Created in 1939 by Bob Kane, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics Magazine, issue 27, National Publications answer to the success of Superman in Action Comics a year earlier. By 1940 the character was so popular that he had his own title, Batman. While the character has had continuous success in the pages of comic books and graphic novels ever since, Batman has also appeared in virtually every other popular media form.
Modern Animation
In 1992, following the success of Batman and Batman Returns on the big screen, Batman - The Animated Series debuted on Fox. It ran for three seasons and a total of 85 episodes, spawned three direct to video full length films and even a second short lived series called The New Batman Adventures (often referred to as "Gotham Knights") which employed similar animation and the same cast. The instantly recognizable score for the series was influenced by the Danny Elfman score from the two Tim Burton Batman films.
Bruce Timm's bold reinvention of Batman was responsible for inspiring both Superman - The Animated Series and the Justice League series that came after it. Further, Batman - The Animated Series spawned a feature film, Batman - Mask of the Phantasm, and two direct to DVD movies. The show is widely acclaimed by fans as the greatest portrayal of a superhero on film, ever.
The character portrayal was so iconic that Batman Beyond was created in the same style, following the exploits of a young man taking on the mantle of the new Batman, mentored by an aging Bruce Wayne. The Bruce Timm's version of Batman, voiced by Kevin Conroy, also appeared in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited alongside other heroes.
The Batman, launched in 2004, approached the character from his early years. Aimed at a younger audience, The Batman ran for five seasons. As the series progressed, the character grew more confident and appealing. In season three, Batgirl joined the Dark Knight in his never ending fight against crime and in season 4, Robin was introduced. While successful, The Batman never reached the level of acclaim that Batman TAS enjoyed. It did spawn a single direct to DVD release, The Batman vs. Dracula.
Batman also appears in the recent direct to DVD release, Justice League: The New Frontier.
Batman's latest on screen incarnation is in a new series, Batman - the Brave and the Bold, where he will appear alongside various other heroes from the DC Universe each week.
The Silver Screen
In 1989, Tim Burton successfully reinvented the character for the big screen, with Michael Keaton in the lead role and Jack Nicholson cackling through an unforgettable performance as the Joker.
Burton directed a sequel, Batman Returns, with the same cast as Batman along with Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito playing Catwoman and The Penguin respectively. The tone of Batman Returns was even darker than that of Batman and the film was equally successful.
Burton kept his hand in with the character for the next film, acting as producer but handing the directing duties to Joel Schumacher who lightened the tone of the character in Batman Forever. Burton is nowhere to be found by the time Schumacher brings Batman full circle in the campy and ultimately disastrous Batman and Robin.
In 2005, Batman returned triumphantly to the big screen under the direction of Chris Nolan. Starring Christian Bale in the lead, with Liam Neeson, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman supporting, Nolan delivered a new version of the character and his mythos.
Taking the character seriously, Nolan created a version of Batman that triumphed at the box office and has spawned the record breaking sequel, The Dark Knight. In essence, Batman Begins not only brought Batman back to the theater, but it truly reinvented the concept of superheroes on film.
