User:TheJoebro64/drafts/Batman

Batman, originally stylized as Bat-Man, is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30, 1939. In the DC Universe continuity, Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and owner of Wayne Enterprises based in Gotham City. Kane, Finger, and future DC writers accompanied Batman with supporting characters, including his sidekick Robin, allies Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon, and foes such as Catwoman, Scarecrow, the Penguin, and his archenemy, the Joker. Batman's origin story features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents Thomas and Martha; he trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a bat-inspired persona, and monitors Gotham streets at night.

Kane conceived Batman in early 1939 to capitalize on the popularity of DC's Superman; although Kane frequently claimed sole creation credit, Finger substantially developed the concept from a generic superhero into something more bat-like. The character received his own spin-off publication, Batman, in 1940. Batman was originally introduced as a ruthless vigilante who frequently killed or maimed criminals, but evolved into a character with a stringent moral code and strong sense of justice. Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers, instead relying on his intellect, fighting skills, and wealth. The 1960s Batman television series used a camp aesthetic, which continued to be associated with the character for years after the show ended. Various creators worked to return the character to his darker roots in the 1970s and 1980s, culminating with the 1986 miniseries The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.

DC has featured Batman in many comic books, including comics published under its imprints such as Vertigo and Black Label. The longest-running Batman comic, Detective Comics, is the longest-running comic book in the United States. Batman is also frequently depicted alongside other DC superheroes, such as Superman and Wonder Woman, as a member of organizations such as the Justice League and the Outsiders. In addition to Bruce Wayne, other characters have taken on the Batman persona on different occasions, such as Jean-Paul Valley / Azrael in the 1993–1994 "Knightfall" story arc and Dick Grayson, the first Robin, for a three-year period from 2009 to 2011. DC has also published comics featuring alternate versions of Batman, including the incarnation seen in The Dark Knight Returns and its successors, the incarnation from the Flashpoint (2011) event, and numerous interpretations from Elseworlds stories.

One of the most iconic characters in popular culture, Batman has been listed among the greatest comic book superheroes and fictional characters ever created. He is one of the most commercially successful superheroes, and his likeness has been licensed and featured in various media and merchandise sold around the world; this includes toy lines such as Lego Batman and video games like the Batman: Arkham series. Batman has been adapted in live-action and animated incarnations, including the 1960s Batman television series played by Adam West and in films by Michael Keaton in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), and Ben Affleck in the DC Extended Universe (2016–present). Kevin Conroy, Jason O'Mara, and Will Arnett, among others, have provided the character's voice.

Concept
Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in early 1939. In years past, Kane and Finger had collaborated to produce comics for newspapers and eventually National Comics Publications (the future DC Comics). Finger would write scripts, while Kane would assist him and illustrate. The success of Superman in Action Comics prompted editors at National to request more superheroes for its comics. In response, Kane traced a drawing of Alex Raymond from the January 17, 1939 Flash Gordon comic strip that depicted the character swinging on a rope to rescue a friend from a monster. Kane scrawled the name "The Bat-Man" below the drawing and brought it to Finger for his thoughts. Finger recalled that the character Kane drew "looked very much like Superman with kind of ... reddish tights, I believe, with boots ... no gloves, no gauntlets ... with a small domino mask, swinging on a rope. He had two stiff wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings."

Finger told Kane his character looked too much like Superman wearing an impractical costume and believed he did not look threatening enough.

The bat-wing-like cape was suggested by Kane, inspired as a child by Leonardo Da Vinci's sketch of an ornithopter.

Creation credit
Kane frequently downplayed Finger's role in creating Batman, and as a result Finger's contributions were not acknowledged by DC for many years.

Golden Age
Batman first appeared in the 27th issue of Detective Comics, published on March 30, 1939 (though the issue was cover-dated May 1939).

Modern Age
By the mid-1980s, the comic industry was transitioning into the Modern Age of Comic Books. DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985–1986), a company-wide crossover event, rebooted the DC Universe by getting rid of the multiverse concept. As DC prepared for the reboot, 1986's The Dark Knight Returns, a four-issue limited series written and illustrated by Frank Miller, reinvigorated public interest in Batman. Returning the character to his darker, more violent roots, Miller imagined an alternate future in which a 55-year-old Batman comes out of retirement and faces off against foes old and new, the GCPD, and the U.S. government, culminating in a confrontation with Superman. The Dark Knight Returns was a major commercial success and, alongside Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen (1986–1987), inspired a wave of comics aimed at adults. DC eventually started an imprint for adult works, Vertigo; throughout the imprint's lifetime, Batman appeared in a number of Vertigo comics, including Swamp Thing, Black Orchid, The Sandman, and Dark Night: A True Batman Story.

During the production of The Dark Knight Returns, O'Neil returned to DC after a stint at Marvel and became the editor of the Batman comics. O'Neil operated under the assumption that he was hired to revamp the character and as a result tried to instill a different tone in the books than had gone before. The contract Miller signed to write The Dark Knight Returns also mandated that he handle Batman's post-Crisis on Infinite Earths origin story, to be published as a four-issue Batman story arc under O'Neil's direction. Miller recruited artist David Mazzucchelli, who had worked with him on Marvel's Daredevil, to illustrate "Year One", published in Batman #404–407 (February–May 1987). "Year One" left the existing Batman origin mostly intact, but fleshed it out considerably and, like The Dark Knight Return featured a darker tone. The dark tone continued with Moore and Brian Bolland's Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), a mature readers graphic novel. With The Killing Joke, "Moore gave Batman something [that his] monthly adventures had always lacked: consequences."(145) The Killing Joke depicts the Joker shooting and paralyzing Barbara Gordon, ending her career as a member of Batman's inner circle. The Killing Joke was followed by "A Death in the Family", a 1988–1989 Batman arc in which the Joker kills Jason Todd, traumatizing Batman.