Batman (comic book)

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Batman


Cover of Batman #1 (Spring 1940)
Publisher DC Comics
Schedule Monthly, with ome bi-weekly and bi-monthly runs.
Format Standard, four color comic.
Publication dates Spring 1940 - Present
Number of issues 671
Main character(s) Batman
Creative team
Writer(s) Current:
Grant Morrison
Artist(s) Tony Daniel
Creator(s) Bob Kane and Bill Finger


Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics action hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. He was first advertised in early April 1940, one month after the first appearance of his new sidekick, Robin, the Boy Wonder. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication Spring, 1940. Though the Batman comic book was initially launched as a quarterly publication, it later became a bi-monthly series through the late 1950s, after which it became a monthly publication and has remained so since. As of November 1, 2007, the series has reached issue #670.

Contents

The Batman saga takes place in Gotham City, a city overrun with crime and corruption. Its citizens live in perpetual fear from the vast number of costumed criminals, gangs and common thugs. In an effort to combat the aforementioned villains, Batman preys upon their fear. Secretly, the Batman is millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne, a young socialite who witnessed his parents' murder during a mugging at the age of 8. Batman utilizes his keen analytical mind and sophisticated technology and gadgetry as well as outstanding physical agility, power and stamina to ensure that criminals never feel safe in Gotham. In the eyes of the public, the Batman is believed to be something more than human: an indeterminable black specter that represents terror. This allows him to become an iconic urban legend, which in turn allows him to do things an ordinary man cannot.

The first stories appearing in the Batman comic were written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane, though Finger went uncredited for years thereafter. These early stories depicted a vengeful Batman, not hesitant to kill when he saw it as a necessary sacrifice. In one of the early stories, he is depicted using a gun to stop a group of giant assailants. the Joker, a psychopath who is notorious for using a special toxin that kills and mutilates his victims, remains one of the most prolific and notorious Batman villains created in this time period. During the period in 1940s and 50s when comic books began reflecting the patriotic views of Americans who supported the Allied efforts in World War II, the Joker was changed from cold-blooded murderer to playful trickster. Later, during the Silver Age, this type of super-villain changed from disturbing psychological assaults to the use of amusing gimmicks.

Typically, the primary challenges that the Batman faced in this era were derived from villains who were purely evil; however, by the 1970s, the motivations of these characters, including obsessive compulsion, child abuse and environmental fanaticism, were being explored more thoroughly. Batman himself also underwent a transformation and became a much less one-dimensional character, struggling with deeply rooted internal conflicts. Although not canonical, Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns introduced a significant evolution of the Batman's character in his eponymous series; he became uncompromising and relentless in his struggle to revitalize Gotham. The Batman often exhibited behavior that Gotham's elite labeled as excessively violent as well as antisocial tendencies. Miller portrayed him with an anti-heroic and near villainous characterization. This aspect of the Batman's personality was also toned down considerably in the wake of the DC-wide crossover Infinite Crisis, wherein Batman experienced a nervous breakdown and reconsidered his philosophy and approaches to his relationships. Currently, the Batman's attributes and personality are said to have been greatly influenced by the traditional characterization by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams' portrayals during the 1970s.

  • In 1994 #0 was released as part of the post-Zero Hour Zero Month (falling between #511 & 512).
  • The issue with a cover date of November 1998 was "#1,000,000" (falling between #559 & 560) part of the DC One Million crossover.

Over the years 26 annuals have been released in association with the Batman title.

  • Legends: #401
  • Knightfall: #492-500
  • KnightQuest: #501-508
  • Knight's End: #509-510
  • Zero Hour: #511.
  • Prodigal: #512-514
  • Troika: #515
  • Contagion: #529
  • Legacy: #533-534
  • Cataclysm: #553-554
  • Aftershock: 555-559
  • No Man's Land: #563-574
  • Officer Down: #587
  • War Games: #631-633
  • War Crimes: #643-644
  • Face the Face: #651-654
  • The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul: #670-671

Character Issue Number Month/Year
The Joker #1 Spring, 1940
Catwoman as "The Cat" #1 Spring, 1940
Alfred Pennyworth #16 April-May, 1943
Mad Hatter #49 October-November, 1948
Deadshot #59 June/July, 1950
Killer Moth #63 February, 1951
Mr. Freeze as "Mr. Zero" #121 February, 1959
Poison Ivy #181 June, 1966
Ra's al Ghul #232 June, 1971
Lucius Fox #307 January, 1979
Sarah Essen Gordon #404 February, 1987
Holly Robinson #404 February, 1987
Tim Drake (later Robin III) #436 August, 1989
Shondra Kinsolving #486 February, 1992
Cassandra Cain (later Batgirl IV): #567 July, 1999
David Cain #567 July, 1999
Hush #609 January, 2003

[These are crossovers that include most - if not all - of the Batman related titles published at the times.]

  • A Lonely Place of Dying: collects #440 - 442 with The New Titans #60 - 61.

v • d • e
Batman
Creators Bob Kane · Bill Finger · Other writers and artists
Supporting characters Robin (Tim Drake) · Nightwing (Dick Grayson) · Batgirl · Batwoman · Alfred Pennyworth · Lucius Fox · Barbara Gordon · Commissioner Gordon · Harvey Bullock · Azrael · Huntress
Villains Bane · Catwoman · Clayface · Harley Quinn · Joker · Killer Croc · Mad Hatter · Mr. Freeze · Penguin · Poison Ivy · Ra's al Ghul · Red Hood (Jason Todd) · Riddler · Scarecrow · Talia al Ghul · Two-Face  · Ventriloquist
Locations Arkham Asylum · Batcave · Gotham City · Wayne Enterprises · Wayne Manor
Equipment Batarang · Batmobile · Batcycle · Batsuit · Utility Belt
Miscellanea Publications · Storylines · Alternate versions of Batman · Batman in popular media
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_%28comic_book%29"
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