When was the first Batman comic published?
Batman
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", 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, Detective Comics 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. 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.
Batman: Arkham
"Batman: Arkham Knight" is a digital-first prequel comic to the game of the same name. Written by Peter J. Tomasi, with art by Viktor Bogdanovic and Art Thibert, and covers by Dan Panosian, the comic picks up after the events of "Arkham City". It was released digitally in February 2015, with the first print release featuring a collection of the digital issues in March 2015.
Batman (comic book)
DC Comics relaunched "Batman" with issue #1 in September 2011, written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo, as part of DC's company-wide title relaunch, The New 52. As with all of the books associated with the DC relaunch, Bruce Wayne appears to be about five years younger than the previous incarnation of the character. Superheroes at large have appeared only in the past five years, and are viewed with, at best, suspicion, and, at worst, outright hostility. All of the characters that have served as Robin, except Stephanie Brown, have been accounted for as still having served at Batman's side in the new continuity. The stories build on recent developments, with most of the character's previous history remaining intact, and Bruce Wayne is again the only Batman, with Dick Grayson having returned to his role as Nightwing.
Superman (comic book)
"Superman" was the first DC title with a letters column as a regular feature beginning with issue #124 (September 1958). In the view of comics historian Les Daniels, artist Curt Swan became the definitive artist of Superman in the early 1960s with a "new look" to the character that replaced Wayne Boring's version. Writer Jim Shooter and Swan crafted the story "Superman's Race With the Flash!" in "Superman" #199 (Aug. 1967) which featured the first race between the Flash and Superman, two characters known for their super-speed powers.
Batman Legends
Volume two ended after 57 issues and was retitled to simply 'Batman' for volume three. The first issue of the volume was released on 5 July 2012, on the same day as the first issue of Titan's new Batman title, Batman: The Dark Knight.
The comic started printing The New 52 Batman and Robin series whilst also continuing to reprint Batman Volume 2. It later showcased strips from Nightwing and Batman Eternal as well as other Batman related spin off series.
Batman franchise media
From 1943 to 1946, Batman and Robin appeared in a syndicated daily newspaper comic strip produced by the McClure Syndicate. Other versions appeared in 1953, 1966, and 1989. The original run is collected in the book "Batman: The Dailies". One more comic strip series ran briefly after the success of the 1989 film.
Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Superman and Batman. "Superman/Batman" premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, "World's Finest Comics", in which Superman and Batman regularly joined forces.
Batman of Zur-En-Arrh
Batman of Zur-En-Arrh first appeared in "Batman" #113 (February 1958), in a story titled "Batman—The Superman of Planet-X!". It was written by France Herron and drawn by Dick Sprang. In the story, Tlano, the Batman from Zur-En-Arrh, brings Earth's Batman to his planet to help him battle giant robots piloted by an unidentified alien race. While on the planet, Earth's Batman discovers he has "Superman-like" powers through similar means of the Superman of his world. The end of the story leaves it ambiguous to the reader whether Batman's adventure was real or a dream.
Superman (comic book)
Superman is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero Superman as its main protagonist. Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book "Action Comics" #1 in June 1938. The strip proved so popular that National launched Superman into his own self-titled comic book, the first for any superhero, premiering with the cover date Summer 1939. Between 1986 and 2006 it was retitled The Adventures of Superman while a new series used the title "Superman". In May 2006, it was returned to its original title and numbering. The title was canceled with issue #714 in 2011, and was relaunched with issue #1 the following month which ended its run in 2016. A fourth series was released with issue #1 in June 2016 and ended in April 2018. A fifth series with new issue #1 was launched in July 2018.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold (comics)
The story has Batman and The Flash teaming up to put out fires started by Heat Wave, who has teamed up with Firefly. While the fight is going on, there is a charity ball in Gotham City where some Gothamites are discussing why Bruce Wayne has not shown up with a donation.The UK version was published by Titan Magazines from March 2010 to August 2014, lasting for 55 issues. It reprinted comic strips previously featured in the original American comic book but also added extra content including puzzles, profiles and other special features. Because of these extra features, the short opening scenes from the comic strips were sometimes cut. However, this did not affect the over-all story as the opening scenes are usually unrelated to the main story. A free gift was also added. It was Titan Magazines' third Batman comic alongside "Batman Legends" and "DC Universe Presents Batman Superman" and was the first to be aimed at a younger audience.
Batman: The Last Arkham
"The Last Arkham" was a four-part Batman story arc that started the "" comic book series in mid-1992. The storyline began in "Batman: Shadow of the Bat" #1 (Jun, 1992), and finished in "Batman: Shadow of the Bat" #4 (Sept, 1992). DC Comics later compiled the four issues into a trade paperback in 1996. The comic was written by Alan Grant and drawn by Norm Breyfogle and was responsible for the introduction of several new characters into the Batman universe.
Batman
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. 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 (Feb. 1960), and went on to appear in several Justice League comic series starting later that same year.
Comic book
Comics as a print medium have existed in America since the printing of "The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck" in 1842 in hardcover, making it the first known American prototype comic book. Proto-comics periodicals began appearing early in the 20th century, with historians generally citing Dell Publishing's 36-page "Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics" as the first true American comic book; Goulart, for example, calls it "the cornerstone for one of the most lucrative branches of magazine publishing". The introduction of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman in 1938 turned comic books into a major industry and ushered the Golden Age of Comics. The Golden Age originated the archetype of the superhero. According to historian Michael A. Amundson, appealing comic-book characters helped ease young readers' fear of nuclear war and neutralize anxiety about the questions posed by atomic power.
Penguin (character)
The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of superhero Batman. The character made his first appearance in "Detective Comics" #58 (December 1941) and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The Penguin is one of Batman's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery.
The Batman Chronicles (trade paperback)
The Batman Chronicles is a series of trade paperbacks published by DC Comics, intended to reprint all Batman stories from "Detective Comics", "Batman", "World's Finest Comics", and other titles throughout the character's history, chronologically (based on publication date), starting with his earliest appearances. Whether or not the series will collect the post-Crisis version of Batman as well remains to be seen. They are priced significantly lower than the "Batman Archives" series in order to be more affordable for the reader. Each volume is typically priced at $14.99 USD. 11 volumes have been produced so far. After a 2-year hiatus, "The Batman Chronicles" returned with volume 11 in December 2012. No further volumes have been announced yet.
Batman's utility belt
Batman historian Les Daniels credits Gardner Fox, the first writer other than Bill Finger to write the adventures of Batman in "Detective Comics", with introducing the utility belt concept in "Detective Comics" #29 (July 1939). In its first appearance, Batman's utility belt "contain[ed] choking gas capsules." Two issues after the utility belt debuted, Fox also wrote the first appearance of a bat-themed weapon, when the batarang debuted in the story "Batman vs. the Vampire" in "Detective Comics" #31 (Sep 1939).
Walter B. Gibson
Gibson wrote a Batman prose story which appeared in "Detective Comics" #500 (March 1981) and was drawn by Thomas Yeates.
Batman: Gotham Knight
Note: Though the film credits give "story by" acknowledgment to first-time writer Jordan Goldberg, Josh Olson acknowledged it was actually based on a very similar story by Frank Robbins called "The Batman Nobody Knows". The story was first printed in "Batman" #250 in 1973, and subsequently adapted as "Legends of the Dark Knight" in "The New Batman Adventures". According to Olson: "The first time it's stealing, the second time it's borrowing, the third time you're creating a genre". Also, the three different versions of the Man in Black have many similarities to other members of Batman's Rogues gallery, though they all resemble a member of the League of Shadows. The first story features a tech-wielding villain who has teeth similar to Killer Croc, the second uses a jetpack (Reminiscent of Firefly), and the third has similarities to the villain Deadshot. Also, the Batman of the second encounter is very similar to the villain Man-Bat. When the Man in Black is seen by all the teenagers, he has no identifiable characteristics. Lastly, the story is told backwards, with the kid who claims he saw Batman most recently going first, ending with the kid who actually saw him first."Crossfire" was written by Greg Rucka and animated by Production I.G.
Batman: Damned
Batman: Damned is a comic book limited series published by DC Comics under its DC Black Label imprint. Written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, it spans three issues and began on September 19, 2018. Though considered a standalone story, the series is a loose follow-up to the 2008 graphic novel "Joker". In "Damned", the Joker turns up dead, and Batman recruits John Constantine to help him find the killer.
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it originally aired on Fox Kids from September 5, 1992, to September 15, 1995, with a total of 85 episodes. For the final fifteen episodes, the series was given the on-screen title The Adventures of Batman & Robin, which was also used for reruns of earlier episodes. The series eventually spawned two continuation shows, "The New Batman Adventures" and "Batman Beyond".
Win Mortimer
Mortimer began working for DC Comics in 1945, and quickly became a cover artist for comics featuring Superman, Superboy and Batman. His first known comics work is as the penciler and inker of the 12-page lead Batman story, "The Batman Goes Broke" by writer Don Cameron, in "Detective Comics" #105 (Nov. 1945); contractually credited to Bob Kane, it is also signed "Mortimer." The introduction of Batman's Batboat in "Detective Comics" #110 (April 1946) was another Cameron/Mortimer collaboration. Mortimer launched a Robin feature in "Star-Spangled Comics" #65 (Feb. 1947).
Batman
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 discover each other's secret identity. 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. The team-up of the characters was "a financial success in an era when those were few and far between"; this series of stories ran until the book's cancellation in 1986.
Batman: City of Crime
City of Crime is a Batman comic book story arc written by David Lapham, with art by Ramon Bachs and Nathan Massengill. It was originally published in twelve parts by DC Comics from January 2005 through February 2006 for "Detective Comics", issues 800 through 808, then issues 811 through 814, and then later compiled as a trade paperback. These individual comics started in January 2005 and ended February 2006.
1940s in comics
Batman #1, Cover dated Spring, 1940 introduced The Joker and Catwoman known simply as "The Cat". Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Batman: Year One
Batman (Bruce Wayne) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who debuted in "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate", a story published in "Detective Comics" #27 (May 1939). He was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger to capitalize on the success of DC's other superhero Superman and was inspired by characters from pulp fiction stories, such as the Shadow. Batman's origin story was introduced in a two-page, 12-panel story by Kane and Finger from "Detective Comics" #33 (Nov. 1939). In the story, a young Bruce witnesses the murder of his parents Thomas and Martha at the hands of a mugger. Bruce vows to avenge his parents' deaths by fighting crime; he takes the persona of Batman after a bat flies through his window one night. For the story, Finger lifted elements from tales published in "Popular Detective" and "The Phantom", while Kane traced artwork of Tarzan and from "Junior G-Men".
Batmania
Kane's 6-page letter (reprinted by Roy Thomas in the pages of "Alter Ego", as published by TwoMorrows Publishing) was written on September 14, 1965, and after congratulating White on "Batmania" aims to rebut the various "myths" surrounding the creation of Batman. Opening his attempts to "explode the myths" about the creation of Batman, Kane writes:
The letter sparked a debate among comics fandom over the contributions made by Kane, Finger and Jerry Robinson (among others), a debate that continues to the present day. The letter itself, while much less charitable towards Finger than Kane would later be, appears carefully worded to rebut "the impression that "he" [Finger] and not myself [Kane] created the "Batman," as well as Robin[, etc.]" rather than to address Bails' issue of co-creatorship. Part of Kane's logic hinges on Finger's signature/by-line not appearing on the strip, even though such anonymity and relinquishing of credit was commonplace in the comics industry of the 1930s and 1940s. Kane further threatens legal action against Jerry Bails, asserting that, while Finger "was influential . . . in shaping up the strip", the idea was conceived solely by him prior to bringing Finger in to script the work, and therefore was created solely by him. "Batmania" – and other forums – have since debated whether the "influential" assistance of Finger was deserving of more credit than Kane was – at the time – willing to apportion him.
Batman Family
The "Batman Family" comic book series ran for twenty issues from September–October 1975 to October–November 1978 and featured solo and team-up stories starring Batgirl and Robin. The lead story in the first issue teaming Batgirl and Robin was originally intended for publication in an issue of "1st Issue Special". The series additionally featured reprints of Golden Age and Silver Age stories. Many issues of "Batman Family" featured Batman supporting characters such as Alfred Pennyworth, Vicki Vale, the Elongated Man, the Huntress, and Ace the Bat-Hound. Writer Bob Rozakis introduced the Duela Dent character in issue #6 (July–August 1976) and revived the original Batwoman in issue #10 (March–April 1977). The series began featuring only new material as of issue #11 (May–June 1977) and Man-Bat began appearing as a regular feature. "Batman Family" converted to the Dollar Comics format with issue #17 (April–May 1978).
Batman: Anarky
The first appearance of Anarky was in "Anarky in Gotham City", "Detective Comics" #608, in November 1989. Grant's initial script portrayed Anarky as vicious, killing his first victim. Dennis O'Neil, then editor of "Detective Comics", balked at this proposal, believing that the depiction of a twelve-year-old becoming a murderer was morally reprehensible. Grant consented to O'Neil's request that the script be changed, and rewrote it to portray Anarky as violent, but non-lethal. Grant later expressed relief with this early decision, coming to believe that "Anarky would have compromised his own beliefs if he had taken the route of the criminal-killer."
Action Comics 1
"Action Comics" #1 (cover dated June 1938) is the first issue of the original run of the comic book/magazine series "Action Comics". It features the first appearance of several comic book heroes—most notably the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster creation, Superman—and sold for 10 cents (). It is widely considered to be both the beginning of the superhero genre and the most valuable comic book in the world. "Action Comics" would go on to run for 904 numbered issues (plus additional out-of-sequence special issues) before it restarted its numbering in the fall of 2011. It returned to its original numbering with issue #957, published on June 8, 2016 (cover-dated August).
John Wagner
Wagner and Grant became part of the so-called "British Invasion" of American comics during the 1980s. In 1987 their first title, a mini-series called "Outcasts", was published by DC Comics with Cam Kennedy as artist. "Outcasts" was well received, though it never sold in great quantities, and this success led to the pair writing Batman in the pages of "Detective Comics" from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties. Grant and Wagner introduced the Ventriloquist in their first Batman story and the Ratcatcher in their third. The pair also created the bleak nuclear dystopia "The Last American" for Epic Comics with longtime Dredd artist Mike McMahon. Arguments over the direction of that title and the ending of the Judge Dredd story "Oz" led to the end of their writing partnership and they split their work between them: Wagner kept "Judge Dredd", while Grant continued "Strontium Dog" and "Anderson, Psi Division" and became the sole writer of "Detective Comics". Although the two continue to collaborate from time to time, they have never resumed a full-time partnership.
Paul Dini
Dini and Bruce Timm introduced Harley Quinn in "" as her first appearance was the episode "Joker's Favor" and in 1994, they adapted the character into comics in "" one-shot. Harley Quinn was integrated into the mainstream DC Comics continuity in the "Batman: Harley Quinn" one-shot published in 1999. Dini has written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross featuring Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League. A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in 2005 under the title "The World's Greatest Super-Heroes".
Alan Moore
Moore wrote the lead story in "Batman Annual" No. 11 (1987) drawn by George Freeman. The following year saw the publication of "", written by Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. It revolved around The Joker, who had escaped Arkham Asylum and gone on a killing spree, and Batman's effort to stop him. Despite being a key work in helping to redefine Batman as a character, along with Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" and "", Lance Parkin believed that "the theme isn't developed enough" and "it's a rare example of a Moore story where the art is better than the writing," something Moore himself acknowledges.
Batman
In 2005, DC launched "All-Star Batman and Robin", a stand-alone comic series set outside the main DC Universe continuity. Written by Frank Miller and drawn by Jim Lee, the series was a commercial success for DC Comics, although it was widely panned by critics for its writing and strong depictions of violence.
Joker's Millions
"Joker's Millions" is a story published in "Detective Comics" #180 in February 1952. As with all early Batman comics, Bob Kane is the only person credited for the comic, but the comic itself was written by "David Vern" (David V. Reed).
Joker (character)
DC Comics was a hotbed of experimentation during the 1970s, and in 1975 the character became the first villain to feature as the title character in a comic book series, "The Joker". The series followed the character's interactions with other supervillains, and the first issue was written by O'Neil. Stories balanced between emphasizing the Joker's criminality and making him a likable protagonist whom readers could support. Although he murdered thugs and civilians, he never fought Batman; this made "The Joker" a series in which the character's villainy prevailed over rival villains, instead of a struggle between good and evil. Because the Comics Code Authority mandated punishment for villains, each issue ended with the Joker being apprehended, limiting the scope of each story. The series never found an audience, and "The Joker" was cancelled after nine issues (despite a "next issue" advertisement for an appearance by the Justice League). The complete series became difficult to obtain over time, often commanding high prices from collectors. In 2013, DC Comics reissued the series as a graphic novel.
Joe Chill
Batman's origin story is first established in a sequence of panels in "Detective Comics" #33 (November 1939) that is later reproduced in the comic book "Batman" #1 (Spring 1940), but the mugger is not given a name until "Batman" #47 (June–July 1948). In that issue, Batman discovers that Joe Chill, the small-time crime boss he is investigating, is none other than the man who killed his parents. Batman confronts him with the knowledge that Chill killed Thomas and Martha Wayne. Chill, believing there is no way Batman could know this, accuses him of bluffing, but Batman reveals his secret identity quoting "I'm the son of the man you murdered. I'm Bruce Wayne." Terrified, Chill flees and seeks protection from his henchmen. Once his henchmen learn that Chill's actions led to the hated Batman's existence, however, they turn on their boss and gun him down before realizing how priceless his knowledge of Batman's true identity is. Before the dying Chill has a chance to reveal Batman's identity, the Dark Knight intervenes and knocks out the goons so they will never hear what Chill has to say. Chill expires in Batman's arms, acknowledging that the Dark Knight got his revenge after all. Len Wein and John Byrne add a one-panel coda in their retelling of this scene in the first issue of "The Untold Legend of the Batman". Batman stands over Chill's body and says "No, Chill -- The Batman didn't finish you... It was Bruce Wayne!"
Batman
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 corrupted the morals of the youth. Wertham criticized Batman comics for their supposed homosexual overtones and argued that Batman and Robin were portrayed as lovers. Wertham's criticisms raised a public outcry during the 1950s, eventually leading to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority, a code that is no longer in use by the comic book industry. The tendency towards a "sunnier Batman" in the postwar years intensified after the introduction of the Comics Code. 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.
Bob Kane
The character debuted in "Detective Comics" #27 (May 1939) and proved a breakout hit. Within a year, Kane hired art assistants Jerry Robinson (initially as an inker) and George Roussos (backgrounds artist and letterer). Though Robinson and Roussos worked out of Kane's art studio in "The New York Times" building, Kane himself did all his drawing at home. Shortly afterward, when DC wanted more Batman stories than Kane's studio could deliver, the company assigned Dick Sprang and other in-house pencilers as "ghost artists", drawing uncredited under Kane's supervision. Future "Justice League" writer Gardner Fox wrote some early scripts, including the two-part story "The Monk" that introduced some of The Batman's first "Bat-" equipment.
Batman (comic strip)
The first series was written by Bob Kane and others. It was published as both a daily strip and a Sunday strip. This series has been reprinted by DC Comics and Kitchen Sink Press in one Sunday and three daily volumes. It was distributed by the McClure Syndicate.
Batman (Earth-Two)
Batman's origin and history is essentially similar to the Earth-One version of the character, but events unfold in more of a real-time fashion. For example, the Batman makes his debut in 1939, meets Robin, the Joker, Catwoman and Clayface at various points in 1940, the Penguin in 1941, Two-Face in 1942, etc. These dates reflect the publishing dates of the original stories, rather than taking the Earth-One and Modern Age approach of keeping the characters eternally youthful.At the dawn of the Silver Age of comics, DC Comics decided to reintroduce several of their Golden Age superheroes, all of whom had ceased publication several years earlier. Flash and Green Lantern were reimagined as Barry Allen and Hal Jordan. Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, having been continuously published since their Golden Age introductions, were not given any reimaginings (although much about the mythos of each had evolved slowly over the years). It was later revealed that the current heroes live on a parallel world to the Golden Age heroes: The newer Silver Age heroes are on "Earth-One", while the older Golden Age characters reside on "Earth-Two" (the numbering does not indicate any hierarchy of parallel Earths, only the number by which they were discovered). When Barry Allen met Jay Garrick, it meant there were two Flashes, two Green Lanterns, two Supermen and two Batmen. Unlike the Silver Age versions of the Flash and Green Lantern, who had entirely different secret identities from their Golden Age counterparts, the Batman and Superman of each world were both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent, respectively. There is no clear demarcation between when the stories of one Batman ends and the other begins. Indeed, many stories from the 1940s and the 1950s were treated as canon to both incarnations of Batman after the concept of Earth-One and Earth-Two was established; Some stories from the mid-1950s could have only occurred on Earth-One, while some stories as late as the early-1960s seem as though they could have also occurred on Earth-Two. DC has mandated that only the Earth-One Batman wore a yellow oval around the bat symbol on his chest, making 1964 the fixed year in which all Batman stories were set on Earth-One, although there are several instances where this is contradicted in-story.
Batman: Holy Terror
Batman: Holy Terror is an Elseworlds one-shot comic published by DC Comics in 1991. The story is written by Alan Brennert and illustrated by Norm Breyfogle. The graphic novel is significant in that it was the first to bear the Elseworlds logo.
Batman in film
"Batman" was a 15-chapter serial film released in 1943 by Columbia Pictures and was the first appearance of the comic book character on film. The serial starred Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin. Being a World War II era production, the movie serial like many of this period was used as war-time propaganda and had an anti-Japanese bent with J. Carrol Naish playing the Japanese villain, an original character named Dr. Daka. Rounding out the cast were Shirley Patterson as Linda Page (Bruce Wayne's love interest), and William Austin as Alfred. The plot is based on Batman, a US government agent, attempting to defeat the Japanese agent Dr. Daka, at the height of World War II.
Batman: Gates of Gotham
Batman: Gates of Gotham is a five-issue, monthly comic book limited series published by DC Comics involving the various characters of the Batman franchise. It is written by Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins, and illustrated by Trevor McCarthy. The first issue was published May 18, 2011.
Batman (comic book)
Marv Wolfman briefly wrote "Batman" and co-created the Electrocutioner in issue #331 (Jan. 1981). Roy Thomas had a brief sting on the series as well. Writer Gerry Conway and artist Don Newton introduced Jason Todd in "Batman" #357 (March 1983). Todd would assume the costumed identity of Robin in issue #368 (February 1984). Writer Doug Moench began his run on the title with issue #360 and he and artist Tom Mandrake created the Black Mask character in "Batman" #386 (August 1985). Moench's longtime collaborator, artist Paul Gulacy made his DC Comics debut with a two-part story in issues #393 and #394. The title reached its 400th issue in October 1986 and featured work by several popular comics artists and included an introduction by novelist Stephen King.
Batman (comic strip)
From 1978 to the late 1980s, Batman appeared in a strip variously titled "The World's Greatest Superheroes", "The World's Greatest Superheroes Present Superman", and "The Superman Sunday Special". It was syndicated by the Chicago Tribune/New York News Syndicate. For information on writers and artists, see "Batman: the Sunday Classics 1943–46".
List of Batman comics
The following trade paperbacks are stories that run through the "contemporary" books of the Batman Family. The earliest trade paperback, chronologically speaking, is Frank Miller's "" storyline, which rebirthed the character in the Modern Age, re-telling the first year of his existence and how he came to be. These stories are from comic books still being published and are, in a sense, ongoing. They are listed here in the chronology of the storylines, rather than the publication dates of either the original comics or collections.
Alvin Schwartz (comics)
Schwartz wrote his first Batman story in 1942, expanding into the Batman newspaper comic strip in August 1944 and the Superman strip two months later. Through 1952, he scripted for most of the company's newspaper strips. For rival Fawcett Comics, he wrote stories for Superman's chief competitor Captain Marvel.
Dick Sprang
Continuing to seek comic-book work, Sprang submitted art samples to DC Comics editor Whitney Ellsworth, who assigned him a "Batman" story in 1941. Anticipating that Batman creator Bob Kane would be drafted to serve in World War II, DC inventoried Sprang's work to safeguard against delays. Sprang's first published Batman work was the Batman and Robin figures on the cover of "Batman" #18 (Aug.-Sept. 1943), reproduced from the art for page 13 of the later-published "Detective Comics" #84 (Feb. 1944). Sprang's first original published Batman work, and first interior-story work, appeared in "Batman" #19 (Oct.-Nov. 1943), for which he penciled and inked the cover and the first three Batman stories, and penciled the fourth Batman story, inked by Norm Fallon. Like all Batman artists of the time, Sprang went uncredited as a ghost artist for Kane.
Batman: Hush
"Batman: Hush" was published in monthly installments within the comic book series "Batman", running from issue #608–619 (December 2002–November 2003) by DC Comics. The first issue of the story arc was a success ranking 1st in the Top 300 comics for the October 2002 period with pre-order sales of 113,061. It was later collected into two volumes as hardcover and softcover, and later in 2005 in an oversized "Absolute Batman: Hush" hardcover slipcase. DC Comics released the story arc in one volume in August 2009. A hardcover collected edition featuring Jim Lee's artwork entirely in pencil form, titled "Batman: Hush Unwrapped Deluxe Edition", was released on February 22, 2011.
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book/magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications and as National Periodical Publications, before taking on its current name of DC Comics. Its original incarnation ran from 1938 to 2011 and stands as one of the longest-running comic books with consecutively numbered issues. A second volume of "Action Comics" beginning with issue #1 ran from 2011 to 2016. "Action Comics" returned to its original numbering beginning with issue #957 (Aug. 2016).
Batman in film
The fictional superhero Batman, who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has appeared in various films since his inception. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s: "Batman" and "Batman and Robin". The character also appeared in the 1966 film "Batman", which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s "Batman" TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with the 1989 film "Batman", directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel "Batman Returns", and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed "Batman Forever" with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel "Batman & Robin", which starred George Clooney. "Batman & Robin" was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of "Batman Unchained".
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, often simply called Legends of the Dark Knight (LotDK) is the name of several DC comic books featuring Batman. The original series launched in 1989 as the third major monthly Batman title, following the popularity of Tim Burton's "Batman" film. Many of the stories follow the tone of Frank Miller's "". The series differs from other Batman titles of the time. The creative team rotated with every story arc and the stories stood alone, unlike the inter-connected nature of other Batman comics. Initially the title ran stories contained to five issues, often with more mature topics and sensibilities than the other Batman titles. After issue #20, the number of issues for each story began to vary and occasionally tied into crossover events.
The Batman Adventures
Following the re-branding of the animated series as "The Adventures of Batman and Robin", the comic series was relaunched. It ran for 25 issues and 2 annuals, as well as 2 specials (an adaptation of ""; and "Dark Claw Adventures", a non-canon Amalgam comic featuring the Batman-Wolverine hybrid). Ty Templeton was the regular writer, with Rick Burchett as the artist. However, according to colorist Rick Taylor, the series was cancelled before many planned stories could be published. Some of them included another Batgirl and Robin team up, Batman teaching a grieving widower the futility of vengeance, the origin of the Threatening Three and the first appearance of Anarky.
Jack Burnley
Jack Burnley began his comics career working for the King Features Syndicate, providing cartoons for the sports section (including work for Damon Runyon). He became (in 1929) the then-youngest artist to have a syndicated feature, and also produced illustrations for advertising. In 1938, Burnley began to freelance, producing "single-page sports fillers" for DC Comics, by whom he was subsequently hired in 1940. His first published assignment was the cover illustration for "New York World's Fair 1940" (AKA "World's Fair Comics" #2); the cover portrayed Superman with Batman and Robin, the first time the trio had ever appeared together in print. Burnley went on to provide uncredited artwork for "Action Comics" until 1947. Burnley's work was often credited to other artists. In the 1945 Batman newspaper strips which Burnley penciled, the stylized Bob Kane signature logo appears, although Kane had not worked on the sequence. The version of Superman he created was noted for its carefully drawn musculature, which set the style of superheroes for years to come.
Batman
The character of Batman has appeared in various media aside from comic books, such as 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. 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 appearances in "The Adventures of Superman" starting in 1945 on occasions when Superman voice actor Bud Collyer needed time off. 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".
Batman: The Cult
Batman: The Cult is a four-issue comic book mini-series. It was published by DC Comics in their prestige format books and released in 1988. It was written by Jim Starlin, illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, colored by Bill Wray and edited by Denny O'Neil.
DC Comics – The Legend of Batman
DC Comics - The Legend of Batman is a fortnightly partwork magazine published by Eaglemoss Collections and DC Comics. The series is a collection of special edition hardback graphic novels, that tells Batman’s life story from beginning to end. The series follows the success of the DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection, which itself began in 2015 with the Batman story .
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
In January 2009, the first issue of "Batman: the Brave and the Bold" was released. The comic book follows the same format as the show, starting off with a brief teaser segment at the start of the book which features Batman teaming up with an additional hero for a short adventure unrelated to the rest of the issue. Several authors have contributed to the comic book series, including Matt Wayne, J. Torres and Landry Walker.
World's Finest Comics
The idea for "World's Best" #1 originated from the identically formatted 1940 "New York World's Fair Comics" featuring Superman, Batman, and Robin with 96 pages and a cardboard cover. The year before there was a similar 1939 "New York World's Fair Comics" featuring Superman but without Batman and Robin because Bill Finger and Bob Kane had not yet created them.
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by William Dozier, Julius Schwartz, and Carmine Infantino. At the request of the producers of the 1960s "Batman" television series, DC editor Schwartz called for a new female counterpart to the superhero Batman that could be introduced into publication and the third season of the show simultaneously. The character subsequently made her first comic book appearance as Batgirl in "Detective Comics" #359, titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" (January 1967), by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino.
Action Comics 1
Published on April 18, 1938 (cover-dated June), by National Allied Publications, a corporate predecessor of DC Comics, it is considered the first true superhero comic; and though today "Action Comics" is a monthly title devoted to Superman, it began, like many early comics, as an anthology.
Batman Black and White
Batman Black and White refers to the comic book limited series published by DC Comics featuring 8-page black-and-white Batman stories. Vol. 1 and 4 of the series feature all-new stories (published in 1996 and 2013–14 respectively), while vol. 2 and 3 contain stories from the backup feature of the "" comic book.
Chase (comics)
Chase was a comic book series published by DC Comics. It was written by Dan Curtis Johnson, illustrated by J.H. Williams III and inked by Mick Gray. It lasted ten issues (including a special #1,000,000 issue). The character of Cameron Chase first appeared in "Batman" #550 (January 1998) written by Doug Moench and drawn by Kelley Jones. The Batman appearance was used to promote the upcoming series.
Batman: The Killing Joke
Batman: The Killing Joke is a 1988 DC Comics one-shot graphic novel featuring the characters Batman and the Joker written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. "The Killing Joke" provides an origin story for the supervillain the Joker, loosely adapted from the 1951 story arc "The Man Behind the Red Hood!". The Joker's origin is presented via flashback, while simultaneously depicting his attempt to drive Jim Gordon insane and Batman's desperate attempt to stop him.
Anarky (comic book)
Anarky was a short-lived American comic book series published by DC Comics, as a limited series between May and August of 1997, and as an ongoing series between May and December of 1999. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle, and inks by Josef Rubinstein. The comic was a spin-off title derived from the "Batman" franchise, and followed the adventures of Anarky, an antagonist of the Batman character.
Batman Legends
Batman Legends is part of the UK's 'Collector's' Edition' line of comic books. The first volume was published by Panini Comics for 41 issues between October 2003 and November 2006. The second volume has been published since December 2006 by Titan Magazines. Both volumes reprint Batman related comics from DC Comics from the United States.
Superman (comic book)
Due to the Superman character's popularity after his premiere in "Action Comics" #1, National Allied Publications decided to launch an entirely new magazine featuring a single character, which at that time was unprecedented. "Superman" #1 appeared on the shelves in the summer of 1939. Superman now also had the distinction of being the first ever hero-character featured in more than one comic magazine. By issue #7, Superman was being hailed on the covers as the "World's Greatest Adventure Strip Character". Perry White, a supporting character who had originated on the Superman radio program was introduced into the comic book in issue #7 (October 1940). Editor Mort Weisinger began his long association with the title with issue #11 (July–August 1941). Jimmy Olsen first appeared as a named character in the story "Superman versus The Archer" in "Superman" #13 (Nov.–Dec. 1941). In the early 1940s, "Superman" was selling over a million copies per month. By 1942, artist Wayne Boring, who had previously been one of Shuster's assistants, had become a major artist on Superman. "Superman" #23 (July–August 1943) featured the first Superman comic book story written by someone other than Jerry Siegel. The story "America's Secret Weapon!" was written by Don Cameron despite bearing Siegel's signature. Siegel introduced Mister Mxyzptlk in issue #30 (September 1944). A more detailed origin story for Superman was presented in issue #53 (July 1948) to mark the character's tenth anniversary. Another part of the Superman mythos which had originated on the radio program made its way into the comic books when kryptonite was featured in a story by Bill Finger and Al Plastino.
Independent News
In 1935, writer/entrepreneur Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson approached Independent News in a bid to relaunch his comic book "New Fun", having lost his previous backers due to poor sales and debts. Donenfeld accepted to distribute the comic but with heavy loss of rights to Wheeler-Nicholson. Wheeler-Nicholson produced two more titles to be handled by Independent News, "New Comics" and "Detective Comics" (which would later see the first appearance of Batman), now under the banner of Detective Comics Incorporated, in which Wheeler-Nicholson was forced to take Donenfeld and Liebowitz as partners. In 1938, Donenfeld sued Wheeler-Nicholson for nonpayment and Detective Comics Inc. went into bankruptcy. Not too surprisingly Donenfeld bought up the company and Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications in their entirety as part of the action.
Detective Comics
Batwoman first appeared in "Detective Comics" #233 (July 1956) Since the family formula had proven very successful for the Superman franchise, editor Jack Schiff suggested to Batman co-creator Bob Kane that he create one for the Batman. A female was chosen first, to offset the charges made by Fredric Wertham that Batman and Robin were homosexual. Writer Bill Finger and artist Sheldon Moldoff introduced Bat-Mite in issue #267 (May 1959) and Clayface in #298 (Dec. 1961).
Action Comics
Following the events of "Crisis on Infinite Earths", writer/artist John Byrne relaunched the Superman franchise in "The Man of Steel" limited series in 1986. "Action Comics" became a team-up title with issue #584 (January 1987) featuring Superman and the New Teen Titans. Other costars during this period included the Phantom Stranger, the New Gods, the Demon, Hawkman, the Green Lantern Corps, the Metal Men, Superboy, Big Barda, Mister Miracle, Booster Gold, the Martian Manhunter, the Spectre, Lois Lane and Lana Lang, Checkmate, Wonder Woman, and Man-Bat. The first "Action Comics Annual" was published in 1987 and featured Superman teaming with Batman in a story written by Byrne and drawn by Arthur Adams. A DC Comics Bonus Book was included in issue #599 (April 1988).
Edmond Hamilton
In 1942 Hamilton began writing for DC Comics, specializing in stories for their characters Superman and Batman. His first comics story was "Bandits in Toyland" in "Batman" #11 (June–July 1942). He wrote the short-lived science fiction series Chris KL-99 in "Strange Adventures", which was loosely based on Captain Future. He and artist Sheldon Moldoff created Batwoman in "Detective Comics" #233 (July 1956). Hamilton co-created Space Ranger in "Showcase" #15 (July–Aug. 1958) with Gardner Fox and Bob Brown. Hamilton was instrumental in the early growth of the Legion of Super-Heroes feature, as one of its first regular writers. He introduced many of the early Legion concepts including the Time Trapper in "Adventure Comics" #317 (Feb. 1964) and Timber Wolf in "Adventure Comics" #327 (Dec. 1964). His story "The Clash of Cape and Cowl" in "World's Finest Comics" #153 (Nov. 1965) is the source of an Internet meme in which Batman slaps Robin. Hamilton retired from comics with the publication of "The Cape and Cowl Crooks" in "World's Finest Comics" #159 (August 1966).
Batman: Year One
DC released a hardcover "deluxe edition" of "Batman: Year One" () to coincide with the release of "Batman Begins" in April 2005. This release includes introductions by Miller and Mazzucchelli, the original penciled artwork, promotional and unseen Batman art, Lewis's color samples, and some pages of the original script, for a total of 144 pages. This edition was rereleased as a 136-page trade paperback in January 2007, with an introduction by O'Neil (). New versions of this edition were released in 2012 and 2017 ().
Batman: Year One
Launched in 1989, following the success of the film "Batman", the title "" examines crime-fighting exploits primarily, not exclusively, from the first four to five years of Batman's career. This title rotated in creative teams and time placement, but several stories directly relate to the events of "Year One", especially the first arc "Batman: Shaman". In 1998, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale created "" and "", two 13-issue maxiseries that recounted Batman's early years as a crime-fighter following the events of Miller's original story and retold the origins of Two-Face and Dick Grayson. The "Year One" story was continued in the 2005 graphic novel "", following up on Gordon informing Batman about the Joker, and thus recounting their first official encounter. Two other stories, "Batman and the Monster Men" and "Batman and the Mad Monk" tie into the same time period of Batman's career, filling in the gap between Year One and the Man Who Laughs. The comics "" and "" describe his sidekicks' origin stories.
Batmania
With its first issue cited in Summer 1965 by "the father of comics fandom" Jerry Bails as one of the "major events" in comics fandom, Schelly concurs 30+ years later, writing that:
The Shadow
During the mid-1970s, DC Comics published an "atmospheric interpretation" of the character by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Michael Kaluta in a 12-issue series (Nov. 1973 – Sept. 1975). Kaluta drew issues 1–4 and 6 and was followed by Frank Robbins and then E. R. Cruz. Attempting to be faithful to both the pulp-magazine and radio-drama character, the series guest-starred fellow pulp fiction hero the Avenger in issue #11. The Shadow also appeared in DC's "Batman" #253 (Nov. 1973), in which Batman teams with an aging Shadow and calls the famous crime fighter his "biggest inspiration". In "Batman" #259 (Dec. 1974), Batman again meets The Shadow, and we learn The Shadow saved Bruce Wayne's life when the future Batman was a boy and that The Shadow knows Batman's secret identity (he assures Batman, however, that his secret is safe with him).
Batman (comic book)
Though the "Batman" comic book was initially launched as a quarterly publication, it later became a bimonthly series through the late 1950s, after which it became a monthly publication and has remained so since. In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, the original "Batman" series ended and was relaunched with a new first issue.
Publication history of Anarky
The first Anarky story, ""Anarky in Gotham City, Part 1: Letters to the Editor"", appeared in "Detective Comics No.608", in November 1989. Lonnie Machin is introduced as "Anarky" as early as his first appearance in "Detective Comics" No.608, withholding his origin story for a later point. He is established as an uncommonly philosophical and intelligent twelve-year-old. The debut story of the character failed to provide a back story to explain his behavior, but a narrative from Batman reveals that he is a socially conscious and arrogant child who believes he knows how to solve societies' problems. Convinced that only he can do so, he becomes a vigilante and fashions weapons—a stun baton and smoke bombs—in labs at school. Lonnie Machin made his debut as "Anarky" by responding to complaints in the newspaper by attacking the offending sources, such as the owner of a factory whose byproduct waste is polluting local river water. He goes to lengths to disguise his age and appearance by creating a costume with a false head to increase his height. This was in fact intended as a ruse on the part of writer Alan Grant to disguise the character's true identity, and to confuse the reader into believing Anarky to be an adult. Anarky and Batman ultimately come to blows, and during their brief fight, Batman deduces that Anarky is actually a young child. During this first confrontation, Anarky is aided by a band of homeless men, including Legs, a homeless cripple who becomes loyal to him and would assist him in later appearances. After being caught, Lonnie is locked away in a juvenile detention center.
Neal Adams
During this period near the end of the industry revival historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Adams was soon assigned his first superhero covers, illustrating that of the Superman flagship "Action Comics" #356 (Nov. 1967) and the same month's "Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane" #79 (Nov. 1967), featuring Superman and a mysterious new costumed character, Titanman. Also that month, Adams drew his first superhero story, teaming with writer Gardner Fox on the lighthearted backup feature "The Elongated Man" in "Detective Comics" #369, the flagship Batman title. Shortly afterward, he drew Batman himself, along with the supernatural superhero the Spectre, on the cover of "The Brave and the Bold" #75 (Jan. 1968) – the first published instance of Adams' work on what would become two of his signature comics characters. The first instance of Adams drawing Batman in an interior story was "The Superman-Batman Revenge Squads" in "World's Finest Comics" #175 (May 1968).
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
"Detective Comics" would become a sensation with the introduction of Batman in issue #27 (May 1939). By then, however, Wheeler-Nicholson was gone. In 1937, in debt to printing-plant owner and magazine distributor Harry Donenfeld – who was as well a pulp-magazine publisher and a principal in the magazine distributorship Independent News – Wheeler-Nicholson was compelled to take Donenfeld on as a partner in order to publish "Detective Comics" #1. Detective Comics, Inc. was formed, with Wheeler-Nicholson and Jack S. Liebowitz, Donenfeld's accountant, listed as owners.
Neal Adams
Continuing to work for DC Comics during this sojourn, while also contributing the occasional story to Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror-comics magazines (including the Don Glut-scripted "Goddess from the Sea" in "Vampirella" #1, Sept. 1969), Adams had his first collaboration on Batman with writer Dennis O'Neil. The duo, under the direction of editor Julius Schwartz, would revitalize the character with a series of noteworthy stories reestablishing Batman's dark, brooding nature and taking the books away from the campy look and feel of the 1966–68 ABC TV series. Their first two stories were "The Secret of the Waiting Graves" in "Detective Comics" #395 (Jan. 1970) and "Paint a Picture of Peril" in issue #397 (March 1970), with a short Batman backup story, written by Mike Friedrich, coming in-between, in "Batman" #219 (Feb. 1970). Adams introduced new characters to the Batman mythos beginning with Man-Bat co-created with writer Frank Robbins in "Detective Comics" #400 (June 1970). O'Neil and Adams' creation Ra's al Ghul was introduced in the story "Daughter of the Demon" in "Batman" #232 (June 1971) and the character would later become one of Batman's most common adversaries. The same creative team would revive Two-Face in "Batman" #234 (Aug. 1971) and revitalize the Joker in "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!" in "Batman" #251 (Sept. 1973), a landmark story bringing the character back to his roots as a homicidal maniac who murders people on a whim and delights in his mayhem.
Bane (DC Comics)
Bane is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dennis O'Neil, Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench and Graham Nolan, he first appeared in "Batman: Vengeance of Bane" #1 (January 1993). The character is an adversary of the superhero Batman and belongs to the collective of enemies that make up his rogues gallery. With a mix of brute strength and exceptional intelligence, Bane is often credited as being the only villain to have "broken the bat".
Joker (character)
The Joker debuted in "Batman" #1 (Spring 1940) as the eponymous character's first villain, shortly after Batman's debut in "Detective Comics" #27 (May 1939). The Joker initially appeared as a remorseless serial killer, modeled after a joker playing card with a mirthless grin, who killed his victims with "Joker venom": a toxin which left their faces smiling grotesquely. The character was intended to be killed in his second appearance in "Batman" #1, after being stabbed in the heart. Finger wanted the Joker to die because of his concern that recurring villains would make Batman appear inept, but was overruled by then-editor Whitney Ellsworth; a hastily drawn panel, indicating that the Joker was still alive, was added to the comic. The Joker went on to appear in nine of "Batman"s first twelve issues.
Detective Comics
Batman's origin is first revealed in a two-page story in issue #33 (Nov. 1939). Batman became the main cover feature of the title beginning with issue #35 (Jan. 1940). Issue #38 (April 1940) introduced Batman's sidekick Robin, billed as "The Sensational Character Find of 1940" on the cover and the first of several characters that would make up the "Batman Family". Robin's appearance and the subsequent increase in sales of the book soon led to the trend of superheroes and young sidekicks that characterize the era fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Several of Batman's best known villains debuted in the pages of "Detective Comics" during this era including the Penguin in issue #58, Two-Face in issue #66, and the Riddler in issue #140.
Batmobile
Batman is shown driving a red-colored car in "Detective Comics" #27, the first Batman story. However, this car was never mentioned by name as the Batmobile, and the concept of a red car was abandoned in subsequent stories. Although the Batplane was introduced in "Detective Comics" #31, the name "Batmobile" was not applied to Batman's automobile until "Detective Comics" #48 (February 1941). The car's design gradually evolved in early Batman stories. It became a "specially built high-powered auto" by "Detective Comics" #30, and in "Batman" #5 (March 1941), it featured a bat hood ornament and a darker exterior color. Eventually, the predominant designs included a large, dark-colored body and bat-like accessories, including large tailfins scalloped to resemble a bat's wings.
Batman (comic book)
In 1964, Julius Schwartz was made responsible for reviving the faded Batman titles. He jettisoned the sillier aspects that had crept into the series such as Ace the Bathound and Bat-Mite and gave the character a "New Look" that premiered in "Detective Comics" #327 (May 1964). Schwartz's first issue of the "Batman" title was #164 (June 1964) which was written by France Edward Herron and drawn by Sheldon Moldoff. The Riddler returned after an eighteen-year absence in #171 (May 1965). Among the new villains introduced during this period was Poison Ivy in #181 (June 1966). In the 1960s, Batman comics were affected by the popular "Batman" television series, with campy stories based on the tongue-in-cheek premise of the series. After the "Batman" television program's influence had died down, writer Frank Robbins and artist Irv Novick sent Dick Grayson off to attend college and moved Batman out of Wayne Manor in issue #217 (December 1969).
DC Comics
Wheeler-Nicholson's third and final title, "Detective Comics", advertised with a cover illustration dated December 1936, eventually premiered three months late with a March 1937 cover date. The themed anthology series would become a sensation with the introduction of Batman in issue #27 (May 1939). By then, however, Wheeler-Nicholson had gone. In 1937, in debt to printing-plant owner and magazine distributor Harry Donenfeld—who also published pulp magazines and operated as a principal in the magazine distributorship Independent News—Wheeler-Nicholson had to take Donenfeld on as a partner in order to publish "Detective Comics" #1. Detective Comics, Inc. was formed, with Wheeler-Nicholson and Jack S. Liebowitz, Donenfeld's accountant, listed as owners. Major Wheeler-Nicholson remained for a year, but cash-flow problems continued, and he was forced out. Shortly afterwards, Detective Comics, Inc. purchased the remains of National Allied, also known as Nicholson Publishing, at a bankruptcy auction.
Comic strip syndication
Comic strip syndication services began operating in the opening years of the 20th century. The first syndicate to distribute comic strips was the McClure Newspaper Syndicate (founded in 1884), which began syndicating comic strips circa 1901. (McClure's more notable strips included "Billy Bounce", by W. W. Denslow and later by C. W. Kahles, (1901–1906); "Superman", which it syndicated beginning in 1939; and "Batman and Robin", debuting in 1943.)
Batman
The early, pulp-inflected portrayal of Batman started to soften in "Detective Comics" #38 (April 1940) with the introduction of Robin, Batman's junior counterpart. Robin was introduced, based on Finger's suggestion, because Batman needed a "Watson" with whom Batman could talk. Sales nearly doubled, despite Kane's preference for a solo Batman, and it sparked a proliferation of "kid sidekicks". The first issue of the solo spin-off series "Batman" was notable not only for introducing two of his most persistent enemies, 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.
Alan Grant (writer)
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was the 12-issue "Outcasts" limited series (Oct. 1987–Sept. 1988) for DC Comics. Although it was not a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in "Detective Comics" from issue 583 (Feb. 1988), largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles. Grant and Wagner introduced the Ventriloquist in their first Batman story and the Ratcatcher in their third. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. He has long stated that Wagner left after five issues because the title did not sell well enough to give them royalties, and that Wagner's name was kept in the credits for the remaining seven issues because Grant was afraid DC would fire him.
American comic book
In early 1939, the success of Superman in "Action Comics" prompted editors at National Comics Publications (the future DC Comics) to request more superheroes for its titles. In response, Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Batman, who debuted in "Detective Comics" #27 (1939). The period from the late 1930s through roughly the end of the 1940s is referred to by comic book experts as the Golden Age of comic books. It featured extremely large print-runs, with "Action Comics" and "Captain Marvel" selling over half a million copies a month each; comics provided very popular cheap entertainment during World War II especially among soldiers, but with erratic quality in stories, art, and printing. In the early 1940s over 90 percent of girls and boys from seven to seventeen read comic books.
John Byrne (comics)
In early 1980, Byrne did his first work for DC Comics, penciling the first issue of "The Untold Legend of the Batman" miniseries. Byrne had always wanted to draw "Batman", and had a three-month window of time during which he was not under contract to Marvel. Hearing about the "Untold Legend" series, Byrne contacted editor Paul Levitz to express interest. DC took him up on his offer, but it was not until the second month of his three-month window that Byrne received the plot for the first issue. Byrne told Levitz that he would not be able to finish the project due to time constraints despite DC then allegedly offering Byrne double his Marvel pay rate, after initially saying they could not match his Marvel rate. Byrne penciled the first issue, which was inked by Jim Aparo after being intended for Terry Austin. This experience soured Byrne on DC for quite some time.
Bat-Signal
The Bat-Signal first appeared in "Detective Comics" #60 (February 1942). The signal has several different origins in comics featuring post-Crisis continuity. It is introduced as a new tool after the Batman's first encounter with the Joker in the 2005 series "", and also during the 1990 "" storyline in "Legends of the Dark Knight".
Batman and the Monster Men
Batman & the Monster Men is an American comic book limited series written and drawn by Matt Wagner with colors by Dave Stewart, published by DC Comics in 2006 and starring the superhero Batman. It, along with its sequel "Batman and the Mad Monk", are set in between the events of "" and "". It is the first part of Matt Wagner's two part "" series, which are expanded and modernized versions of early Batman stories.
Julie Madison
Julie Madison is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character first appeared in "Detective Comics" #31 (September 1939) and was created by Gardner Fox, Bob Kane, and Sheldon Moldoff. She is best known as being Batman's first significant romantic interest.
The Batman Chronicles
The Batman Chronicles is a series of comics published by DC Comics from 1995 to 2001, which lasted 23 quarterly issues.
List of Batman Family enemies
Since Batman first appeared in "Detective Comics" #27 (May 1939), his supporting cast has expanded to include other superheroes, and has become what is now called the "Batman Family". As with most superheroes, a cast of recurring enemies to the Batman Family have been introduced throughout the years, collectively referred to as Batman's "rogues gallery". Many characters from Batman's rogues gallery who are criminally insane become patients at Arkham Asylum after they are apprehended.
Harry Donenfeld
In 1935, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson approached Independent News in a bid to relaunch his comic book "New Fun", having lost his previous backers due to poor sales and debts. Donenfeld accepted to distribute the comic but with heavy loss of rights to Wheeler-Nicholson. The major produced two more titles to be handled by Independent News, "New Comics" and "Detective Comics" (which would later see the first appearance of Batman), now under the banner of Detective Comics Inc., in which Wheeler-Nicholson was forced to take Donenfeld and Liebowitz as partners. In 1938, Donenfeld sued Wheeler-Nicholson for nonpayment and Detective Comics Inc. went into bankruptcy. Donenfeld then bought up the company and Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications in their entirety as part of the action.
James Gordon (comics)
James "Jim" Gordon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character debuted in the first panel of "Detective Comics" #27 (May 1939), Batman's first appearance, where he is referred to simply as Commissioner Gordon. The character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Commissioner Gordon made his debut as an ally of Batman, making him the first Batman supporting character ever to be introduced.
The Berlin Batman
"The Berlin Batman" is an "Elseworlds" tale published in "The Batman Chronicles" #11 in 1998 by DC Comics. It is written and illustrated by Paul Pope.In Berlin, Germany in the year 1938, wealthy socialite Baruch Wane learns from his friend Komissar Garten that the police have confiscated the library, works, and notes of Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, due to his stance against the Nazi Party policy of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. Unbeknownst to Garten, Baruch is actually the mysterious Batman who has been terrorizing the wealthy members of the Nazi Party.
Superman
Superman was finally published on April 18, 1938, in the first issue of "Action Comics". The magazine sold very well, and feedback from readers showed it was because of Superman.
Detective Comics
After publishing on a monthly schedule throughout its run, "Detective Comics" became a bi-monthly book from issues #435 (June–July 1973) to #445 (Feb.-March 1975). Issues #438 (Dec. 1973-Jan. 1974) to #445 (Feb.–March 1975) of the series were in the 100 Page Super Spectacular format. O'Neil and artist Dick Giordano created the Batman supporting character Leslie Thompkins in the story "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley" appearing in issue #457 (March 1976). Writer Steve Englehart and artist Marshall Rogers produced an acclaimed run of Batman stories in "Detective Comics" #471–476 (Aug. 1977 – April 1978), and provided one of the definitive interpretations that influenced the 1989 "Batman" movie and would be adapted for the 1990s . The Englehart and Rogers pairing, was described in 2009 by comics writer and historian Robert Greenberger as "one of the greatest" creative teams to work on the Batman character. In their story "The Laughing Fish", the Joker is brazen enough to disfigure fish with a rictus grin, then expects to be granted a federal trademark on them, only to start killing bureaucrats who try to explain that obtaining such a claim on a natural resource is legally impossible. 
Writer Len Wein and Rogers co-created the third version of the supervillain Clayface in "Detective Comics" #478 (July–Aug. 1978). From issue #481 (Dec. 1978 – Jan. 1979) through #495 (Oct. 1980), the magazine adopted the expanded Dollar Comics format used by the canceled "Batman Family", adding solo features including "Robin: the Teen Wonder", "Batgirl", the "Human Target" and the anthology "Tales of Gotham City", which featured stories of the city's ordinary people. Julius Schwartz, who had edited the title for most of its run since 1964, left the series as of issue #484 (June–July 1979) The original Katherine Kane also known as "Batwoman" was killed in the lead story in issue #485 (Aug.–Sept. 1979) by the League of Assassins.
The title's 500th issue (March 1981) featured stories by several well-known creators including television writer Alan Brennert and Walter B. Gibson best known for his work on the pulp fiction character "The Shadow". Also used during the 1980s was the use of serialization of the main Batman story, with stories from "Detective Comics" and "Batman" directly flowing from one book to another, with cliffhangers at the end of each book's monthly story that would be resolved in the other title of that month. A single writer handled both books during that time beginning with Gerry Conway and followed up by Doug Moench. The supervillain Killer Croc made a shadowy cameo in issue #523 (Feb. 1983). Noted author Harlan Ellison wrote the Batman story in issue #567.