Da Na Na Na Na Na Na Na BATMAN

For those of you who may have been hiding under a rock for the past 73 years while films galore were being made about one of the most famous comics in the world, here is a small synopsis on the storyline of Batman - a very small synopsis. So basically Bruce Wayne (Batman) witnesses his parents death as a teenager and vows to avenge their death by taking down criminals. Now, unlike Superman, Batman has no super powers. He is an ordinary guy with a ripped body who was left a ton of money in which he could use to get top of the line weapons and vehicles in order to stop the mayhem and crime going on in his hometown of Gotham.

After reading the history of the comic book, I think that it is fair to give the credit of blowing up comics to the two most famous superheros in the world: Superman and Batman. In 1938, DC introduced Superman to the world, and the next year after they realized how big of a hit the idea of superheros were to consumers, they hired Bob Kane to create a superhero "as powerful and appealing as Superman." In order to find inspiration for this superhero who would also help shape the comic book world, Kane looked to Leonardo da Vinci's sketch of a man trying to fly with some type of bat wings, masked heros like Zorro, and movie about a bat faced villan called "The Bat Whisperer."

After realizing that he would not have time to both draw and write the comic, even though he had experience in both areas, he was partnered up with Bill Finger, who ended up writing all of the dialogue and collaborated with Kane. A year after Batman was first published, Kane decided to add a sidekick to the comic so that Batman would have someone to talk to, which is where Robin comes in (or Robin The Boy Wonder in 1940.) Once Robin was added, the comic book hit a new high in rating with consumers and the comic became even more popular, if that is possible, when Kane created arch enemies for Batman in which he would defeat during the comic. Popular arch enemies for Batman include the Joker, the Riddler, Penguin, Two-Face, and Catwoman. What I love most about the idea of Batman is that it has been published and republished over the years, just getting more popular with each movie and graphic novel that comes about, because I guarantee DC will only keep republishing newer versions, and movie remakes will keep being made because of this timeless superhero.

I really should have interviewed my 11 year old nephew for this, because he knows the life of Batman like the back of his hand. Here is a picture of the original copy of Detective Comics' No. 27 from May, 1939. I imagine it is quite pricey these days, and rare as can be.

"Batman's History." Batman's History. Beltmasters Direct, 2006. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.beltmastersdirect.com/batmanhistory.htm>.