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Batman (franchise)

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Adaptations of Batman in other media
Created byBob Kane
Bill Finger
Original sourceComics published by DC Comics
First appearanceDetective Comics #27 (May 1939)
Print publications
Novel(s)Batman: Dead White
Reference book(s)Batman: The Complete History
The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual
Films and television
Film(s)Batman (1943)
Batman and Robin (1949)
Batman (1966)
Batman (1989)
Batman Returns (1992)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman & Robin (1997)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Suicide Squad (2016)
Justice League Part One (2017)
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Justice League Part Two (2019)
Television
show(s)		Batman (1966–68)
The Batman/Superman Hour and The Adventures of Batman (1968–69)
The New Adventures of Batman (1977)
Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
The New Batman/Superman Adventures (1997–2000)
Batman Beyond (1999–2002)
The Batman (2004–08)
Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008–11)
Beware the Batman (2013–14)
Gotham (2014–)
Theatrical presentations
Play(s)Batman: The Musical
Musical(s)Batman: Original Motion Picture Score (1989)
Audio presentations
Radio show(s)The Adventures of Superman
Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome
Batman: Knightfall
Games
Board game(s)HeroClix
Video game(s)Batman (1986)
The Adventures of Batman & Robin
Batman: Vengeance
Lego Batman: The Video Game
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham City
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Batman: Arkham Origins
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Batman: Arkham Knight

Since his first appearance in 1939, Batman has been adapted into such media as film, radio, television, and video games, as well as numerous merchandising items.

Films

Main article: Batman in film

Live-action

A number of Batman theatrical films have been made. There have also been several attempted projects during the hiatus between Batman & Robin and Batman Begins.

Animated films

Featuring Batman

With other heroes

Web series

Other

Television

Live-action

Bruce Wayne

In 1999, Tim McCanlies wrote a pilot script and series bible for a planned series called Bruce Wayne to be produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions. Taking place in his teenage years, the series would cover his passage into young adulthood, training, and development into becoming Batman. Other characters would include Alfred, Sergeant Jim Gordon, law school student Harvey Dent, and a seductive young Selina Kyle. Planned to run for five to six seasons, it would show how he acquired his martial arts skills, his equipment, and detective abilities he would use in his war on crime. It would also focus on topics such as corruption within the board of Wayne Enterprises (an element which found its way into the movie Batman Begins, to some extent) and police affiliation with the mafia. Bruce Wayne was nearing pre-production when Warner Bros. movie division felt it would conflict with the planned Year One movie and scrapped it. The result was Batman Begins and Tollin/Robbins Productions later went to create Smallville, a series about a teenage Clark Kent.

Gotham

Main article: Gotham (TV series)

In 2014, Warner Bros. Television and Fox Network premiered the series Gotham with show creator Bruno Heller, which focuses on James Gordon (played by Ben McKenzie), a detective solving Thomas and Martha Wayne's murder.[4][5] The pilot began filming in March 2014 and features Bruce Wayne (played by David Mazouz) at 12 years old. Fox Chairman Kevin Reilly revealed that the series has an origin story of Wayne becoming Batman in the final episode, and origin stories for Riddler, Penguin, Joker and Catwoman. The series has a similar tone to the Christopher Nolan Batman films.[6] Danny Cannon directed the pilot and executive produces the series.[7]

Animated

  • 1968–69: Superman, produced by Filmation; featured Batman in Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder segments. Batman segments were later repackaged as The Adventures of Superman and Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder. In this cartoon, Batman is voiced by Olan Soule.
  • 1970: Batman appears in three animated educational shorts as part of Sesame Streets first season. Olan Soule reprises his role of Batman.
  • 1972: The New Scooby-Doo Movies, produced by Hanna-Barbera; Batman and Robin appeared in episodes "The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair" (9/16/72) and "The Caped Crusader Caper" (12/16/72), where Olan Soule again portrays the Caped Crusader.
The title card has the show title at the top and Shaggy, holding a flashlight, and Scooby-Doo in the lower left. To the right, in the light from the flashlight, is shown Batman and Robin.
Title card for The Dynamic Duo's guest shots on The New Scooby-Doo Movies in 1972

Radio

Beginning in March 1945, Batman and Robin made regular appearances on the radio drama The Adventures of Superman on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Efforts were made to launch a Batman radio series in 1943 and again in 1950, but neither came to fruition.

In 1989, an original radio drama, Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome, was produced by Dirk Maggs for BBC Radio 4.

A second Maggs production aired on BBC Radio 1 in 1994, this time adapting the comic book storyline Batman: Knightfall. It was adapted, produced and directed by Maggs—with music composed by Mark Russell—who had also made Superman: Doomsday & Beyond on BBC Radio 5. This show, however was not commissioned of its own, but rather to be three-minute episodes on the Mark Goodier Show. This meant it was written with a sense of immediacy; having to make an instant effect and each three-minute segment contains a major plot development or sound effect stunt and ends on a cliffhanger. DC acknowledged the effort in an issue Shadow of The Bat by having villains jump past a sign reading "Dirk Maggs Radio". Michael Gough reprised the role of Alfred Pennyworth from the Burton/Schumacher film series.

Newspaper

Main article: Batman (comic strip)

From 1943 to 1946, Batman and Robin appeared in a syndicated daily newspaper comic strip produced by the McClure Syndicate. Other versions appeared in 1953, 1966, and 1989. The original run is collected in the book Batman: The Dailies. One more comic strip series ran briefly after the success of the 1989 film.

Books

Batman appears in a novel by cyberpunk/horror novelist John Shirley, titled Batman: Dead White from Del Rey. Many other novels and short story collections featuring Batman have been published over the years, including novelizations of each of the recent movies (such as Batman and The Dark Knight Rises) and many of the comic book arcs.

There are also several more scholarly works, aimed at either Batman's history or art, such as Les Daniels' Batman: The Complete History, Will Brooker's Batman Unmasked: Analysing a Cultural Icon and compilations such as Batman: Cover to Cover: The Greatest Comic Book Covers of the Dark Knight. In 2004, The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual, written by Scott Beatty was published by Quirk Books (ISBN 1-59474-023-2). Written in the same style as The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series, the book explained the basics on how to be Batman. Amongst the skills included in the book are "How to Train a Sidekick", "How to Execute a Backflip", "How to Throw a Grappling Hook", and "How to Survive a Poison Gas Attack". Finally, there are of course countless sticker, coloring, activity, and other children's books featuring the Dark Knight.[11]

Foreign comics

Novelty singles

Several musical singles featuring cast members of the television show singing in-character were released in 1966: Burgess Meredith as the Penguin in "The Capture" and "The Escape", Frank Gorshin as the Riddler in "The Riddler", and Adam West as Batman in "Miranda". In 1976 West performed a pair of novelty songs, "The Story of Batman" and "Batman and Robin", for Target Records. All six of these recordings (sans the b-sides to Gorshin and West's singles) were later included on the 1997 compilation, Batmania: Songs Inspired by Batman TV Series.

In 1966, Burt Ward also recorded a limited "disc jokey only" release with Frank Zappa called "Boy Wonder, I Love You".

Also in 1966, British novelty group The Scaffold produced a single called "Goodbat Nightman" (lyrics by Roger McGough, who "has written several poems" about Batman and Robin).[12]

Audio drama

Following the popularity of the Adam West television series, a pair of LPs were released in 1966 on MGM's "Leo the Lion" label. Each contained three dramatizations, including stories adapted from Batman comic books:

  • The Official Adventures Of Batman And Robin:
    • The Legend of Batman and Robin
    • The Penguin's Plunder
    • The Joker's Revenge
  • More Official Adventures of Batman & Robin:
    • The Marriage of Batman and Batwoman
    • The Fake Boy Wonder
    • When Batman Became a Coward

Throughout the 1970s Batman was the subject of a number of Power Records Book-and-record sets, as well as records unaccompanied by books:[13]

45 rpm book and record sets:

  • Batman: Stacked Cards
  • Batman: Robin Meets Man-Bat

7" 331⁄3 rpm records no comic:

  • Batman: If Music be the Food of Death
  • Batman: The Scarecrow's Mirages
  • Batman: Catwoman's Revenge

331⁄3 rpm 12 book and record sets:

  • Batman: Gorilla City & Mystery of the Scarecrow Corpse
  • Batman (Collects Stacked Cards, The Scarecrow's Mirage, Challenge of the Catwoman, If Music Be the Food of Death)
  • Batman (Collects Robin Meets Man Bat, Gorilla City, Mystery of the Scarecrow Corpse, The Catwoman's Revenge)
  • A Super Hero Christmas (segment Batman: Christmas Carol Caper)

The 1980 mini-series, The Untold Legend of the Batman was available in a special "MPI Audio Edition." Each of the three issues were accompanied by an audio cassette containing a performance of the text of the issue, with musical cues.

As part of its DC Superheroes collection, in 1982 Fisher-Price released Batman: The Case of the Laughing Sphinx, an audio cassette accompanied by a hard back illustrated book.

In 2007, the audiobook publisher GraphicAudio licensed DC Comics properties to adapt as audiodramas. They have produced three adaptations of Batman novels: Batman: Dead White by John Shirley, Batman: Inferno by Alex Irvine, and Alan Grant's Batman: The Stone King. Batman also appears as a supporting cast member in the GraphicAudio's adaptations of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis and JLA: Exterminators.

Video games

Main article: List of Batman video games
Batman is shown at the left side of the screen, ready to fight. The target is a prone figure on the other side of the screen.
Screenshot from the Batman Begins video game

Several Batman video games were created:

Screen shot showing a level boss from The Revenge of Shinobi that uses a bat motife and costume that is very similar to Batman's

Batman appears in the Justice League Task Force Super Nintendo fighting game, a pair of Justice League games for Game Boy Advance, and an arcade game based on the Tim Burton film. He appears in the Justice League Heroes game for PS2, Xbox, and PSP and has appeared in the crossover game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.[18] Batman has also appeared as a non-player character in the MMORPG DC Universe Online. He is one of the three available "mentors" for the player, choosing him as a mentor will open an exclusive storyline and exclusive missions. Batman can be unlocked to use in Legends PVP matches with two available appearances: the normal Batman or Future Batman, wearing a grey plated armor instead of a suit, and a helmet instead of just a cowl.

The Revenge of Shinobi features a non-authorized Batman as a boss. The 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System game Final Fantasy features "Badman", a character with strong resemblances to Batman, as one of the enemies of the final area.

Musical theatre

While a parody of a Batman musical was featured in one of the most recent series' comics, in 2002, Jim Steinman, David Ives, and Tim Burton had worked on a theatre production called Batman: The Musical although it was ultimately cancelled. Steinman has revealed five songs from the musical. The first is the opening theme for "Gotham City" and the entry of Batman with his tortured solo "The Graveyard Shift"; followed by "The Joker's Song (Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?)", "The Catwoman's Song (I Need All The Love I Can Get)", "We're Still The Children We Once Were" (the climactic sequence) and "In The Land Of The Pig The Butcher Is King", sung by the corrupt blood-suckers ruling Gotham, covered on the Meat Loaf album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. These songs can be heard at the Batman: The Musical memorial site, Dark Knight of the Soul.

A Batman musical is also parodied in the animated series Batman Beyond. The episode "Out of the Past", (first aired October 21, 2000) opens with Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis attending a performance of (a fictional) Batman: The Musical, featuring caricatures of prominent members of the Rogues Gallery (the Joker, the Penguin, Two-Face, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn). Series creator Paul Dini, who wrote the episode in question, also wrote a song for the fictitious musical entitled Superstitious and Cowardly Lot.

An episode of the sketch comedy show MADtv also featured a Batman: The Musical parody called Batman V: Out of the Cave which starred Tommy Tune as Batman, and Ben Vereen as Robin.

A live stage show was also created, called Batman Live: World Tour. The show is a unique fusion of live action theatre, magic, stunts, digital projection and music from an 85-piece orchestra and choir. The tour began at Manchester, UK in Summer 2011 and visited arenas throughout the UK and Europe before arriving in North America in Summer 2012.

In 2012, the Internet theatre troupe StarKid Productions created a musical titled Holy Musical B@man!, which went on YouTube on April 13. It was performed in Chicago from March 16–25, and because of copyright laws, tickets were free. Batman is portrayed by Joseph (Joe) Walker.

Games, action figures, and other toys

Main article: Batman action figures

Hundreds of Batman action figures, die-cast models, and other items have been released. Many companies have acquired the rights to make Batman merchandise, including:

Batman has appeared as a HeroClix figure, along with other Batman characters, in the following HeroClix sets:

  • Hypertime
  • Cosmic Justice
  • Unleashed
  • Legacy
  • Icons

For April 2006, Lego introduced a Batman line which also includes characters such as the Joker and Two-Face, at American International Toy Fair.

Postage stamps

In 2006, the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a DC Comics Superheroes pane of 20 stamps which included a stamp of Batman.[19]

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Batman, USPS released a limited edition stamp series on October 9, 2014.[20] Four versions of the superhero were depicted from the four eras of comic book history: Golden, Silver, Bronze and Modern. In addition, it included four versions of the Bat-Signal.

Theme park attractions

Main article: Batman amusement rides and stunt shows
the central, metal laticework spire of the Batwing Spaceshot ride.
The 61 metres (200 ft)-tall Batwing Spaceshot tower in the Gold Coast, Australia

Several Six Flags theme parks, formerly owned by Warner Bros., opened live-action "Batman Stunt Shows" as the movies increased in popularity. The now closed Six Flags Astroworld in Houston, Texas was home to a standing roller coaster known as Batman: The Escape. Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas is home to two roller coasters called Mr. Freeze, and Batman: The Ride. Six Flags México in Mexico City, Mexico has also a looping, suspended roller coaster named Batman: The Ride (Six Flags St. Louis has the same ride, as does Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois) as well as twin roller coasters named Batman and Robin: The Chiller. On the latter attraction, riders may ride on either the Batman or Robin versions of the coaster. But unfortunately in the 2007 off-season, the ride was removed after a long history of technical difficulties and occasionally breaking down. Six Flags Over Georgia contains a Gotham City area that contains the same Batman: The Ride and also features a looping coaster called The Mindbender that was adapted to fit the color tone of the Riddler after Batman Forever came out to fit the Gotham City section of the park it shares with Batman: The Ride. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California has two Batman-themed coasters, the suspended coaster Batman: The Ride, and The Riddler's Revenge, a stand-up type roller coaster. This Six Flags park also features an entire themed area called "Gotham City" complete with architecture to match that of the fictional Gotham City. Warner Bros. Movie World in the Gold Coast, Australia, also has two Batman-themed rides. Batman Adventure – The Ride, revamped in 2001, is a motion simulator style simulator ride while Batwing Spaceshot is a vertical free-fall ride.

In 2008, The Dark Knight Coaster opened in Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Great America. Based on The Dark Knight film, they are Wild Mouse roller coasters, indoors, heavily themed, and give riders a feeling that they are being stalked by the Joker. Six Flags New England was originally going to receive this roller coaster; however, due to problems with building permits, the park scratched the project and then sent the coaster to Six Flags México.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ben Affleck To Play Batman In Warner Bros' Batman-Superman Pic; Studio Sets July 17, 2015 Release Date". Deadline. August 22, 2013.
  2. ^ "Man Of Steel 2 becomes Batman vs Superman". Scified. September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 6, 2015). "'Agent Carter' Showrunners Grilled By 'Arrow' Producer in Honest, Wide-Ranging Interview". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 24, 2013). "Fox Nabs Gotham City Origin Drama About Commissioner Gordon From Bruno Heller & Warner Bros. TV With Series Commitment". deadline.com. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
  5. ^ Johnston, Rich (December 2, 2013). "A Double Murder In Gotham's Past And A Grundy In Arrow's Future (Update)". Bleeding Cool.
  6. ^ "FOX's Gotham Is a Batman Origin Story and Will Have a Christopher Nolan-Esque Tone". IGN. January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  7. ^ "Fox Executive Kevin Reilly Talks Batman Origin Story GOTHAM, BROADCHURCH Remake GRACEPOINT, WAYWARD PINES, SLEEPY HOLLOW Season 2 & More". Collider.coate=January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  8. ^ Fitzpatrick, Kevin (July 23, 2010). "Comic-Con 2010: Young Justice Goes Under Cover". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Harvey, James (October 4, 2011). ""Beware The Batman" CGI Animated Series Coming For 2013, "DC Nation" Updates". Worldsfinestonline.com. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  10. ^ "Cartoon Network announces Justice League Action". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com.
  11. ^ "Fansite For Batman Comics, Toys, Figures, News and more!". Batman YTB. June 23, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  12. ^ Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry, page 1359; edited by Richard Ellman and Robert O'Clair; published 1973 by W.W. Norton and co.
  13. ^ "The Power Records Pages • Discography". Runstop.de. September 30, 2006. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  14. ^ Knight, Gareth (June 17, 2002). "A500 Batman Bundle". Amigahistory.co.uk. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  15. ^ Game Informer features a two-page gallery of the many heroes and villains who appear in the game with a picture for each character and a descriptive paragraph. See "LEGO Batman: Character Gallery", Game Informer 186 (October 2008): 92.
  16. ^ Moriarty, Colin (March 4, 2014). "The New Batman Game is Batman: Arkham Knight". IGN. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Dyer, Mitch (March 4, 2014). "Arkham Knight Has No Multiplayer, Kevin Conroy Returns as Batman". IGN. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "News: Batman in new Mortal Kombat - fatalities OUT". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. April 18, 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  19. ^ "Batman stamp, 2006". Smithsonian. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  20. ^ "Exclusive! Batman 75 Stamp Set Collection Unveiled". DC Comics. September 29, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
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