THE HISTORY OF BATMAN part 1

[BATMAN1]

Since 1939 Batman has been an imporant character in the comic book universe. BYTB is going to take you on a journey. We'll learn how he was created, to how he effects the world today.
Batman's legacy is a great one, one that has lived for over 65 years, and beyond!
*Note: This History has been used from many sources, THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF BATMAN, The Dark Knight Net, HERO MAGAZINE, plus many freinds who helped contribute.
PRE-HISTORY:
Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, has himself been known to say that around every ten years or so Batman has to go through some sort of change in order to keep up with the times. This has certainly been the case as seemingly with each passing cultural tide Batman makes a subtle shift, and sometimes not so subtle, in order to make way as the hero for a new time. Ultimately, however, his legacy stands in timeless form as he has truly become a piece of history and culture in every way.

Kane, born in 1916, taught himself to draw by imitating newspaper strips and was known for creating ads for neighborhood merchants even as early as high school. Later in life he worked briefly on Betty Boop cartoons for the Max Fleischer studios but gave the majority of his efforts to what was then the beginnings of the comic book industry.
In the beginning of Kane’s comic book history, he worked on things such as “Peter Pupp” and “Ginger Snap.” Yet, while then his efforts were more with humorous titles in time he shifted toward more serious stories. In 1938 he sold “Rusty and His Pals” to Adventure Comics and “Clip Carson” to Action Comics in 1939. Both strips were written by Bill Finger whose role with Kane continued on into what is now known as the Batman legacy.
Bill Finger, who originally had hoped to be an artist, wound up being a writer. Though not his original passion, Finger quickly became known as the best comic writer of his generation to those artists in the industry at the time. His flare for writing always contained a certain visual element that worked strongly with the artists work. In the Batman world, Finger was certainly the dreamer where Kane was the business leader.
At the time at DC Comics, publisher Vin Sullivan was looking for something fresh for his new Detective Comics title. He was looking for something that would capture the imaginations of American kids as did Superman in the Action Comics title yet something new. Sullivan spoke as much to Kane who credits Sullivan for being instrumental in the very creation of Batman. Without the dreams of Sullivan, Batman may have not ever been.
Kane immediately went home to his drawing board in the Bronx to start hashing out ideas on a possible new character that would meet with Sullivan’s dreams. He started with a basic “Superman-esque” character complete with tights and trunks. He then overlaid a piece of tracing paper so he could more easily work with varying concepts.
What started with a pair of bird-like wings then evolved into the more scalloped concept even know to this day as Kane remembered upon an early flying machine rendition called the ornithopter created by Leonardo Da Vinci. The device, similar to a glider, had wings similar to a bat that lead Kane in the right direction.
A second influence for our favorite hero came when Kane remembered one of his favorite films, The Bat Whispers, from 1930. Directed by Roland West, this film featured Chester Morris a detective who in secret is the costumed character The Bat. This film was an adaptation of a classic thriller from an even earlier time.
The character of The Bat was seen in a 1920 smash Broadway play rightly called The Bat. His creator, Mary Roberts Rinehart, was one of the most successful mystery writers of her time and her best selling The Circular Staircase of 1908 was then adapted to Broadway. The play was filmed under its own title in 1926 and 1958 as well as a 1930 version. The dark themes of this play still are evidenced in horror films of this day but ultimately the concept of a slightly dark sided good guy appealed to Kane.
A third source of influence for Kane came via a film he say as a boy called The Mask of Zorro. Douglas Fairbanks, who played the energetic Zorro, showed off his stuff as a wealthy man destined to serve as a masked crusader for justice in California. This concept stuck with Kane. This dual identity aided in making the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman work as well as it has over the years.
Immediately, Kane designed his hero donned in a black mask like Zorro as well as with the black wings like da Vinci’s ornithopter. In the earliest drafts, our hero wore red tights similar to those of Superman. When Bill Finger saw the sketches he quickly went to a dictionary and looked up a picture of a bat which inspired the distinctive points upon the cowl his character would wear. These points were also introduced in the cape as well as on the gloves as Finger suggested.
One of Finger’s significant dislikes were the gangly wings that Kane had constructed. He encouraged a more simple, scalloped cape so that when the cape was spread it resonated with the appearance of a bat. Kane bit on this idea as well as changed the eyes to simple white spots reminiscent of the empty eyes of the bat. In later times, Finger acknowledged that some of his personal inspiration came from the Phantom, a character from the newspapers in 1936. The Phantom wore a black mask with no visible eyes as well. In the end, the final character sketches included a black cowl and cloak that were highlighted in blue due to the requirements of comic conventions of the day. So, in effect, the original Batman was blue and gray where he previously had red tights. A darker, and more sinister, character was now on the horizon.
This final character was taken back to Vin Sullivan for review. Promptly received, Sullivan commented simply that he thought this new character would “pep up the magazines.” Kane himself admitted that originally he wasn’t thinking in light of stories but instead simply to create a new character that was different. Furthermore, he admitted that as an artist he was more concerned with image rather than plot. This is where Bill Finger comes in.
Finger, born a story man, had a strong enough knowledge of the artistic element that he had enough sense to know what would work in comics. His strong working knowledge of literature also aided as well as the Batman began to take form. Where Kane’s influences came from images, Fingers written influences came from the character of Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketeers of 1844. As well, Finger also drew his style from the ever famous character Sherlock Holmes who first appeared in 1887.
At this very point is where everything started. A character, a writer, and a publisher ready to publish. Here is when Finger started to strut his stuff openly admitting that his original works on Batman were written in the style of the famous pulps of that day. More, he also admits that he viewed the Shadow as Batman’s pulp predecessor who appeared in his own magazine from 1931 through 1949.

[BATMAN1]

The well known stories of the Phantom, as well as those of the Spider and the Phantom Detective, served as a springboard for the original storylines to be seen in the first Batman stories. What is interesting to know as well is that even in the pulp world were many less notable bat figures themselves that ultimately never reached the widespread acclaim that our new Batman character would receive. Undoubtedly, however, the inspiration of these characters came from The Bat as well.
THE BEGINNING OF THE LEGACY:
Batman made his first official debut in Detective Comics #27 although his first printed appearance was in an advertisement in Action Comics #11. In DC #27, one finds a short six-page story called “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate.” Finger himself admits that this first story was inspired by one of the original Shadow stories. This was a typical pulp story minus the overabundance of words as were often seen in the pulps. Kane’s artwork was crammed into each page with even as many as eleven frames per page! In the beginning, his style was clearly more simplistic and needed developed. Kane stated that it took him about a year before he arrived at the full figure he intended as Batman.
With now the Batman legend officially started the job was to continue. In Detective Comics #29 one finds Batman’s first recurring villain Doctor Death. The script for this story has been attributed to Finger but authorship was claimed later by Gardner Fox who has always been acknowledged for Batman’s fifth and sixth stories.
Fox later was known for his script work for the Flash, Hawkman, Sandman, Dr. Fate and the JSA. Fox was known for providing Batman’s first fiancée Julie Madison and is even contributed with being the one who started Batman’s ever growing arsenal of weapons and vehicles.
Ultimately, no one has ever known what Finger felt about Fox replacing him for a couple of stories but he was able to regain his control by better defining his environment. Finger did not like Fox’s attributing Batman’s home town as “New York” so he decided that something needed to be done. In the end, titles such as Civic City, Capital City, and Coast City were tested before finally settling on the now famous Gotham City.
Shortly hereafter, Finger returned in Detective Comics #33. This story quickly became the most famous Batman tale as in it one found Batman’s first origin story. In this two-page tale called “The Batman and How He Came to Be.” In it, the story recounts the horrible murder of Bruce Wayne’s wealthy parents. Later, upon the flight of a bat entering the Wayne mansion, Bruce Wayne decided it was time to avenge his parent’s death.
At this point, one other outside influence must be mentioned regarding Batman. Dick Tracy, the popular comic strip starting in 1931, provided influence not only in its simpler artistic style but also for the fact that he faced an amazing array of villains. However, the only direct tie was when Kane drew a similar character to Tracy’s the Blank in Detective Comics #34. From here on out Batman was on its own track and ultimately lead to a cast of villains that quickly became international icons.
The beginnings of Batman showed absorption of many different influences. However, these were done in such a way that his beginnings in 1939 only paved the way for his huge surge that began in 1940!
As things continued to grow and the pace continued to flare it was obvious that two people alone could not complete the task of Batman. Batman was too big and too much was at stake. In a short time, Bill Finger was replaced only after a few stories and Kane began taking on art assistants such as Sheldon Moldoff who also did work at DC for All American Comics. Here he drew Hawkman, the Flash, and the cover for an all new character called the Green Lantern.
Moldoff himself recalled talking with Kane about the idea of creating a boy sidekick superhero for Batman and then went on to some dismay after one showed up in Kane’s work. Ultimately, when the Boy Wonder, Robin, made his first appearance alongside Batman in Detective Comics #38, Kane’s new assistant was Jerry Robinson. Robinson started out on lettering and backgrounds until later he began doing the entire ink work. At point, Robinson stated that it was Kane’s idea to create a sidekick for Batman.
The notion of a boy sidekick did stir some concern with then publisher Jack Liebowitz who was skeptical about throwing a boy into harm’s way. However, this skepticism turned to positive energy as the market showed strong support for Robin as book sales doubled. On the flip side, Kane did somewhat regret the loss of his more dark and solo hero of the previous issues who ultimately only returned many years later.
Robin was based, primarily, on the character of Robin Hood as seen by the silent film screen star Douglas Fairbanks. Robin’s more colorful outfit, as well as attitude and personality, changed the series in a dramatic way. The humor alone challenged the more sinister and grim outlets seen in the current pulp series’.
While all of this was going on, DC Comics was in dire need of a new editor who was ultimately found in Whitney Ellsworth. Ellsworth, who had worked briefly with the comics group early on, returned now to be editorial director for the next fourteen years. His active interest in the characters of comics ultimately paid dividends when he decided to give Batman his own title in 1940. For a character to get their own title was a huge deal and was a tell tale sign of a character’s already flowing success.
The sheer highlight of Batman #1 was undoubtedly the introduction of the super villain the Joker who broke standard procedure by showing up in the first issue and then again in the fourth. Originally the Joker was going to die in the first issue by accidentally stabbing himself while attacking Batman but Ellsworth stepped in to assure this didn’t happen. He simply saw that this character was far too valuable to simply throw him away in the first issue!
The origin of the Joker as a character, per Jerry Robinson, are stated that Kane wanted to create an all-new arch villain that was ultimately sparked by a deck of playing cards. Kane even designed a new Joker card for the character’s first story. The look and feel of the Joker, as Kane and Robinson agree, was ultimately created when Bill Finger brought in photos showing actor Conrad Veidt in the makeup he wore in “The Man Who Laughs” from 1928. Ultimately, the character of the Joker was shifted from his original homicidal tendencies in the book in exchange for his status as a recurring villain. The price paid here was well worth it!
The Catwoman was also introduced in Batman #1 but was entirely a work in progress. In the beginning she was simply called the Cat with obvious reference to the recently coined term “cat burglar.” By Batman #3 she was in full costume and had already in competition with the Joker for some precious jewels. Only in 1946, however, did she first appear in the skintight purple costume that closely rivaled Batman’s own outfit.
The notability of Batman #1 is at multiple levels. First, Batman now had two villains to fight which meant fighting a little more carefully. Second, after a climax of a battle with some monstrous giants where Batman gunned them down, Whitney Ellsworth made a clear statement that Batman would never again be allowed to use a gun or kill someone by other means. Ellsworth simply did not buy Batman’s statement in the issue that even though he hated to kill sometimes it is necessary. This official ban from Ellsworth was the first step in an upcoming ethical code that would be a positive sign from DC particularly when in the 1950s controversy arose regarding violence and sex in comics.
A third and most interesting villain to Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #58. The Penguin, as he immediately named, was stated by Bill Finger to be inspired by emperor penguins who reminded him of stuffy high-brow Englishmen in tuxedoes. The final result involved a very “classy villain” who was even equipped with an umbrella that later would hide a full variety of weapons for the villain. What is interesting, however, is that Kane said this villain was actually conceived from a cartoon from the little penguin as seen in the Kool menthol commercials of this time period.
A fourth and final villain of significant note is Two-Face who, by contrast to the Penguin, was the most serious and deadly of all of Batman’s foes. The obvious inspiration of this character came from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 tale The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Kane himself specifically credited the 1932 film version which won an Academy Award for Fredric March’s acting. Trauma turned who was originally Harvey Dent to a darker and more sinister self in his first appearance in Detective Comics #66. A man driven by sheer duplicity, he uses a two-headed coin to make all of his decisions. It is of note that Two-Face was so disturbing that even the creators decided to give him plastic surgery in his third appearance. However, they could let him go this way so he would return a decade later when horror in comics was at a height.
At this time, when Batman was simply flourishing all the more, the staff at DC Comics had to grow along with him. George Roussos was brought on to do lettering and backgrounds who was then most known for his full moon landscaped painted over Gotham City. Then editorial director Whitney Ellsworth decided to bring on Jerry Robinson full time who soon was drawing covers and stories on his own. One artist of specific note is Dick Sprang who was hired in 1941 who admits himself that none of his work was published until two years later. Ellsworth simply wanted to stockpile all that he could in the event that he lost artists in the future.
Sprang’s work at DC eventually became such that Ellsworth was noting him as being on of the driving forces’ that made DC great in this era. Sprang’s supreme styling was unmatched during this period and his worked showed his abilities.
At this time too, Ellsworth brought in more editors such as Mort Weisinger from the pulp publisher Standard Magazine. However, when Weisinger was drafted in 1943 Jack Schiff came in to fill in. As it turned out, Schiff wound up being Batman’s editor for over twenty years! His pulp writing experience helped in Batman to aid in developing tight stories. Yet, at this time, when everything seemed to be bigger than ever what came next only enhanced the Batman world by a multitude!

[BATMAN1]

McClure Syndicate, the oldest in the business, had already syndicated a Superman weekly strip so DC hoped they could go elsewhere. However, the strip, called Batman and Robin, did not do near as well as the Superman strips from the outset. Some of the editors felt that maybe the market simply didn’t need two superheroes in the strip business. In any event, syndication went on in a unique situation where DC was permitted to supervise the strip while Jack Schiff did editing. Bob Kane jumped at the chance to pencil for the strip nearly leaving his routine comic book path. Yet, the big time frustrated Kane because of space constrictions for the strips.
Meanwhile, Bill Finger contributed to the newspaper strip series but preferred, and stayed closer to, the comic books. Dick Sprang did the same not liking the style and situation of the newspaper medium. Together Finger and Sprang kept the comic book medium spinning even though they were working from different locations.
The most famous of Batman’s villains showed up in the strips and even more on the color pages in the Sunday pages that kicked off on November 7, 1943. The original story introduced the Penguin and Two-Face arrived in one of the last sequences where Finger decided to kill him off. Of course, however, the villain was destined to return.
During these years more villains were added to fight against the crime-fighting team of Batman and Robin. The Scarecrow, who first appeared in World’s Finest #3, only lasted one more story from here and was the alternate form of psychologist Jonathan Crane. His methods involved intimidation and extortion which ultimately just did not resonate with the readers of that day.
In Detective Comics #74 the twin forces of Tweedledum and Tweedledee appeared but only lasted three stories. These two were obviously devised from the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland.
Another not as vibrant villain was the Mad Hatter who first appeared in Batman #49. By day he was Mortimer Drake who was a prominent figure like Bruce Wayne but adopted the identity of a sword swinging pirate type.
Of all of the various villains that quickly came and went in the Batman comics one in particular seemed as likely for success. The Riddler, debuting in Detective Comics #140, was quite the villain who was the obsessed Edward Nigma who used clues and other devices to lure Batman onto the crimes he committed. The Riddler remained in history until 1965 when he returned again as a recurring attempt to bring him into the limelight.
FROM COMICS TO SCREEN:
During all of this time where DC Comics worked hard to develop the key villains of the Batman comics the United States was at war with an enemy all too real and far more threatening than the villains of comics. In fact, many superheroes got their starts amidst World War II stories to the point that many received their popularity due to the emotions of heroism fostered during these war years. For the Batman world, however, his one significant World War II work came with his first motion picture appearance in the Columbia serial Batman of 1943.
In the days before television, serials were equal to a television series with weekly episodes being played in local movie theaters. These half hour pieces were intended for children and were typically not well made, especially those by Columbia, who received rights for both Batman and Superman.
In the original 1943 serial, a Japanese spy named Daka has the hobby of turning otherwise normal Americans into mind-controlled zombies while his day job is testing radium for his new creation called an atom disintegrator. With the war ending when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Japan it is of interest that Batman and Robin were around during this time as it allowed for new material for the caped crusaders. However, the serials presented an unpleasant attitude towards the Japanese that did not resonate well with all viewers.
Even with the war on in the United States this still did not excuse Lewis Wilson’s original on screen debut as Batman as a rich twit or for Douglas Croft’s presentation of Robin as a kid easy to hate.
These two seemingly hardly cared to fight crime as in one episode they decided to wait until the next morning as they had to get packed before leaving. In fact, the leisurely pace of our two heroes was such that it almost ruined the serial altogether. It was simply crazy. Yet, the new take on the Batcave inspired a new idea even for the comic industry that became the most original superhero hideout anyone could imagine. The serial series was directed by Lambert Hillyer who later did better in his 1936 feature Dracula’s Daughter.
Columbia waited until 1949 to release a second serial, Batman and Robin, which simply was not much better than the original. It was even a cheaper release from the original but this time Robert Lowery played Batman. This series introduced a new hooded villain, the Wizard, who was not much different than many others villains as seen in the comics. More, Batman’s leading lady in this series was none other than Vicki Vale who would later show up in the 1989 movie classic Batman. Spencer Bennet was the director and Sam Katzman was the producer who was known in the industry for cutting corners. Bob Kane himself stated that even though these serials were gone in a short time their influence for the comics significantly increased sales of the Batman comics.
Even with the serials in place the largest audiences during this era were via radio broadcasts. Before television, radio comedies and dramas made the medium the height of home entertainment and Batman was there too. However, as one may expect, Superman was there first and Batman only got to play as guest star and never actually got his own program. In fact, even though the Superman radio programs aired in 1940 it was not until Batman had really made his own mark that he first came on air in 1945. It was stated, even, that Batman and Robin were only introduced so that Bud Collyer, the actor playing Superman at the time, could take a break and go on vacation. More, for all intents and purposes, Robin actually appeared first requesting Superman’s help to save his partner from the evil Zoltan’s wax museum where Batman was trapped in a frozen state. There were a number of radio Batman’s through the years but Matt Crowley typically played the role with Ronald Liss as Robin.
Of note, is that though Batman and Robin were only supporting roles in the Superman radio show there were attempts to get them their own show. The first attempt was made in the early 1940s but all that remains is the script and it is believed that Scott Douglas was the starring role. The second attempt came in the 1950s with a fifteen-minute recording that was used as a proposal for a show called The Batman Mystery Club. The script was by Don Cameron but struggles came simply because by the 1950s television was coming on but some believe that what really killed the show was the format. That is, the show had a number of kids who were being lectured by the Caped Crusader, then John Emery, using very strict guidelines.
Ultimately, in the 1940s the multiple mediums used to promote and present Batman brought him into the homes of millions during this period. With the end of the war comic sales were down for multiple titles so various tactics were used to maintain sales. This would often come in the form of allowing Robin his own stories or using Batman in other titles to promote sales. In the end, Batman was showing up regularly in four different comics.

[BATMAN1]

CONTROVERSIES:
As the 1950s unfolded Batman comics even contained humorous stories where one could find a Joker acting simply loony in many cases. More, crime and horror were showing up so much in other comics that the Batman writers once again decided to bring back Two-Face in Batman #81. Bringing back Batman’s most frightening foe that had been killed in the newspaper strips added more excitement amidst the books. Two-Face was such that the violence he promoted caused controversy with a book written in this same year of 1954. Frederic Wertham wrote his Seduction of the Innocent that worked in a tirade to show how comics were corrupting the youth of the day due to violence and sex promoted within. This effect on the industry as a whole was simply devastating and even our favorite Caped Crusaders risked being destroyed during this time.
Even though the great heroics of Batman and Robin could stop the vilest of villains the efforts of Dr. Wertham made the comic book industry and its heroes totally helpless. His efforts stirred national influence that continued even into congressional hearings! Before all was done the comic book industry nearly ended and sales, obviously, dropped tremendously in light of it all. It was brought to some conclusion, however, when those comic book publishers, including DC Comics, decided to develop a form of the Comic Code that aided in self regulation of the medium. Yet, the fight was still on and DC strove hard to survive during this difficult time.
One of the interesting facets of Wertham’s attacks came in a four page effort in the 1950s to persuade people that Batman and Robin were gay and that readers of their books would certainly wind up down this same path. His attacks included describing the luxurious lifestyle of Batman and Robin who lived together as well as their male butler Alfred. His only real supports for his case were patients at his own Readjustment Center where outwardly homosexuals discussed the desire to change places with someone such as Batman. Ultimately, such discussions were heated particularly in light of the current intolerant era that would not conform to such levels of sexual deviance.
In the end, it was simply absurd for someone to speculate on the actions of our superheroes in regards to what they did in their spare time “off the comic page” simply for the fact these were fictional characters with no life beyond the printed page. Batman’s creators were all overtly heterosexual and they never even imagined such overtones coming from their work. Where some would say homosexuality was genetic Wertham definitely would conclude that it came from comic books.
As a result of all of this, the Batman story team decided to strategize to make the Bat-characters more “family-centric” as well as involving more science fiction type crimes from the villains that would not as easily be a source for replication from the day’s youth. Editor Jack Schiff even decided to extend all of this to provide Batman with his new best friend…a dog. The first appearance of Ace the Bathound came in Batman #92. However, it was not until 1959 that Ace officially became a home member at Wayne Manor. Sheldon Moldoff even commented that the original goal was to make Ace similar to Rin Tin Tin except with a mask.
Moldoff, who had served briefly with Kane in 1939, returned in 1953 and wound up drawing the bulk of Batman comics for the next decade. The majority of Moldoff’s work was inked by Charles Paris who also inked for the Batman veteran Dick Sprang. Ironically, Moldoff never actually met Paris during the course of “working together.”
One of Moldoff’s Batman acclaims came in the form of Batwoman’s debut in Detective Comics #233. It was clear at this time that her introduction was due to the desire to alter the overall feel of the book. The belief was that new character’s could boost sales and everyone seemed excited to provide Batman with a female companion. Batwoman was Kathy Kane who was a former circus acrobat who used all of her hard earned money to attempt her duplicating the wiles of Batman. Ultimately, DC kept attempting to add new and invigorating ideas to the Batman story including a variety additions such as the Batman family, Mogo the “Bat ape,” and even a new hero, Bat-Girl, in Batman #139. Bat-Girl was Batwoman’s niece Betty Kane who was such a big fan she attempted to mimic her.
With the widespread controversies such as mentioned above and the like by 1955 the introductory period of comic book heroes was clearly over to the point that the industry and the art form were in complete disarray. Yet, in 1956 there were signs of new life which eventually came to be called The Silver Age of comics. Julius Schwartz, one noted for meticulous detail, worked with artists to create cover ideas that would ultimately inspire stories. With this came a huge line of new and improved super heroes to the likes of John Broome and Gardner Fox. Their work, along with artwork by others such as Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, Murphy Anderson and Mike Sekowsky, clearly marked what The Silver Age was destined to become.
Primarily, the Schwartz efforts worked to revive and revise the abandoned characters of the Golden Age of comics. Schwartz aided in the reintroduction of heroes such as the Flash, the Green Lantern, the Atom, and Hawkman. Upon the arrival of the Justice League of America Schwartz encountered his first meetings with the Caped Crusader. It was later in 1964 when he himself inherited the hero as his own.
Prior to Schwartz’s involved, however, other things continued to stir in the comic realm. As Moldoff continued to work hard new things such as the Batman family as well as a science fiction introduction crept into the title. Batman simply wound up being overwhelmed by visitors from other planets. This trend in the comic industry as a whole is often attributed to Irwin Donenfeld. Stories such as “The Interplanetary Batman” and “Manhunt in Outer Space” added a welcome change to the Batman stories. Amazing things continued to happen and, at last, it appeared the defeat of the previous years controversies were over!
Though things seemed to be going well, by 1964 Batman was in trouble again! There simply was no core Batman character left as so many gimmicks and ploys had been used to keep the comic selling. Sales were dropping drastically as the endless array of marketing stunts seemed to be found out by the readers. Batman was on the verge of being killed off altogether but all hope was not lost.
Schwartz was not excited about taking on this role but did so out of sympathy. Schwartz’s successes in reintroducing the various previously mentioned characters left the publisher with a hope that resonated close to their desires. In the end, Schwartz’s decisions on Batman revolved around three very important areas. First, Batman would no longer be put through any strange transformations. Second, all links to outer space would be abandoned. Third, he banished all dependant members of the Batman Family even including the Bat-Hound, Bat-Mite, Bat-Girl, and Batwoman. Changes were in place and they were in place fast!
The new version of Batman was first unveiled in Detective Comics #327. The new look was immediately recognizable particularly in light of Infantino pencils and inks by Joe Giella. For the first time in Batman’s history his art style was upgraded to something fresh. One of the most important upgrades to our hero was the yellow oval that Schwartz had placed around the bat emblem on Batman’s chest. This new emblem echoed the look of the Bat-Signal and quickly became the hero’s trademark just as the emblem upon Superman’s chest. Schwartz also streamlined the Batmobile making into a sleek machine as well as reviving some of the best villains from the past days. Schwartz even killed off Alfred in light of the previous controversy promoted by Dr. Wertham. Seen in Detective Comics #328 it was one of the last contributions made by the original Batman writer Bill Finger. However, Alfred would soon return and his death was only temporary.
TO THE T.V. BATMAN!:
In 1965 things took an altogether different move when Bob Kane wrote a letter to Batmania an early Batman magazine. It was here that Kane announced that ABC Television and 20th Century Fox Films were interested in jointly creating a high budget one-hour per week color pilot of our Caped Crusader. Clearly a HUGE undertaking Kane was optimistic saying that this show would be the “in thing” of the day and that this one thing would take Batman to his greatest heights yet.
As it turned out, the show surpassed everyone’s imaginations and became a cultural hit! Even making its debut midway through the television season also broke precedent. Ironically, both two half-hour episodes that occurred each week broke the top ten in ratings! Unfortunately, the show was a genuine fad both making a flashy entrance and a quick fall as it moved to only one appearance a week and then was cancelled after only twenty-six months. It was the first time that a show would make such a huge rise and fall in such a short period.
When the show first aired on January 12, 1966, the Riddler was the villain of choice to face our cowled hero. Previously only a minor bad guy, this villain was quickly catapulted as one of Batman’s greatest foes. The script for this show, drafted by Lorenzo Semple Jr., was based on a story from Batman #171. In fact, there is a passing legend that says that William Dozier actually came up with the television series after reading this issue on a plane flight. Dozier, however, remembered reading the comics simply because the network’s interest had already been underway. Kane himself mentioned that the interest came after one of ABC’s executives attended a showing of the 1943 serial movie at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy mansion in Chicago. In any event, the show began and the Batman history moved forward.
At the time, the notion that something could be amusing because of its being corny or crazy was essential to the pop movement currently prevalent in the society of the day. The show took a similar approach which quickly reveals the purpose for the zany visual style evident in the show. While many comic book fans were annoyed the majority embraced the show with outstanding enthusiasm.
All in all, the Batman television series broke new ground in the Batman history. Ultimately, the character of Batman now received a widespread acclaim that simply was not as evident until the show appeared. It is said, however, that the true emphases of the series were the villains. Cesar Romero himself remembers being told by the producer that the “important characters were the villains.”
Bob Kane loved the original cast of villains in the series. From Romero who played the Joker to Julie Newmar who played Catwoman, each had their place in the overall history of our favorite Caped Crusader. In fact, the combined villainous forces of the Riddler, the Joker, the Penguin, and Catwoman were so well received that their team up was the basis for the 1966 features film of the same name. This film, shot after the season’s shows were completed, had an expanded budget that provided for many more Bat vehicles than seen in the show. Now the fans got to see the famous Batcopter and Batboat!
As Batman, Adam West had a role that defined his career. What’s more, the faithful sidekick Robin was played by the unknown Burt Ward who was chosen for his appearance and particular excitement. West had worked in film and was knowledgeable of his possibility of being typecast but decided to take the role anyway. He felt that he had such an opportunity to take part in a character that would later become a key image of pop culture.
When new television episodes were aired in the fall of 1966 ratings were down. Some commentators felt that the show knew of its own “campiness” but enjoyed it to the fullest. Quite possibly, what once brought the show its fame may have now begun to bring its downfall. The admittedly silliness was now wearing off. By the third season in 1967 the ratings were down more than ever so ABC decided to cut back to only one show per week and by adding a new character called Batgirl played by the dancer Yvonne Craig. Not the younger character as seen in the comics, Craig originally thought she was hired because she could ride a motorcycle. Only later did she find out that it was because she had a cartoon type voice. Ultimately, Batgirl did not really work as a third hero with Batman just never seemed to flow.
The last new program of the series featured Zsa Zsa Gabor as an evil beautician who could read minds with her hair dryers. It was first shown on March 14, 1968. After this last show the program went into reruns and it has had its lasting effect on the Batman world. Millons of dollars of Bat-merchandise were sold and it even stirred some changes in the Batman comics themselves. Julius Schwartz commented that with the campiness of the show came a campier comic since “it was the thing to do.” Yet, while this change brought about increased sales but ultimately undone some of the strong efforts to restore Batman to his roots.
Carmine Infantino, whose art brought about the new look, represented only one of his contributions to DC Comics. In 1966 he was named the company’s art director by Irwin Donenfeld. The next year, when Batman had reached a height of popularity, DC was acquired by Kinney National Services which then bought Warner Brothers. More, in 1967 Infantino also became editorial director at DC and he favored more the modern look of Batman that he had previously created. As such, Kane and Infantino often had disputes over differing opinions on the look of our hero. Eventually, however, they agreed to disagree. Kane later retired from active participation in the comics that same year though he states that the ironic timing of his leaving was only coincidence.
Sheldon Moldoff, who had been working with Kane for many years, suddenly realized that he too was out of a job. Though negotiations were in progress ultimately his agreement was with Kane rather than the publisher. Moldoff remembers receiving his last script and just handing it back. At that point Moldoff decided to move on.
Without Kane or Moldoff, the original ties to Batman’s origins were now severed. Julius Schwartz and his team would now remain responsible for continuing on with Batman into the many years to come.
Though the television series created a brief surge in Batman’s popularity, the next surge came via an unexpected quarter for the anthological comic series The Brave and the Bold. The book had been in a slump for some time so Bob Haney, then the long-time writer, and the editors George Kashdan and Murray Boltinoff realized a change was needed. They thought that featuring a variety of team ups would be a life giving addition. Haney thought of the idea of adding Batman as a lead character of the title coupling him with a different DC hero is every issue. After getting permission he wound up running with that book for around thirteen years! Brave and the Bold #59
Haney remembers sitting down with the, then, chief editor Carmine Infantino where they would look over the sales figures. If a team had not worked they decided not to use them again. What occurred was a near continuous rotation of characters such as the Flash and Green Lantern. Some minor characters worked well also.
Adams, who was born in 1941, worked in advertising and had drawn a newspaper strip based on the television series Ben Casey when he got his start at DC. His artistic additions included unique cross hatching techniques as well as a more photographic appearance of facial expressions. He also insisted that he assist in the color work needed for both the covers and the pages. This in itself was a very unique approach considering that pencilers, letterers, and colorists had, by then, already had clearly defined jobs. Adams also incorporated different page layouts and unique shapes for panels. Yet, his most significant addition to the Batman character was his more realistic illustration techniques applied to the Caped Crusader.
Adams work in the title soon garnered him the opportunity to work in the primary Batman titles. In fact, Schwartz himself even worked to bring Batman to more of a “free agent” status of previous years by sending Robin to college and shutting down Wayne Manor and the Batcave. In Batman #217 ones finds a Bruce Wayne who lives in a Gotham City penthouse.
By the new decade in 1970 Schwartz was ready to unleash a new team upon the Batman comic scene. Of course he kept Neal Adams on but also brought a couple of others to play. He brought in his favorite write Denny O’Neill as well as Dick Giordano who was a newly hired editor who also served as a draftsman in the same office with Schwartz.
O’Neill had already worked with Giordano at a small publisher called Charlton and Adams found quick friendship with the two of them. While O’Neill admits to being primarily a journalist by trade, his work showed amazing potential particularly when he and Adams joined to together to do some Green Lantern and Green Arrow issues that discussed issues of racism and drug use. Ultimately, some of Batman’s strongest stories ever created appeared during Adams and O’Neill’s efforts with the hero. In fact, these dynamic innovators even brought about the creation of two of Batman’s newest villains with Ra’s al Ghul and the Man-Bat. In the end, although their influence was strong, Schwartz, O’Neill and Adams only contributed a handful issues to the Batman story. As O’Neill explained, in those days there was never a strong collaboration effort in the comic industry. Instead, the scripts would simply move from one person to the artist and then on to the next person. The team, unfortunately, never got to work strongly together. It is clear, however, that the resurface of the “darker Batman” is still maintained today thanks to people such as Neal Adams. Neal Adams left DC only after a few years to create Continuity Studios with Giordano as his partner.
Meanwhile, back on the television front, the idea of Batman had still not died down. However, this time the decision was made to put Batman in cartoon form. The first round of Batman cartoons was produced by Filmation and aired on CBS in The Batman-Superman Hour in 1968. This series was packaged with some footage from the previous year featuring Superman. The Adventures of Batman and The New Adventures of Batman followed although with only thirty-three episodes between 1968 and 1977. Yet, in 1973, another cartoon series started called The Super Friends released by Hanna Barbera appeared that featured DC’s Justice League. The Super Friends continued to find their way onto television through reruns but it was not until 1992 that another committed Batman cartoon would dedicate itself to our hero in Batman: The Animated Series.
In 1979 Julius Schwartz moved on and too the assignment to supervise the entire Superman projects while Paul Levitz became editor of many of the Batman titles. DC Comics was in considerable flux and in 1976 Jenette Kahn had been appointed as the publisher of the company. What this resulted in was a realization that the comic book audience of old was, quite simply, growing older while the talent was growing younger. Levitz himself, as example, was only in college when he started working for DC. Independence became the tune of many of the artists and writers of this day which meant some strong changes were at bay.
The most noted contribution by Levitz’s two year stint at DC was bringing about a solid and basic background for our hero. That is, until this point, there was the need to establish some common history for the character that provided a strong framework by which the comics were written. His most proud achievement was “The Untold Legends of the Batman” which detailed in three issues of lot of Batman’s background. This 1980 series was written by Len Wein and drawn by John Byrne and Jim Aparo.
At the conclusion of 1980 comics experienced one of their periodic slumps. In 1981 Levitz stepped aside from the Caped Crusader and allowed Dick Giordano to try his hand at continuing the Batman story. However, after only a little more than a year on the job, Giordano was promoted to an administrative position at DC which later resulted in his becoming editorial director. This meant another change.
At this juncture, Len Wein, one of Batman’s best writers at the time, took the helm. Wein thought of himself more as a writer than an editor so he took a more relaxed approach. He realized the strengths of his team and allowed them to do the job as needed. The most significant event of Wein’s tenure was the introduction of a new Robin, Jason Todd, in Batman #357. Dick Grayson was pretty much out of the scene known working under the name Nightwing as leader of the Teen Titans. However, only with Robin’s leaving altogether did it become evident that Batman needed a sidekick. Thus, Jason Todd was introduced. However, even though a new Robin was brought in the readers never really felt he fit.

[BATMAN1]

THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS:
Now as an executive, Dick Giordano contributed to DC more by bringing on staff that could carry the character. He did this, strongly in part, by his arranging for the work of Frank Miller who created one of the most influential Batman books to date in a four part mini-series called Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. This 1986 smash hit, though amazing, took some time to develop. Miller openly admits that the final version was his fourth of fifth draft. Ignoring deadlines in typical Miller style, he was adamant to take the time needed to get the job done.
At this time, the very notion of ignoring deadlines to help polish up the story was completely antithetical to the comic book business altogether. DC continued to work with Miller fulfilling each of his needed desires including the extra pages, square binding, and glossy paper to show off the colors in richer detail. Quite simply, American comics had never been done this way but comic readers supported the more expensive style and the rest, as they say, is history.
The content of the Dark Knight series was what set this series apart. Inked by Klaus Janson, Miller defines his own work as striving to present the most emotion, humor, violence, etc. as best as possible within a given page. What is more, this comic book’s story of a vigilante hero was heartedly debated in the mainstream press and this alone was Miller’s greatest triumph.
Miller stated it such that the superhero world had simply been misunderstood as only for kids and that the stories were so “utterly pleasant and safe” that something simply needed to change. So, Miller set his hero fifty years into the future when an older Batman had retired. He only returned to the job at the reappearance of villains such as the Joker and Two-Face came about. Batman’s discovery of corruption at every level required action from someone who cared to see change. The series was even condemned as being “fascistic” but Miller claims this was never his intent. Miller, undoubtedly, had made his mark.
Fans ate up the series with strong enthusiasm. This dark tale made Miller succeed in monstrous proportions and Batman gained popularity at international levels. Along with this celebrity, in 1985, Dennis O’Neill was selected as Batman’s next editor to keep the ball rolling. O’Neill’s was about to travel the road that would carry the Caped Crusader all the way into the next century!
With Miller’s amazing story now published, a new beginning for Batman was underway. However, what solidified this new era came in a series that revolutionized the entire DC universe from the inside out. That is, the DC heroes, to date, had all developed significantly complex histories that needed to be addressed and brought to a focal point. This was done, under the inspiration of the editorial staff, in the Crisis on Infinite Earths twelve-issue series. The result of this series for Batman was that he received a fresh makeover that contained key elements from his past but also included their reinterpretation for the new generation of readers.
A key in this development was the aforementioned Frank Miller. Miller found that in many ways he was creating the “historical bookends” for our hero as he was now asked to script the four part mini-series Batman: Year One. With the help of artist David Mazzucchelli, Miller created some foundational and key historical material for our hero. The Crisis series explained the historical continuity of the characters but Year One efforted to simply explain Batman’s origins.
A sequel to this series, Batman: Year Two, made its initial appearance in another four issues started in Detective Comics in 1987. The writer for this series was Mike Barr and the artist for most of the run was a, then, newcomer by the name of Todd McFarlane. In this series Barr created a grim new villain called the Reaper aided in defining Batman’s more humane approach to fighting crime while McFarlane’s new artistic flare for the Bat added a new height to the character.
These two stories together, and the artists who drew them, revealed the breadth of style that Batman could encompass as a character. A new generation of Batman was here. What started with Kane, Robinson, and Sprang moved to the powerful approach of Neal Adams. Now, however, a new era and style was born. What is more, in the Batman world the editors at DC now accepted a certain range of artistic expression with their Batman character that allowed each individual to put their own spin on the character. Ironically, these differing styles did not wind up deterring but rather reinforcing the strength of the character as a whole.
In 1988, going out on a limb, DC decided to give some control to the readers by allowing them to influence the outcome of a very important story in the history of Batman that involved killing off one of the main characters. O’Neill felt that the reading community might bite at such an opportunity so he took the chance. He decided to pursue his hunch and setup a 900 number that readers could call in and vote on, what he called, the “Robin problem.”
Jason Todd, who was introduced in 1983, was a brash and uninviting Robin that, quite simply, did not go over well with the fans. Therefore, something had to be done. O’Neill himself could not come to resolve at what to do about the problem of this character so he left it up to the readers. In the end, by a mere difference of 28 votes, Robin was selected to die in the end of the storyline found in Batman #428. O’Neill and Giordano did the deed but faced the backlash of hate mail that also spilled over into the press. On the positive side, this harsh and fan chosen action allowed the way for a new Robin as well as ushering in what would become the biggest blizzard of Batman fandom the world had yet known.
What started with the graphic novel by Frank Miller became more and more popular. Batman stories overall became even more unpredictable as a result of all of the excitement. Many one-shot books were made and were even presented as special events in themselves. Such is the case with the ever popular Batman: The Killing Joke. This exhilarating story built on the original Joker origin as well as contained his surprise gunning down of Batgirl resulting in her being wheelchair ridden ending her career. An even more impressive display came in Arkham Asylum where Batman was found trapped in the very prison that housed his team of villains. Amazing things were happening in the Batman world but more was yet to come.
BATMAN GOES TO THE BIG SCREEN:
The absolute key event for the Dark Knight came in 1989 when BATMAN was produced, though not the cheap children’s day of 1943, was a major motion picture development featuring a hot diretor, experienced actors, and a budget that was out of this world. The producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber had tried for years to get the piece off the ground but not until the sparks of the hero in the 80s did they try again. However, not all of the pieces were in place. They still needed a director. This came more quickly than anticipated when they met Tim Burton who had already racked up some series credits with films such as Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice. Burton’s cartoony side as well as his darker themes were exactly what was needed to get this film going.
The screenplay for the film was provided by Samm Hamm and Warren Skaaren. This was coupled with the production designing abilities of the ever talented Anton Furst. However, these together did not provide for the most interesting, and unexpected, side to this new film. What did prove interesting, however, was the lead role choice for our hero. Surprisingly, Michael Keaton, as seen in many films previously, seemed to have the look and feel needed by Burton for our hero along with his hot temper. Burton looked beyond Keaton’s typical roles and believed he had found what he needed to pull off what would become one of the greatest superhero films of all time. In the end, along with the amazing acting by Jack Nicholson as the Joker, Burton was right.
Keaton found himself really merging both with the character and with the dark costume required to play the Dark Knight. He found himself searching for more and more ways to make his appearance as dark and menacing as possible in order to pull off the needed look. Admittedly one of his most demanding works, Keaton hit a nitch with the character that struck hard with fans and the box office.
The film was originally budgeted at $40 million and pulled in an estimated $251 million in the United States alone which was only part of the worldwide success and acclaim it achieved. Such success at this level resulted in mass merchandising and, to no ones surprise, a sequel. In 1992, Burton and Keaton once again joined forces to present Batman Returns. This film, seen by Burton as a second chance, allowed him to create a more personal work that would reflect on his deepest perceptions of the character.
With the Joker now dead from the first film, Burton was required to bring along other villains to the big screen. His choices this round were three-fold including Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, Danny Devito as the Penguin, and Christopher Walken as Max Shreck. Each performed amazingly well and critics believed that this film achieved a certain gothic ideal that was closest to its source. Others, however, found it much too dark as well as perverse particularly in light of the number of children who would be attracted.
In all of the excitement about the blockbuster films, Robin was still nowhere to be found. He was once written in but then pulled out. However, back on the comics front DC had managed to bring our favorite sidekick back to action. This time, Tim Drake took on the role with his first appearance in Batman #436 but didn’t get to suit up until Batman #442. Batman was cautious this time around and even considered not bringing on another sidekick. However, after Drake found out his identity and showed up to apply for the job things took a turn for the better.
With the new Robin came a newly modern and computer literate Robin first developed by Chuck Dixon in a 1991 Robin mini-series. In 1993 Dixon continued on his efforts in what became a solo title for the Robin character that discovered widespread success. For Dixon, Dick Grayson was far too perfect, Jason Todd was far too imperfect, but Drake was right in the middle. He was a real teenager as he was meant to be.
Meanwhile, some would ask whatever happened to Dick Grayson? The answer is simple even though the process was a lengthy one that started in 1964 with his joining forces with the Teen Titans. These independent young adults needed a leader and that is exactly what Dick Grayson became. Serving later as the hero Nightwing and donning his own blue costume, Grayson found a new place in comics as he continued to pull away from Batman. Ultimately, Grayson’s popularity as Nightwing evolved into what became his own title series in 1996.
More Batman comics continued to arrive on the stands all in response to a growing interest in the character as a whole. The Legends of the Dark Knight series started in late 1989 stood apart from the regular series continuity and formed its own world of stories that did not really fit with the regular Batman history. The graphic novels continued to grow as well and Catwoman herself even got her own title series in 1993. Many, many stories began to show themselves and Batman’s popularity and readership was strong as ever.
KNIGHT FALL:
In the year of 1992, Dennis O’Neill decided that the time was right to usher in an epic storyline that wound up running for two years and covering seventy one issues of the various Batman titles in formation. The first part of the saga, Knightfall, depicted a new issue for Batman as he faced utter defeat at the hands of the most brutal of bad guys Bane. Bane, who had previously been introduced in a one-shot, became one of the most significant of villains in this era as he broke out of prison, broke the other villains out of prison, and bring about what was unequivocally the first serious loss by Batman. Batman’s back was broken at the hands of Bane in Batman #497 and it appeared that the Dark Knight would never return being permanently paralyzed. As O’Neill rightly put it,”He’s disabled, he’s in a wheelchair, he’s in pain.”
The series continued on in Knightsquest that included the rough battle between Bane and a new character Azrael who later went out as a new Batman in an updated armor plated costume. Ultimately, Batman found a way to recover and overwhelmed his replacement in O’Neill’s own script of Legends of the Dark Knight #63. The result of this incredible serious was a level of collaboration unseen previously at this level in comics. Simply an amazing crew perfected an amazing story.
Meanwhile, while this comic series was making its way, Warner Brothers decided that it was time to try its hand once again, however, with a cartoon series. The series, Batman: The Animated Series, started in September 1992 and quickly found itself amongst critics as being one of the most exceptional and strikingly developed cartoon series to date.
When the first word was let out by Warner Brother executive producer Jean MacCurdy, comic artist Bruce Timm jumped at the opportunity. Timm’s enthusiasm got him the job along with Alan Burnett who served as senior story editor and co-producer. What is more, Burnett made an incredible decision by hiring on Paul Dini who provided incredible writing and stories that only strengthened the show. The end result was that the series was so good that even the Fox network joined in running the show in prime time to attract and adult audience. The results were magnificent and it even went on to win multiple Emmys. Later, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was a feature length film shown in theaters in 1993 but its true fans did not arise until it was released on video at a later date.
Shortly after the series went into production, Alan Burnett was brought in to serve as senior story editor and co-producer. His judgement about what would work for the show proved invaluable, and he also wrote superb scripts that included the television debut of Two-Face in (naturally) two parts, climaxing with Two-Face's breakdown when the coin he flips to determine his actions is lost in a hail of similar silver pieces. One of Burnett's best decisions was hiring Paul Dini, a writer and story editor who provided outstanding scripts like the Mr. Freeze episode "Hearts of Ice"; Dini eventually became so important to the show that he was promoted to co-producer. A unique contribution of the writing staff was to set the show in a mixture of different eras that mirrored the stylistic synthesis of Timm's character drawings. "If it had been up to me I would have set it literally in 1939," said Bruce Timm. "but writers find it really hard to write stories without falling back on computer screens and things like that." So in the series modern technology coexisted with 1940s roadsters and guys in trench coats. These unique choices by writers and artists gave the show a strong personality, and Timm adds that "a relatively high budget" made fuller animation feasible. Other assets included Shirley Walker's atmospheric music and an impressive cast of celebrity voices supervised by Andrea Romano. Batman: The Animated Series was so good that the Fox network also ran it for months in prime time to attract an adult audience, and the show went on to win multiple Emmy awards.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, a feature film based on the cartoon series, was shown in theaters in 1993, but didn't really find its audience until it was released on video as originally intended. Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm from a story by Alan Burnett, it seems to have been conceived as an animated answer to Citizen Kane, with specific shots inspired by the Orson Welles classic and a story about loss and the passage of time presented in a complex flashback structure. Yet it was perhaps the lighter moments that worked best, particularly a twist on the time-tested use of giant props that showed Batman battling the Joker throughout a miniature city designed as an old World's Fair exhibit.
As the television series continued to evolve, Robin was brought more and more into the broad scope of the stories. The result of this was that the title was eventually changed to The Adventures of Batman & Robin. The show continued on up through eighty five episodes where it took a break while the creative team went on to work on a Superman show.
Batman, however, came back powerfully in 1997 when Warner Brothers introduced The New Batman/Superman Adventures. This new hour long show devoted half of its time to each hero until it launched its ninety minute tribute to the World’s Finest where both heroes worked together.
The popular cartoon series also led to a DC comic book called The Batman Adventures in 1992. The book carried with it the themes, feelings, and appearances of the cartoon series and was written by Kelley Puckett and penciled by Ty Templeton. Eventually, Timm and Dini returned to the scene with the dual award winning one-shot Mad Love featuring the series most popular villainous Harley Quinn. Harley was so popular, in fact, that she was even adapted into the mainstream Batman titles.
A strange phenomenon in the Batman world at this point was that while the Batman cartoons of the day were growing surprisingly more serious, two upcoming feature films were growing more cartoonish. Joel Schumacher, the director of the third and fourth Batman films, decided that it was his goal to bring to film a “living comic book” and that he did.
In 1995 Schmacher brought Batman Forever to the big screen featuring Val Kilmer as our favorite Dark Knight, the wily Jim Carrey as the Riddler, and Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face. More, Schumacher decided to do something that Burton opted against by bringing Robin to the films played by Chris O’Donnell. While the film was definitely anticipated Schumacher’s Batman was far less than was Keaton had portrayed in years previous and critics were antsy. By the time Schumacher’s second Batman film, Batman & Robin, made it to the screens in 1997 the critics were increasingly skeptical about the series. In fact, even the title was a misnomer as the film featured a new addition to the heroic realm with Alicia Silverstone playing Batgirl.
Not even George Clooney as Batman, Uma Thurman’s role as Poison Ivy or Arnold Schwartzenegger’s role as Mr. Freeze could bring the Batman movie series back. It was bad. It was really, really bad. Unfortunately, the money came in but the best acting provided in the films came fr