By Ethan L. ’25

“It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” Whether you think he’s an overrated “superpowerless” superhero or not, The Batman is and will always be one of the most world-renowned fictional heroes of all time. An unmistakable household name, The Batman has shown up in comics, film, and media for almost a century. In contrast to his powerful friends like Superman, Batman does not possess any superpowers. Instead, the masked vigilante relies on his intellect, fighting skills, gadgets, and wealth. So what makes the fictitious superhero hero so unique? Sure, he has physical strength, but Batman’s unwavering moral compass is what makes him a true crime-fighting crusader in the fictional city of Gotham, a metropolis overrun by crime, greed, and corruption. 

So how was he created? In 1939 an American comic book writer, animator, and artist named Bob Kane sat in his apartment building in New York City when an idea came to him. Little did he know that it would become one of the most well-known symbols in the entire world. Kane was inspired by the popularity of Superman in 1939, Kane saw an opportunity to duplicate the success. Drawing almost miscellaneous inspiration from Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawings, Zorro, and a 1937 film called The Bat Whispers, Kane created the first image of The Batman. Kane’s close friend and partner, Bill Finger, took the drawing and started writing a story that established the roots of the fictitious character, who was driven by the death of his parents in the fictional city of Gotham, which was heavily based on New York and Chicago. The character of Batman debuted in May 1939 in Detective Comics no. 27. The immediate success of Batman’s appearance led to more and more coverage. Readers couldn’t get enough of the stories of Bruce Wayne and his heroic efforts to save his city of Gotham.

With the comical success of the character, it was almost inevitable that film adaptations would be created. In 1943 the film titled “Batman” was released in the U.S. and was an immediate success. Soon, spinoffs, including Batman: The Movie and Batman and Robin, also became massive hits. Then, in the 1980s and 1990s, films like Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin were released and portrayed by film stars including Micheal Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney. Then in the early 2000s, world-famous director Christopher Nolan created the fan-favorite Dark Knight Trilogy consisting of three films that dove deeper into the character than ever before. The three films explored Bruce Wayne’s origin story and battles between villains (like Scarecrow, The Joker, and Bane) but also himself as he struggles to maintain two lives and hide his identity even from his loved ones.

Batman was everywhere. In film, memes, and toystores. It even gained its own LEGO® character, which later became The LEGO® Batman Movie. Then in the past year, screenwriters Matt Reeves and Peter Craig created their own adaptation of the hero in the 2022 film Batman starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz. Reeves’s darker take on the masked hero took the world by storm, crossing 750 million dollars at the Global Box Office.

The premises of all the media and comic representations of the character were alike, with Bruce Wayne and his alter ego Batman fighting crime against Gotham’s various villains. But this formula of a crimefighting hero in a city like Gotham struck readers and viewers as something they could relate to and be entertained by. Regardless of potential mythical or archetypal reasons for Batman’s appeal, people like him because he’s fully human. He has no superpowers. He can’t fly, run faster than light, or shoot lasers from his eyes, but his drive for justice, vengeance, and change are what truly makes him an intimidating hero. The Batman may be a figment of Bob Kane’s imagination, but the black cape and sleek mask will always be a beacon of hope for generations to come.