Published: July 17, 2008 10:13 am      

MOVIES: The evolution of 'Batman'

Batman in Detective Comics

The year following Superman’s debut in “Action Comics,” another iconic superhero burst onto the scene. “The Bat-Man” made his first appearance in “Detective Comics 27” in 1939.

“The Bat-Man” became simply “Batman” soon enough, and the character quickly became one of the most popular comic book superheroes. The character debuted with shorter ears and wing extensions off his arms as opposed to his trademark cape, but the generally accepted current visualization of Batman is still pretty close to the original version.



Batman on TV

As Batman continued to evolve in the comics, the character made the leap to television in 1966. The successful series made Batman more popular than ever.

Batman, famously played by Adam West, was costumed mostly in blue and gray at the time. The series, known for its campy characters and dialogue, ran for three seasons on ABC. It implored viewers to tune in at the “same bat-time! Same bat-channel!” Biff! Pow! Zok!



Frank Miller's reinvention

Any traces of camp within the Batman character were destroyed with Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns,” a comic book miniseries from 1986.

Batman became darker than ever in “The Dark Knight Returns,” as Miller portrayed the character as an aging superhero who comes out of retirement in a dystopian world. A powerful, brooding character, Miller’s Batman heavily influences most succeeding depictions of Batman, including Christian Bale’s version of the character.



Batman on the big screen

Batman leapt into the world of movie blockbusters with Tim Burton’s “Batman” in 1989.

Michael Keaton played the Caped Crusader in a film that went on to be the highest-grossing movie of that year. Jack Nicholson offered a over-the-top performance as the Joker. Keaton and Burton would reunite in “Batman Returns” in 1992.



Batman animated

While making his mark on the big screen, Batman also found a home on television in the early 1990s. The acclaimed “Batman: The Animated Series” won two Emmy awards while running from 1992 to 1995 on the Fox network.

The look of the cartoon was much like film noir. Many villains were given new life during the series, which was mature but not profane or overly violent.



The Schumacher years

After Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher took over direction of the Batman films with 1995’s “Batman Forever,” starring Val Kilmer as Batman, and “Batman and Robin,” featuring George Clooney as the Caped Crusader.

Schumacher’s two Batman films were increasingly campy when compared to Burton’s films. “Batman and Robin” was especially zany, what with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze constantly making ice puns.

“Batman and Robin” took a critical whipping and was also the least successful of all Batman films at the box office.



"The Dark Knight"

Batman films hit the reset button when Christopher Nolan took over as director for “Batman Begins.”

Christian Bale’s Batman is tortured and nuanced. “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” (also directed by Nolan) are darker and more serious than previous Batman films. Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker is more psychotic than funny.

Batman has come full circle, back to the dark, conflicted character he was originally intended to be.

Contact Phil Dzikiyat 693-1000, ext. 308.