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Written By AL J. Vermette
Artwork By Sam Wallace
As darkness falls over the crime ridden streets, a lone figure looms over the
skyline in his endless quest as protector of Gotham City. Known by all seen by few
and feared by the wicked as he stands under a pale moon... watching. His mission
is one of justice and honor as he fights those who walk the fine line of good and
evil. He is the world greatest detective yet his name is unknown by all as his deeds
are done in shadow and under his cape and cowl. A hero like no other...he is The
Dark Knight...he is Bat Man.
In the 1930s, comic books were just starting to bring a new brand of hero into their
pages. Heroes with more than just a badge and a gun but something much more.
It all started with Superman, the worlds first true superhero as he started a trend
that to this day has only grown. With comic book readership climbing for the Man of
Steel, a young man named Bob Kane wanted to create a new hero like nothing
anyone had ever seen before. By combining the likes of Zorro, Dracula and
Sherlock Holmes, Kane created not only a new hero but one to this day is beloved
by both children and grownups alike. Bat Man would be his greatest creation and
one that lives on even after his own death as his hero would move from the pages
of comic books to a series of live action, short films, a TV series, cartoon TV series
and feature films.
The man who would be the bat began life as any other young boy with happy
dreams and playful tunes until the night that he payed witness to the murder of both
parents. The young Bruce Wayne grew to hate evil and vowed upon his parents
graves to right the wrongs of the world. That battle for justice would come years
later in the form of the thing that would strike fear into the hearts of bad men. He
became a creature of the night, a dark icon and guardian of the city in which he
lived. He became the Bat Man.
Aiding this very unique detective in his quest, is an endless array of weapons most
carried on his Utility Belt. Grappling hooks, boomerangs or in his case batarangs
are just a few of the gadgets that this hero wields. Even his long flowing black cape
serves as both weapon and glider when spread. But the bats gadgets go far
beyond just what he carries on his person. Even his transportation is far more then
just the norm.
One of... if not the most famous car in the world is Bat Man’s ride...The Batmobile!
More than just a car, the Batmobile is a moving fortress on wheels. Speed,
weapons and on board computers are only the beginning of this amazing vehicle of
high performance and technology. The very first Batmobile was built for the 1966
TV show and to this day it remains one of the hottest vehicles ever created. It was
followed in 1989 with the release of the first Bat Man feature film that sported a new
car that was like a missile on wheels, with guns and grappling hooks as it looked
like it drove right out of the future or a Star Wars movie. Both cars were sleek,
black two seaters with more power then a rocket as they blasted through the streets
of Gotham. The Batmobile in “Bat Man Begins” took a new approach for the 21st
century. More tank than car is beast stopped at nothing as it powered through the
night transporting the Dark Knight into warfare. But the bat has more than just a
super cool car in his parking space back at the Bat-cave. He has cycles, copters
and jets and even a bat-boat as part of his arsenal. Yes, Bat Man really knows how
to get around.
Even the heroes home is way cool as he retreats into his cave lair to figure out his
next move or work on his computers. The famous Bat cave that sits below Wayne
Manor is more than just a place to rest and do all his non action detective work but
also a museum of his past crusades. The cave itself was found years before my
young Bruce who fell into the darkened void as a child and later transformed it into
Bat Man's base of operations. Aiding Bat Man in his war on crime is Alfred, trusted
friend, butler and keeper of Bat Man's secrets. Also added later in the Bat Man
comic book series was the Boy Wonder...Robin and later still Bat Girl. As a team,
the Bat and gang were unstoppable as warriors of the night.
Like all super heroes, Bat Man has his share of villains to deal with. Other then
Spiderman, no other superhero has more enemies than the Bat Man. With the
deadly likes of The Joker, The Penguin, Cat woman, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, Bane,
Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze. And the list goes on and on. Without a cool bad guy, the
hero can seem flat. But the bat has more than his share of very colorful bad guys
to add to his wonderful world of action adventure.
Bat Man moved from the pages of comic books and into the real world with a series
of short films called serials that showed before a feature film in the days before
television. (Yeah kids, there was a time long a go before TV....no really!) The
series which by the way had no bat car whatsoever, ran like a TV show but you had
to go back to the movies the following weekend to see the next episode. Then in
1966 TV got its own live action Bat Man in the form of Adam West as the man under
the cowl. Played more for giggles, the show sported the first and the best looking
Batmobile ever as it rocketed down the highway with flames blazing out the back.
The show had almost all of Bat Man’s foes like The Joker and Cat woman among
the many along with a few made up ones to boot like Egg head played by horror vet
Vincent Price. The show even spawned a hit movie based on the show that was off
the top silly but still fun to watch even today
The caped crusader again returned in a feature film in 1989 with Michael Keaton
now as the man under the cowl. For this new incarnation of the hero the film
makers went old school and drew on Bat Man’s old roots. Darker than ever before,
this new outing for the bat decked him out in a full sleek black rubber bat suit
created by costume designer Bob Ringward. The movie directed by Tim Burton,
who would go on to shoot Sleepy Hollow and The Nightmare Before Christmas,
showed Bat Man not as a silly cartoon version of himself as was done with the TV
show but that of a real hero played more for grown-ups and much darker in tone
and scale. So unlike the Bat Man that the world grew up with that the film makers
and fans a like didn’t know if it would work. But it did and the darker Bat Man in
Black would go on to make three more films with new actors taking on the role until
that too became as silly as the 60s TV show. By the time the movie Bat Man &
Robin hit theaters, the series back slid so badly that it all but ended the hero's film
run for almost a decade.
But a rebirth was yet to come and in 2005 the bat rose out of the ashes and into
the best Bat Man movie ever. Bat Man Begins told the story of how the man
became the Bat Man by showing us something that the 1989 film bypassed....the
hero's origins. With Christen Bale in the title role this Dark Knight was even more
spooky than in the past films and even more cooler than ever. For this new film, we
also saw the creation of an all new bat ride by way of a large tank like beast that
now stood in for the Batmobile. This thing was just awesome as it thundered
throughout Gotham City. Bat Man will once again return to the big screen in 2008
for his next adventure in The Dark Knight where he once again faces the Joker for
the first time in 19 years. This new film takes a new approach to the Bat Man’s
mythos and retells his encounter with the crazy clown of Gotham and has nothing to
do with the 1989 film when last we saw The Joker.
Bat Man has also showed up in other formats than just live action films and TV
shows. The bat has also stared in his own animated series as well such as the one
and best cartoon Bat Man of all. Bat Man: The Animated Series stormed the air
waves in the early 90's with a show that was not only enjoyed from kids but one that
many, many grown ups watched as well. (Yours Truly in fact) Here was a show that
had very, and I mean very grown up storylines, with action, fighting and yes even
death apart of its shows. Although he was only a voice over actor and never wore
of cape and cowl Kevin Conroy played Bat Man on not only that show but also its
follow up series, Bat Man Beyond and Justice League. Most likely the one man to
play the hero more than anyone else other then maybe Adam West himself.
Conroy’s gritty voice was a great match for his Bat Man much like the one in the
newer films was a much more darker action hero than in cartoon past. Bat Man and
Robin as a TV cartoon duo had been on the tube many times as in their own shows
and even turned up on of all places, The Scooby-Doo Movies TV series from the
early 70s. (Yeah not one of the best seasons for the crime fighting dog or Bat Man)
After Bat Man Beyond went off the air there was a few years with no Bat Man
cartoon Saturday Morning for us kids. That was until an all new show hit the air
waves and a new show was born. The Bat Man now in its fourth season has all the
fun as the last shows did and its one that grown ups (well so called grown ups) can
watch and enjoy.
Through out the years, Bat Man’s look and actions may have changed every so
slightly depending on his format at the time and showcase but his appearance in
the world of comics has always stayed true. Oh sure there too the hero’s look
changed from that of the campy fun loving adventures of the 60s and70s mirroring
the West TV series at times and then there are the darker comics such as No Man’s
Land where the Bat faces a wrecked Gotham City in the aftermath of an
Earthquake. In the ultimate Bat Man written story of all time, The Dark Knight
Returns, we find a aging Bruce about 50 now as he must once again take up his old
ways as protector of the great city. The graphic novel written by comic master
Frank Miller (Sin City & 300) was one of the core models for the darker Bat Man
that went on to star in the 1989 film.
Today Bat Man remains as he always has the hero of heroes as the super
detective in spandex. And with his never ending arsenal of super cool weapons,
gadgets, transports, The Dark Knight will remain the top super hero of all.
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