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“I AM VENGEANCE….I AM THE NIGHT…I AM BATMAN! – Batman: the Animated Series (1992) “Nothing to Fear”
The legendary words that the late Kevin Conroy said perfectly reflect the character born in Detective Comics #27 in May of 1939. 85 years later, his impact has crossed over from the comics into pop culture.
Caped Crusader. Dark Knight. World’s Greatest Detective. Superhero. Vigilante. Icon
All those adjectives can sum up only one person: BATMAN.
Over the years, the DC Comics character has grown leaps and bounds. Multiple hit TV and animated series. A force at the Hollywood box office. Successful video game adaptations. The crossover magic continues to grow.
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Let’s not forget about the comic series as well. Detective Comics is well over 1000 issues. Every time a new Batman series debuts, it’s an event. That’s not by chance. It’s a testament to the connection the character has made with fans all over the world.
In 2014, to honor the 75th anniversary of the character, “Batman Day” was born. It is a global celebration of the beloved hero. In honor of this year’s festivities, some of your favorite creators on Nerd Initiative were asked about the impact Batman has made on them. Here’s their responses:
KAT: When I got into DC Comics over a year ago, I never expected to read a Bat title. That all changed with the new Batman: The Brave And The Bold comic. However, when I read Issue #1, something happened. I didn’t expect: realizing just how layered Batman is as a character.
Strip away the cowl, Bruce as a man is so complex. Everyone can find something about him to like. For me, it was always when a member of the Bat family got hurt. Bruce always showed emotion at that moment. That for me was always what Batman meant to me.
DON’T MISS BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER!
TOM: What does Batman mean to me? I have vivid memories of watching Adam West before school in the 80s, and I can’t tell you how many times I have watched Adam West’s movie. Because “Somedays, you can’t just get rid of a bomb.” I vaguely recall if I had a Superfriends Batman figure as a kid, too.
Then THERE on the silver screen was BATMAN, Michael Keaton and this “New Batman” was unlike any superhero I have ever seen. The now-modern classic is ingrained in my psyche. That following Christmas, under the tree, was the NES game. I’ll never forget opening up that wrapping paper, and there shining from the glimmer of twinkling lights was the golden bat symbol from the movie. Don’t forget the cereal, too!
THE PENGUIN RETURNS!
Little did I know that a show would premiere months later, changing the superhero and animation landscape forever. Batman the Animated Series. I forget if I saw the original primetime premiere. But coming home and seeing that silhouette followed by a flash of lightning, I knew I found my superhero. I followed everything sporadically through the Timmverse: BTAS, New Adventures of Batman and Robin, Superman, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited.
The one thing that wrapped it all together with a Batarang was Kevin Conroy, MY BATMAN. I know a whole generation can say the same. But he brought something just “more” to the role: strength combined with compassion and intellect you don’t see on TV. He set the bar to a lofty height that only the Batsignal could reach.
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Add on the movies, the video games, more cartoon series, more movies, more actors taking and bringing something new to the character. The one thing I haven’t referenced yet is Comics… I had never opened up a Batman comic until I joined Nerd Initiative with our second episode of Turn-A-Page.
I never realized how significant Batman was to me until writing this. With that said, it’s not just all the characters on the paneled pages that make up the Bat Family but all of us who know he is one of the great superheroes. PERIOD.
Mickey: Batman and I have quite the history. It all started with the classic TV show that my father shared with me. I was fascinated by this fantastic world full of larger than life personalities, crazy gadgets, and fight scenes rife with psychedelic tunes and colorful onomatopoeia on the screen. This was my introduction to this universe and it would only get better with age.
Next up was Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989. In a cold, dark movie theater, I was enamored by this darker version of one of my childhood favorites! As the film’s credits rolled, I had a renewed love of the character. Of course, being the lover of toys that I am, the merchandising that went a long with this film and its sequels became a big part of my pop culture fueled adolescence. I wanted every batman related toy I could get my hands on!
HOW BOUT BATMAN AND SUPERMAN?
Next up was Batman: The Animated Series. This became a mainstay of my TV viewing habits. The writing, the animation, the world building, and the lore was something to behold. It felt so immersive and special. I can’t underestimate the influence Kevin Conroy had on me and my drive to enter the world of voice acting. Of all Batman properties, BTAS left the most influential mark on me.
It wasn’t till much later that I began to pick up Batman comics. I had always indulged in Marvel titles, but DC was always an afterthought. These days I find myself adding new Batman stories to my pull list on the regular.
With all of the Batman content I’ve consumed I find myself wondering what is it that draws me to his character, his world. Bruce Wayne and Batman see the worst his world has to offer every day and every night. They see insurmountable odds. With all of the hard work they put in, bad things keep happening to good people. In the face of all the darkness, the hopelessness…they persevere, and I like to think that’s something to aspire to.
KEN: Batman is always a character that never stays out of style. From his early beginnings from Bob Kane and Bill Finger to present day, the caped crusader has adapted to the decades he has been placed in. For me as a reader, I never got heavily into reading the books. I was more into the cartoons of the “Super Friends” and “Super Powers” era. Not the gritter version we would see in the 1980’s. The Bat was always the Adam West version in my mind. One event changed all that.
BATMAN AND ROBIN!
Once 1993’s “Knightfall” happened, everything changed. The Bat was broken by Bane. There was a ripple effect on pop culture from everyone who became fans from the Tim Burton classic 1989 film “Batman“. It was surreal to see the Dark Knight defeated in such a profound manner.
Seeing major news outlets bring up the story showed how much the character mattered. Luckily, fans like myself had a new Batman to follow the adventures of. His name was Kevin Conroy. Conroy quickly became THE Batman with his incredible work on Fox’s “Batman: The Animated Series“.
The series mixed in all the key elements of what makes Batman such a legendary hero. Unrelenting will for justice. Fighting crime with nothing more than physical will, gadgets and incredible intellect. Batman has never had super powers, just prep time in some cases.
It wound up winning me over more than the comics at that time. Sure, they were still going but it never felt like there was any serious danger or fear into Bruce Wayne. The movies were thriving but the comics just didn’t mesh it imo. Something was missing. After BTAS wrapped, nothing seemed to fill the void. That is until we got the “new 52” reboot and the fear was put back in.
Leave it to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo to tap back into what makes Batman a legend. The Court Of Owls debuted and pushed Bruce Wayne to the breaking point.
No super powered back breaking. No cosmic entities from Apokolips sending him back in time. Just a sheer display of pushing through the darkness of fear to help other via justice. It reminded a long time reader of what makes Batman so damn special. This has carried back through most of the stories after and that’s never a bad thing. One person making a difference with only their skills and heart, defying the odds to save others from injustice. How can you not get behind that?
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
You’ve heard our team. Now, we want to here from YOU! Hit us up on all Nerd Initiative Social Media and let is know what impact Batman has made on you. Till next time, have an amazing Batman Day!
