Batman

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Batman Bruce Wayne
Batman on the cover of Batman: Hush. Art by Jim Lee.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #27 (cover date May 1939 / release date March 30, 1939)[1]
Created by	Bill Finger[2][3] Bob Kane
In-story information
Alter ego	Bruce Wayne
Place of origin	Gotham City
Team affiliations	Justice League Batman Family Batmen of All Nations Batman Incorporated Outsiders
Partnerships	Robin (various) Alfred Pennyworth James Gordon Catwoman Duke Thomas / The Signal Batgirl (various) Superman Wonder Woman
Notable aliases	Matches Malone[4] Lefty Knox[5] Dark Knight World's Greatest Detective Caped Crusader Darknight Detective
Abilities	Genius intellect Expert detective Skilled martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant Master tactician, strategist, and field commander Utilizing high-tech equipment

Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30, 1939. In the DC Universe continuity, Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and owner of Wayne Enterprises based in Gotham City. Kane, Finger, and future DC writers accompanied Batman with supporting characters, including his sidekick Robin, allies Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon, and foes such as Catwoman, the Scarecrow, the Penguin, and his archenemy, the Joker. Batman's origin story features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents Thomas and Martha; he trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a bat-inspired persona, and monitors the Gotham streets at night.

Kane conceived Batman in early 1939 to capitalize on the popularity of DC's Superman; although Kane frequently claimed sole creation credit, Finger substantially developed the concept from a generic superhero into something more bat-like. The character received his own spin-off publication, Batman, in 1940. Batman was originally introduced as a ruthless vigilante who frequently killed or maimed criminals, but evolved into a character with a stringent moral code and strong sense of justice. Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers, instead relying on his intellect, fighting skills, and wealth. The 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 darker roots in the 1970s and 1980s, culminating with the 1986 miniseries The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.

Batman in film

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Adaptations of Batman in other media
Created by	Bob Kane Bill Finger
Original source	Comics published by DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #27 (1939)
Films and television
Film(s)	Batman (1943) Batman and Robin (1949) Batman (1966) Batman (1989) Batman Returns (1992) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) Batman Forever (1995) Batman & Robin (1997) Batman Begins (2005) The Dark Knight (2008) The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Suicide Squad (2016) The Lego Batman Movie (2017) Justice League (2017) Joker (2019) Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) The Batman (2022)
Television show(s)	Batman (1966–68) The Adventures of Batman (1968–69) The Batman/Superman Hour (1968–69) The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour (1977–78) The New Adventures of Batman (1977) Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95) The New Batman Adventures (1997–99) Batman Beyond (1999–2001) Birds of Prey (2002–2003) The Batman (2004–2008) Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008–11) Beware the Batman (2013–14) Gotham (2014–19) Pennyworth (2019–) Batwoman (2019–)

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,^[1] 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 Forever and Batman & Robin were poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of Batman Unchained.^[2]

Following the cancellation of two further film proposals, the franchise was rebooted in 2005 with Batman Begins, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale. Nolan returned to direct two further installments through the release of The Dark Knight in 2008 and The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, with Bale reprising his role in both films. Both sequels earned over $1 billion worldwide, making Batman the second film franchise to have two of its films earn more than $1 billion worldwide.^[3] Referred to as the "The Dark Knight Trilogy",^[4] the critical acclaim and commercial success of Nolan's films have been credited with restoring widespread popularity to the superhero, with the second installment considered one of the best superhero movies of all time.

After Warner Bros. launched their own shared cinematic universe known as the DC Extended Universe in 2013, Ben Affleck was cast to portray Batman in the new expansive franchise, first appearing in 2016 with the Zack Snyder-directed film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film would help begin a sequence of further DC Comics adaptations, including Justice League, a crossover film featuring other DC Comics characters, in 2017, and the stand-alone film The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, with Robert Pattinson in the role.^[5]

The series has grossed over $4.99 billion at the global box office, making it the eleventh highest-grossing film franchise of all time. Batman has also appeared in multiple animated films, both as a starring character and as an ensemble character. While most animated films were released direct-to-video, the 1993 animated feature Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (based on the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series) and 2017's The Lego Batman Movie (a spin-off of 2014's The Lego Movie) were released theatrically. Having earned an unadjusted total of U.S. $2,783,118,504, the Batman series is the fourth-highest-grossing film series in North America.^[6]