Creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger
First published 1939
Publisher DC Comics
The iconic comic book story of the Caped Crusader.
Story
Bruce Wayne leads a double life. By day a rich playboy with a butler and a huge estate, by night the caped crusader, operating from the caves below his family estate, working to clear criminals of the streets of Gotham City.
Why we chose it
Batman is one of the most iconic comic book characters ever created.
Where it came from
Batman first appeared in Detective Comics in 1939. In 1940 he got his own comic book series with his sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder. 1940 also saw the first appearance of villains The Joker and Catwoman.
Where it went next
Batman continued to evolve and develop as a character with many artists and writers working on his stories.
There have been numerous film and television Batman stories. He found his way on to television in the 1940s In the 1960s Adam West played Batman both on television and in film. The 1990s saw four films, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, followed a decade later by Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
Associated stories
Batman appears in a number of other comic strips and films set in the DC Universe, including recent films Justice League and The Joker.
Creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger
First published 1939
Publisher DC Comics