Batman turned 75 years old earlier this year (2014). In recognition, we are rebranding our site for one week to Now Very Bat… and focusing on the blockbusters, the smaller films, the comics and the video games that feature the Dark Knight.
The first superhero I was aware of may have been Spider-Man. I remember seeing him in a department store as a kid – he gave me a Spidey ring that I may still have somewhere. I saw him on The Electric Company and maybe the newspaper. I will always have great affection for the web-slinger. And I loved Supes. I knew the music from Superman: The Motion Picture as well as any of John Williams works and still love the Man of Steel. (The man, not the movie Man of Steel – that sucked.) But Batman was always my favorite.
Partly it’s because he’s just a man. Incredibly strong billionaire, yes, but still just a human without superpowers. Partly it’s because he fashions himself as a detective. The idea that his first instinct when fighting crime is to use the same methods as the police somewhat lessens the vigilante stance. He uses his head more than his fists.
But more than anything, he’s just cool. He looks cool, he has cool gadgets, he hides in the dark and scares people. He was the first superhero to choose to do what he does; he had a backstory, not an atomic-era accident that turned him into something. That darkness is what keeps the character fresh.
Most of that darkness is thanks to Bill Finger. I won’t be reviewing it here, but check out the 2012 kids book Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman & Ty Templeton. Amazing that it would take a children’s book to truly bring the full story of Bill Finger to life. As the title suggests, Bill was the unsung co-creator of Batman. His part in bringing to life one of the most popular and beloved comic characters of all time was unknown to most people, and even those who were aware there was a story there likely didn’t realize how instrumental he was.
Batman had the best writers and best storylines, and he had, by far, the best villains. The Joker is the single greatest comic book villain of all time, and the rest of Batman’s Rogues Gallery could successfully populate any other 5 series you name.
Over the 7 days, we’ll be looking at a Batman title in each of 4 categories: blockbuster film, other film, comic book & video game. So stay tuned to this Bat-Channel!