman: Earth One Holy Terror In Darkest Knight The Killing Joke Knight Gallery The Man Who Laughs Nine Lives Noël Son of the Demon Two Faces Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop The Batman Adventures: Mad Love Batman & Dracula: Red Rain Gotham by Gaslight Joker
Storylines | "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" "The Man Behind the Red Hood!" "Joker's Millions" "Year One" "Year Two" "A Death in the Family" "Year Three" "The Man Who Falls" "Anarky in Gotham City" "Gothic" "The Return of the Joker" "Prey" "The Last Arkham" "Knightfall" "Leatherwing" "Contagion" "Legacy" "Cataclysm" "The Berlin Batman" "No Man's Land" "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" "Hush" "Broken City" "As the Crow Flies" "War Games" "Under the Hood" "War Crimes" "Face the Face" "Batman & Son" "Dark Moon Rising" "The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul" "Batman R.I.P." "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" "Batwoman: Elegy" "Bruce Wayne: The Road Home" "Night of the Owls" "Death of the Family" "Zero Year"
Inter-company crossovers | Batman/Aliens Batman/Hellboy/Starman Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham Batman/The Spirit Batman versus Predator Spawn/Batman Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator
Incomplete or planned | All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder
Related topics | Batman: Anarky Batman: Child of Dreams Batman: Haunted Knight The Batman Chronicles Batman Legends
Storylines are listed in publication order. Publications are listed alphabetically by published titles. Compiled without respect for canon or "current" continuity.
Batman franchise media
Live-action television | Batman (episodes) Legends of the Superheroes OnStar commercials Birds of Prey Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
Live-action serials and films | Batman (1943) Batman and Robin Batman (1966) Batman (1989) Batman Returns Batman Forever Batman & Robin Batman Begins The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises Untitled Man of Steel sequel
Animated television | The Adventures of Batman The Batman/Superman Hour The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour The New Adventures of Batman Batman: The Animated Series (episodes) The New Batman Adventures (episodes) Batman Beyond (episodes) The Batman (episodes) Batman: The Brave and the Bold (episodes) Beware the Batman (episodes)
Animated films |
Featuring Batman | Mask of the Phantasm SubZero Return of the Joker Mystery of the Batwoman The Batman vs. Dracula Under the Red Hood Year One The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2 DC Super Heroes Unite
With other heroes | Justice League: The New Frontier Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Justice League: Doom Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox Justice League: War The Lego Movie
Animated shorts | Chase Me Gotham Knight
Novels | Dead White Fear Itself Inferno The Ultimate Evil Enemies & Allies
Related topics | Bruce Wayne (unproduced series) Batkid Batman action figures Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan List of Batman enemies in other media List of Batman films cast members List of Batman children's books List of Batman video games
1966–1968 Batman television series
Characters adapted for the series | Alfred Batgirl / Barbara Gordon Batman / Bruce Wayne Catwoman Clock King Commissioner James Gordon Green Hornet The Joker Kato The Mad Hatter Mr. Freeze The Penguin The Riddler Robin / Dick Grayson
Vehicles & gadgetry | Batmobile Batboat Batcopter Batcycle Batsuit Bat phone Batcomputer
In-story locations | Gotham City Batcave Wayne Manor Londinium
Related topics |
Shows | Legends of the Superheroes The New Adventures of Batman Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt The Green Hornet
Films | Batman
Music | "Batman Theme"
Lists | List of Batman television episodes List of Batman television series cast members Holy...
Other | Batusi Batman XXX: A Porn Parody
See also: Batman in other media Robin in other media Barbara Gordon in other media Joker in other media
Template:1989?1997 Batman film series
Christopher Nolan's Batman film series
Batman Begins | The Dark Knight | The Dark Knight Rises
Soundtrack Game
Soundtrack Cancelled game
Soundtrack
Adapted characters | Bane Joe Chill Jonathan Crane John Daggett Harvey Dent Henri Ducard Carmine Falcone Arnold Flass Lucius Fox Ra's al Ghul Talia al Ghul James Gordon The Joker Selina Kyle Gillian B. Loeb Sal Maroni Alfred Pennyworth Bruce Wayne Martha Wayne Thomas Wayne Victor Zsasz
Original characters | John Blake Rachel Dawes
Related | Batman: Gotham Knight
Unauthorized Batman films
Features |
English | Batman Dracula The Wild World of Batwoman
Filipino | Alyas Batman at Robin James Batman Batman Fights Dracula Fight Batman Fight! Alyas Batman en Robin
Shorts |
Live action | Batman: Dead End Grayson World's Finest Robin's Big Date City of Scars Seeds of Arkham Batman: Death Wish Batman Revealed
Animation | Batman: Revenge Batman: New Times
Batman music
Soundtracks |
Films | Batman (score) Batman (soundtrack) Batman Returns Batman Forever (soundtrack) Batman Forever (score) Batman & Robin Batman Begins The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises
Video games | Batman: Arkham City Batman: Arkham Origins
Songs | "Batman Theme" "Batusi" "Batdance" "Partyman" "The Arms of Orion" "Scandalous!" "The Future" "Face to Face" "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" "Kiss from a Rose" "The Riddler" "Where Are You Now?" "Smash It Up" "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" "Look into My Eyes" "Gotham City" "Foolish Games" "Moaner" "Lazy Eye" "Fun For Me"
Batman video games
Arkham series | Batman: Arkham Asylum Arkham City Lockdown Arkham Origins mobile Blackgate
Lego series | Lego Batman Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Film-based | Batman (Ocean, 1989) Batman: The Video Game (NES, 1989) Batman: The Video Game (MD, 1990) Batman (arcade, 1990) Batman Returns Batman Forever Batman Forever: The Arcade Game Batman & Robin Batman Begins The Dark Knight (cancelled)
Animation-based | The Animated Series The Adventures of Batman & Robin Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Chaos in Gotham Gotham City Racer Vengeance Rise of Sin Tzu The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame
Other games | Batman The Caped Crusader Return of the Joker Dark Tomorrow Gotham City Impostors
See also: Batman franchise media
Justice League
Founding members | Superman Batman Wonder Woman Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) Flash (Barry Allen) Aquaman Martian Manhunter
Other members | Animal Man Atom Batman (Dick Grayson) Big Barda Black Canary Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) Blue Devil Blue Jay Captain Atom Catwoman Commander Steel Congorilla Cyborg Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi) Donna Troy Element Woman Elongated Man Fire Firestorm Flash (Wally West) Green Arrow Green Lantern (Guy Gardner) Green Lantern (John Stewart) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) Green Lantern (Simon Baz) Gypsy Hawkgirl Hawkman (Carter Hall) Hawkman (Katar Hol) Huntress Ice Lightray Metamorpho Mister Miracle Orion Phantom Stranger Plastic Man Red Arrow (Roy Harper) Red Tornado Rocket Red Stargirl Starman (Mikaal Tomas) Steel Tasmanian Devil Vibe Vixen Zatanna Zauriel
Related teams | The Authority Extreme Justice Just'a Lotta Animals Justice Guild of America Justice League Dark Justice League Elite Justice League Europe Justice League Task Force Justice Legion Alpha Justice Lords Justice Society of America Outsiders Squadron of Justice Stormwatch Super Buddies Super Jrs. Teen Titans Young Justice
Enemies | Amazo Amos Fortune Anti-Justice League The Appellaxians Asmodel Brainiac Brain Storm Cheetah The Crime Syndicate of America Copperhead Darkseid The Demons Three Despero Doctor Destiny Doctor Light Doomsday Eclipso Epoch the Lord of Time The Extremists Felix Faust Funky Flashman Gamemnae The General Gentleman Ghost The Injustice Gang The Injustice League Joker Kanjar Ro The Key Kobra Lex Luthor Legion of Doom Libra Magog Maxwell Lord Morgaine le Fey Neron Ocean Master Professor Ivo Prometheus Queen Bee The Queen of Fables Rama Khan Red King The Royal Flush Gang The Secret Society of Super Villains Shaggy Man Starbreaker Starro T. O. Morrow The Ultra-Humanite Vandal Savage Weapons Master The White Martians The Wizard
Headquarters | Secret Sanctuary Justice League Satellite Justice League Watchtower The Hall
Current series | Justice League (The New 52) Justice League Dark Justice League of America
Previous series | Justice League of America Justice League International Justice League Europe Justice League Quarterly Justice League Task Force Extreme Justice JLA Justice JLA: Classified Justice League: Generation Lost Justice League of America (vol. 2) Super Friends Justice League International (The New 52)
Storylines | "JLApe: Gorilla Warfare!" "World War III" "Tower of Babel" "JLA: Earth 2" "Justice Leagues" "JLA/Avengers" "Pain of the Gods" "The Lightning Saga" "Throne of Atlantis" "Trinity War*
Limited series | The Nail DC Comics Two Thousand Created Equal Act of God Destiny Age of Wonder Another Nail Cry for Justice
Other media |
Animation | The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure Super Friends Justice League Justice League Unlimited Justice League: The New Frontier Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Batman: The Brave and the Bold Young Justice Justice League: Doom Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite Justice League: War
Live-action | Legends of the Superheroes Justice League of America Justice League (Smallville)
Video games | Justice League Task Force Justice League: Injustice for All Justice League: Chronicles Justice League Heroes Justice League Heroes United Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe DC Universe Online Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Injustice: Gods Among Us Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure Young Justice: Legacy
Related | Gardner Fox (creator) Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D (theme park ride)
Superheroes and heroines of the Golden Age of Comic Books
All-American Comics | The Atom Black Canary Doctor Mid-Nite The Flash The Gay Ghost Green Lantern Hawkgirl Hawkman Hop Harrigan Johnny Thunder The King Mister Terrific Red Tornado Sargon the Sorcerer Ultra-Man The Whip Wildcat Wonder Woman Justice Society of America
Archie Comics | The Black Hood Captain Flag The Comet The Firefly The Fox The Shield The Web The Wizard
DC Comics | Air Wave Aquaman Batman Crimson Avenger Dan the Dyna-Mite Doctor Fate Doctor Occult Genius Jones Green Arrow Guardian Hourman Johnny Quick Liberty Belle Manhunter Merry, the Girl of 1000 Gimmicks Mister America Robin Robotman Sandman Sandy the Golden Boy Shining Knight The Spectre Speedy Star-Spangled Kid Starman Stripesy Superboy Superman Tarantula TNT Vigilante Wing Zatara Seven Soldiers of Victory
Fawcett Comics | Bulletgirl Bulletman Captain Marvel Captain Marvel Jr. Captain Midnight The Golden Arrow Ibis the Invincible Lieutenant Marvels Mary Marvel Master Man Minute-Man Mr. Scarlet Phantom Eagle Pinky Spy Smasher
Fox Comics | Black Fury Blue Beetle The Bouncer Bronze Man Dynamo The Flame Green Mask Samson Spider Queen Stardust the Super Wizard U.S. Jones V-Man Wonder-Man
Nedor Comics | American Crusader American Eagle Black Terror Captain Future Cavalier Doc Strange Fighting Yank The Ghost Grim Reaper Judy of the Jungle Lance Lewis, Space Detective Liberator The Magnet Miss Masque Princess Pantha Pyroman The Scarab The Woman in Red
Quality Comics | #711 The Black Condor Blackhawk Blue Tracer Bozo the Iron Man Captain Triumph The Clock Doll Girl Doll Man Firebrand The Human Bomb The Invisible Hood The Jester Kid Eternity Lady Luck Madame Fatal Magno The Manhunter Merlin the Magician Midnight Miss America Mouthpiece Neon the Unknown Phantom Lady Plastic Man Quicksilver The Ray Red Bee The Spider Spider Widow Uncle Sam Wildfire Wonder Boy
Timely Comics | American Ace The Angel Black Marvel The Black Widow The Blazing Skull The Blonde Phantom The Blue Diamond Breeze Barton Bucky Captain America Citizen V The Destroyer Father Time Ferret Fin Golden Girl The Human Torch Jack Frost Laughing Mask Marvel Boy Miss America Mercury Namor the Sub-Mariner Namora The Patriot Red Raven Sun Girl Toro Thin Man Thunderer Venus The Vision The Whizzer
Misc. | Bell Features Johnny Canuck Nelvana of the Northern Lights Cardal Publishing Streamline Columbia Comics The Face Skyman Crestwood Publications Atomic Man Black Owl Green Lama David McKay Publications Vulcan Dell Comics Owl Dynamic Publications Dynamic Man Yankee Girl Eastern Color Printing Hydroman Harvey Comics Black Cat Captain Freedom Shock Gibson Spirit of '76 Holyoke Publishing Cat-Man and Kitten Miss Victory Lev Gleason Publications Captain Battle Crimebuster Daredevil Silver Streak Maple Leaf Publishing Iron Man Novelty Press Blue Bolt Dick Cole, The Wonder Boy Target and the Targeteers Twister