214-408: " Knightfall " is a 1993–1994 Batman story arc published by DC Comics . It consists of a trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", " Knightquest ", and " KnightsEnd ". The story takes place over approximately six months. Bruce Wayne (Batman) suffers burnout and is systematically assaulted and crippled by a "super steroid "-enhanced genius named Bane . Bruce
428-447: A camp aesthetic, which continued to be associated with Batman for years after it ended. Various creators worked to return Batman to his darker roots in the 1970s and 1980s, culminating with the 1986 miniseries The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller . DC has featured Batman in many comic books , including comics published under its imprints such as Vertigo and Black Label ; he has been considered DC's flagship character since
642-503: A new Wonder Woman being appointed by Hippolyta , Aquaman losing his hand, and Green Arrow dying in a plane crash as his long-lost son took over the role. In the opening of the novelisation, KnightFall , Dennis O'Neil said that part of the reason "Knightfall" was written was due to the recent popularity of more "ruthless" heroes such as the Terminator and James Bond in films, as editors were starting to wonder if readers would prefer
856-455: A parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters which had been published in the Golden Age of comic books . This allowed creators to publish comic books featuring Robin while being able to disregard Golden Age stories, solving an incongruity, as Robin had been published as a single ongoing incarnation since inception. Robin's origin and history begins the same as
1070-438: A spin-off publication, Batman , in 1940. Kane and Finger introduced Batman as a ruthless vigilante who frequently killed or maimed criminals, but he evolved into a just, tempered superhero with a stringent moral code that prohibits killing during the 1940s. Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers , instead relying on his intellect, fighting skills, and wealth. The 1960s Batman television series used
1284-654: A 1964 revamp by editor Julius Schwartz, who returned Batman to his detective roots and updated his appearance. The 1966 Batman TV series introduced a campy, humorous tone, which was reflected in the comics until its cancellation in 1968. In the 1970s, writers Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams restored Batman's dark, gritty nature, a trend that continued despite fluctuating sales. In the Modern Age of Comic Books Batman comics have undergone significant transformations, reflecting changing storytelling trends and audience interests. Beginning with seminal works like The Dark Knight Returns in
1498-548: A 2021 storyline, depicted in the series I Am Batman , after Batman was declared dead. Additionally, members of the group Batman Incorporated , Bruce Wayne's experiment at franchising his brand of vigilantism, have at times stood in as the official Batman in cities around the world. Various others have also taken up the role of Batman in stories set in alternative universes and possible futures, including, among them, various former proteges of Bruce Wayne. Batman's interactions with both villains and cohorts have, over time, developed
1712-468: A Batman who did not shy away from killing. The character quickly became popular, leading to his own solo title in 1940. Robin, Batman's sidekick, was introduced in 1940, lightening the tone and boosting sales. Over the next few years, Batman's rogues' gallery expanded with iconic villains like the Joker and Catwoman. The 1950s saw Batman in lighter, science fiction-influenced stories. However, declining sales led to
1926-512: A Batman who was willing to kill his opponents. During DC vs. Marvel , Bane attempts to break Captain America 's back in a fight in a similar maneuver, but is caught off-guard when Captain America's shield returns to its owner to strike Bane in the back of the head and knock him out. Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics . Batman
2140-510: A Watson to talk to. That's how Robin came to be. Bob called me over and said he was going to put a boy in the strip to identify with Batman. I thought it was a great idea." The following fictional characters have assumed the Robin role at various times in the main DC Comics Universe continuity : In the comics, Dick Grayson was an 8-year-old acrobat and the youngest of a family act called
2354-419: A bat, Batman deliberately cultivates a frightening persona in order to aid him in crime-fighting, a fear that originates from the criminals' own guilty conscience . Miller is often credited with reintroducing anti-heroic traits into Batman's characterization, such as his brooding personality, willingness to use violence and torture, and increasingly alienated behavior. Batman, shortly a year after his debut and
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#17328512560772568-575: A black cowl, cape, and bat symbol. Seemingly following the suit of the DC Extended Universe outfit, Robert Pattinson 's uniform in The Batman restores the more traditional gray bodysuit and black appendage design, notably different from prior iterations by mostly utilizing real world armor and apparel pieces from modern military and motorcycle gear. Batman's primary vehicle is the Batmobile , which
2782-576: A butler, Clark has a boss." T. James Musler's book Unleashing the Superhero in Us All explores the extent to which Bruce Wayne's vast personal wealth is important in his life story, and the crucial role it plays in his efforts as Batman. Will Brooker notes in his book Batman Unmasked that "the confirmation of the Batman's identity lies with the young audience ...he doesn't have to be Bruce Wayne; he just needs
2996-449: A child, a vendetta tempered by the ideal of justice . He trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a bat-inspired persona , and monitors the Gotham streets at night. Kane, Finger, and other creators accompanied Batman with supporting characters , including his sidekicks Robin and Batgirl ; allies Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon ; love interest Catwoman ; and foes such as
3210-511: A clown-like appearance. The Joker is considered by critics to be his perfect adversary, since he is the antithesis of Batman in personality and appearance; the Joker has a maniacal demeanor with a colorful appearance, while Batman has a serious and resolute demeanor with a dark appearance. As a "personification of the irrational", the Joker represents "everything Batman [opposes]". Other long-time recurring foes that are part of Batman's rogues gallery include Catwoman (a cat burglar anti-heroine who
3424-661: A combination Nomex and Kevlar (inspired by the costume of the Tim Burton Batman films), and drives a new, state-of-the-art Batmobile. He fights former Soviet agents Colonel Vega (who teamed with Asp in "Knightquest: The Search"), KGBeast , and Dark Rider, in order to foil a plot to nuke Gotham City with a device the size and shape of a baseball . Troika is the Russian word for "trio". The saga also shows how Batman makes changes to his life as Bruce Wayne, his relationships with his "family", plans to live without Alfred, and copes with
3638-468: A criminal and anthropological investigation into an apocryphal Haitian vodou cult (revealed by Batman, asserting anthropological and investigative authority, as a front for extortion and crony capitalism ); 3) the murder of Drake's mother by vilified cult leaders; 4) the beginning of Drake's recurrent nightmares and trauma ; as well as 5) the perspective of a child of one of the cult's Haitian followers, unknowingly and inadvertently orphaned by Batman at
3852-480: A dark version of Raven shortly after his arrival, changes his name to " Deathwing ", and serves as her assistant. He becomes so twistedly evil that he at one point tracks down his one-time lover, Mirage, and rapes her. She becomes pregnant and has a child named Julienne. During the Zero Hour event that retroactively erased this timeline, Mirage, Terra and Deathwing survive. It is later established that they are from
4066-609: A darker costume. The character's alter ego, Bruce Wayne , was inspired by historical figures Robert the Bruce and Mad Anthony Wayne . Batman's early adventures drew inspiration from contemporary pulp fiction and characters like Zorro and the Shadow, establishing Batman as a master detective with a dark, brooding persona driven by the murder of his parents. Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Early stories were dark, featuring
4280-670: A direct assault against Batman, Bane's plan consists of weakening Batman by forcing him to deal with the deadly villains simultaneously. Among the freed inmates, there are numerous high-profile villains, such as the Joker (who trapped Arkham's administrator Jeremiah Arkham ), the Scarecrow , the Riddler , and Poison Ivy , as well as many lesser-known villains, such as the Mad Hatter , the Ventriloquist ,
4494-553: A father. In current continuity as of 2021, Dick Grayson serves as Nightwing, Jason Todd is the Red Hood, Stephanie Brown is Batgirl , and Tim Drake has picked up the mantle of Robin again after a stint as Red Robin . Damian has left behind the title Robin, but remains the title character of the Robin comic book. In recent years, Batman has also adopted new sidekicks in the form of Bluebird , whose name references Robin, and The Signal . About
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#17328512560774708-622: A fictional character shown in Teen Titans #38 (2006), the former sidekick of Owlman , created by Geoff Johns and Tony S. Daniel . He is a former member of the Crime Society and a member of the Teen Titans during the one-year gap after Infinite Crisis . According to an interview with Tony Daniel at Newsarama , Talon is supposed to look like his mentor Owlman. He briefly battled Black Adam with his fellow Titans during World War III . It
4922-561: A force for good. Bruce asks BJ to assume control of the organization so that he can become Batman once again. A story in Generations II has Bruce's dying wife imply that BJ isn't his biological son, but this is not explored until Generations III , where BJ uses a Lazarus Pit and becomes Robin once more, ultimately learning that he truly is Bruce's son and everything was a plan by his mother to make up for never allowing father and son to work together as heroes. In Generations III , BJ's life
5136-427: A former child of trauma, guided "other trauma victims down a path of righteousness." Tim Drake, for example, endured trauma and "emotional duress" as a result of the death of his mother (father in a coma and on a ventilator). Drake contemplated the idea of fear, and overcoming it, in both the "Rite of Passage" and "Identity Crisis" storylines. Grant and Breyfogle subjected Drake to recurrent nightmares , from hauntings by
5350-415: A gang of robbers, Batman offered Todd the position as Robin. Believing that readers never truly bonded with Todd, DC Comics made the controversial decision in 1988 to poll readers using a 1-900 number as to whether or not Todd should be killed. The event received more attention in the mainstream media than any other comic book event before it. Readers voted "yes" by a small margin (5,343 to 5,271) and Todd
5564-423: A ghoulish Batman to the disquieting lullaby (or informal nursery rhyme), "My Mummy's dead...My Mummy's Dead...I can't get it through my head," echoing across a cemetery for deceased parents. Drake ultimately defeated his own preadolescent fears "somewhat distant from Bruce Wayne" and "not as an orphan." By the end of "Identity Crisis", an adolescent Drake had "proven himself as capable of being a vigilante" by deducing
5778-470: A hatch to the outside, which covered the very hole he fell into as a child, allowing sunlight to enter the night lenses in Jean-Paul's helmet. After being momentarily blinded, Jean-Paul removes his cowl, sees Bruce standing over him in the original Batman costume and concedes defeat, saying " You are the Batman... You've always been the Batman... and I am nothing... " Bruce comforts Jean-Paul, who leaves to wander
5992-480: A launching point for the first ongoing monthly series featuring Robin in solo adventures. Neither thread of "Knightquest" was collected in book format until over two decades later. Although previous parts of the "KnightSaga" had taken considerable time to run their course, the entirety of "KnightsEnd" was published within a two-month span, as the Batman books had to prepare themselves for DC's impending company-wide crossover Zero Hour , which would immediately follow
6206-536: A leader of the Outlaws, a superhero team that includes Starfire and Arsenal who had spent years with Grayson in the Titans. DC Comics was left uncertain about readers' decision to have Jason Todd killed, wondering if readers preferred Batman as a lone vigilante, disliked Todd specifically, or just wanted to see if DC would actually kill off the character. In addition, the 1989 Batman film did not feature Robin, giving DC
6420-673: A lexicon of teenage behavior from which to draw, unlike when Dick Grayson was introduced and the concept of the teenager was still nascent. They wisely mobilized the expected adolescent behaviors of parental conflict, hormonal urges, and identity formation to give Tim emotional depth and complexity, making him a relatable character with boundaries between his two selves." In the Robin ongoing series, when Drake had fully transitioned into an adolescent character, Chuck Dixon depicted him as engaging in adolescent intimacy, yet still stopped short at overt heterosexual consummation. This narrative benchmark maintained Robin's "estrangement from sex" that began in
6634-417: A limited series that served as a continuation of Tim Burton's Batman films Batman and Batman Returns , ignoring the subsequent films Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), in which actor Michael Keaton did not appear following Burton's departure from the franchise. This series featured a new version of Robin named Drake Winston (whose appearance is inspired by Marlon Wayans , who
Batman: Knightfall - Misplaced Pages Continue
6848-587: A long weekend to flesh out the details and story points. At the same time, the Superman team was planning for a similar character-altering storyline, and neither they nor the Batman group initially had any knowledge of each other's plans. Dennis O'Neil denies the Knightfall storyline was in any way inspired by the Death of Superman storyline and states that it was already in development by as much as three years, saying that if
7062-437: A middle-aged Dick Grayson reclaims the Robin mantle and becomes Red Robin , not at the side of his former mentor Batman, but rather with Superman's League. His uniform is closer to Batman's in design, rather than any previous Robin uniform. Age has not slowed him down, as he possesses all of his stealth and fighting skills. In this story he has a daughter with Starfire ; Mar'i Grayson ( Nightstar ). Starfire has apparently died by
7276-579: A mock trial; he is saved only by a rescue attempt from Robin. Over the next few issues, Batman becomes weaker and weaker as each criminal is put away. The rescue of Mayor Krol from the teaming of the Joker and Scarecrow pushes Batman to his mental and physical limits: a dose of Scarecrow's fear gas makes him relive the murder of Jason Todd , which he considers to be his greatest failure. After this encounter, Bane's men assault Batman before he himself makes his move and attacks him at Wayne Manor , his home as his alter-ego—long before this time, Bane had deduced
7490-416: A moment of crisis. However, their relationship remains largely unexplored, often overshadowed by their respective commitments. One of the most controversial romantic pairings emerged from the animated adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke (2016), which depicted a brief romantic involvement between Batman and Batgirl ( Barbara Gordon ). This portrayal sparked significant criticism among fans, reflecting
7704-425: A motif of a bat that she subsequently gives to Batman. Shiva's caveat is that these attacks will continue indefinitely until Bruce Wayne breaks his vow to never kill. Finally, in the midst of an attack by the final martial artist, Bruce feigns using the " Leopard Blow " fatal maneuver Shiva had taught him, leaving his would-be assailant apparently dead. Shiva finally declares him worthy of fighting her at some point in
7918-485: A pair of bat-like ears; a stylized bat emblem on the chest; and the ever-present utility belt. His gloves typically feature three scallops that protrude from long, gauntlet-like cuffs, although in his earliest appearances he wore short, plain gloves without the scallops. The overall look of the character, particularly the length of the cowl's ears and of the cape, varies greatly depending on the artist. Dennis O'Neil said, "We now say that Batman has two hundred suits hanging in
8132-422: A partnership. Instead, Azrael reaffirms his dedication to Bruce Wayne. The cover of issue #37 depicts Bane breaking Azrael over his knee in a recreation of the famous cover of Batman #497, "Knightfall" part 11. Each story arc of the "Knightfall" saga ran across a number of Gotham City-related comics. This created a fairly complex reading order, which is summarized below. DC Comics published "Knightfall" around
8346-814: A personal psychological mid-life crisis) is forced to deal, in rapid succession, with the returning villain Black Mask and his gang (who target Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox ), a crazed killer called Metalhead, and a sharpshooter assassin hired by an imprisoned mobster to murder Commissioner Gordon . Batman begins to feel that he has lost his edge, especially after his failure to capture Black Mask. He finds himself unable to meditate or even focus. As Bruce Wayne, he contacts holistic therapist Shondra Kinsolving for treatment. He also assigns Robin ( Tim Drake ) to train Jean-Paul Valley in detective work to aid them as an ally, hoping to guide Valley's brainwashing away from making him
8560-515: A poisoned and starved state. Superman describes Batman as "the most dangerous man on Earth", able to defeat an entire team of superpowered extraterrestrials by himself in order to rescue his imprisoned teammates in Grant Morrison's first storyline in JLA . Batman is strongly disciplined, and he has the ability to function under great physical pain and resist most forms of telepathy and mind control . He
8774-414: A powerful nerve gas to terrorists, when she merely wanted to dispose of it so that it could not be used to hurt anyone). His questionable behavior climaxes when he encounters the serial killer Abattoir , who is keeping an innocent prisoner in a secret torture chamber: Jean-Paul purposely lets Abattoir die, thereby condemning the prisoner to death as well. Other villains Jean-Paul faces include Mr. Freeze ,
Batman: Knightfall - Misplaced Pages Continue
8988-462: A price on his head), and went under the identity of Red Bird. Damian met his end at the hands of the Heretic, an aged clone of Damian working for Leviathan , bravely giving up his life. Despite his status as deceased, Damian starred in his own miniseries, Damian: Son of Batman , written and drawn by Andy Kubert , set in a future where Damian is on the path to become Batman after his father fell victim to
9202-562: A principal character in Batman and Detective Comics , Lauren R. O'Connor argues that "A Lonely Place of Dying" served as the denouement of a transition from Dick Grayson 's "absent sexuality," which earlier incited reader interpretations of homosexuality , to definitive heterosexual presence as a maturation narrative. O'Connor offers multiple examples from this 1989 storyline, such as Drake's encounter with Starfire and Grayson's heeding of Drake's concerns over Batman's psychology, to substantiate
9416-464: A protégé) remain as Robin, he gave the role to Damian, who he felt needed the training that his father would have given him. Following the Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne and Flashpoint events, Bruce Wayne returned to his role as Batman, while Dick resumed as Nightwing. As of The New 52 , Damian continued to work with his father, but temporarily gave up being Robin (as his mother had put
9630-451: A reason to keep him out of the comic book series for marketing purposes. Regardless, Batman editor Denny O'Neil introduced a new Robin. The third Robin, Timothy Drake, first appeared in a flashback in Batman #436 (1989) as a preadolescent boy, introduced by writer Marv Wolfman , interior penciler Pat Broderick , and inker John Beatty . Drake's first name was a nod to Tim Burton , director of
9844-466: A red torso, long sleeves, and pants. It also included black gloves and boots, yellow stitching and belt, and a black and yellow cape. Tim Drake continued the motif of a red and black costume when he assumed the role of Red Robin before and during the events of The New 52 . Tim Drake assumes the identity of the Red Robin after Batman's disappearance following the events of Final Crisis and " Battle for
10058-421: A rooftop to demonstrate his superiority to the populace. Quick action by Robin and Alfred spares Batman's life, but at great cost - he is left a paraplegic . With Batman incapacitated, Bane assumes control of Gotham City's underworld and takes over several illegal operations within it. After his defeat, Bruce Wayne enlists the aid of Dr. Shondra Kinsolving to rehabilitate him and asks Jean-Paul Valley to take up
10272-500: A scowling, badass Robin". Morrison explained their intentions for the new characterization of Batman: "Dick Grayson is kind of this consummate superhero. The guy has been Batman's partner since he was a kid, he's led the Teen Titans , and he's trained with everybody in the DC Universe. So he's a very different kind of Batman. He's a lot easier; He's a lot looser and more relaxed." Over the years, there have been numerous others to assume
10486-514: A series of encounters letting Batman know of his presence and his intentions. In Batman #489-490 (February–March 1993), Bane interferes with encounters pitting villains Killer Croc and the Riddler against Batman, and, to test Batman's limits, goes so far as to inject the Riddler with the Venom drug. This escalation culminates in an assault on Arkham Asylum in Batman #491 (April 1993), where Bane breaks
10700-586: A side effect of the energy, Bruce's broken spine becomes healed. However, the drugs forced onto her by Asp, combined with the effects of the fight with Asp, reduce her mind to that of a child as Shondra's traumatised mind regresses to the past to escape her unhappy present, and Wayne reluctantly puts her into a mental institution . Bruce eventually leaves England to return home to a civilian life in Gotham, but Alfred remains in England, not wanting to see Bruce Wayne damage his body further. He does not return to Gotham until
10914-460: A small band of Santa Priscan soldiers and his old henchman Bird. He restrains Azrael and injects him with Venom, with the plan of using him as a super soldier to take over Santa Prisca. Azrael is able to resist addiction to the drug and eventually conquers Bane and flies him back to Gotham City. They arrive just as the massive earthquake occurs. Bane attempts escape but is unable; as a last-ditch effort he unsuccessfully tries to convince Azrael to form
SECTION 50
#173285125607711128-557: A son who was driven mad, took on the mantle of Lord Chaos and conquered his world. This version of Dick stayed in his identity of Nightwing and helped train squadrons of superpowered teenagers that became known as the Teen Titans . He was involved with the much younger Titan Mirage during this time. This alternative-future Nightwing came back in time and briefly joins the Team Titans when their mission takes them to their past, our present. This version of Nightwing, attacked and corrupted by
11342-570: A streetwise young woman who avoids the name Robin but followed the ornithological theme nonetheless; she debuted the codename and identity of the Bluebird in 2014. Unlike the Robins, the Bluebird is willing and permitted to use a gun, albeit non-lethal ; her weapon of choice is a modified rifle that fires taser rounds. In 2015, a new series began titled We Are...Robin , focused on a group of teenagers using
11556-413: A strong supporting cast of characters. Batman faces a variety of foes ranging from common criminals to outlandish supervillains. Many of them mirror aspects of the Batman's character and development, often having tragic origin stories that lead them to a life of crime. These foes are commonly referred to as Batman's rogues gallery . Batman's "most implacable foe" is the Joker , a homicidal maniac with
11770-459: A superhero in his own right. In 2004 storylines, established DC Comics character Stephanie Brown became the fourth Robin for a short time before the role reverted to Tim Drake. Damian Wayne succeeds Drake as Robin in the 2009 story arc " Battle for the Cowl ." The current and former Robins always feature prominently in Batman's cast of supporting heroes ; Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian all regard him as
11984-782: A temporary replacement by Jean-Paul Valley. The aftermath of an earthquake in "No Man's Land" depicted Gotham City in chaos, further pushing Batman to new limits of heroism and survival. Entering the 21st century, Grant Morrison 's influential run introduced Damian Wayne as Batman's son and heir, bringing familial dynamics and a new generation of challenges to the forefront. Morrison's storytelling also delved into surreal and existential themes, such as in Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis , which tested Batman's resolve and sanity against cosmic threats and personal demons. The New 52 reboot in 2011 refreshed Batman's continuity while preserving core elements of his character. This era introduced modern interpretations of classic storylines, like Night of
12198-464: A title currently belonging to the Dark Knight. Batman himself stated that one day Drake will surpass him as a detective. Despite his combat skills not being the match of Grayson's (although there are some similarities, in that they are far superior to Todd's when he was Robin), his detective skills more than make up for this. In addition, Batman supplied him with a new armored costume for his transition to
12412-698: A trap set by the Joker. Batman eventually started a difficult quest to resurrect him, returning Damian to life with Darkseid 's Chaos Shard. Failsafe created a clone of Bruce Wayne to serve as his Robin of Zur-En-Arrh in retaliation for Damian Wayne rejecting him. To make sure the clone didn't turn against him, Failsafe made it start to rapidly age. Robin got away following Failsafe's defeat. With his memories awakeneing, Robin made his way to Crime Alley to attack any criminals that entered there. Batman and Mister Terrific arrived to confront him. When Robin reached Batman's age, he severed his right hand so that it can be transplanted onto Batman. When Robin became elderly, he
12626-636: A valuable weapons cache in Gotham Harbor. When they eventually all meet, mass fighting and gunfire ensue. The battle ends with Selkirk's helicopter crashing into the Gotham Narrows Bridge while Bruce and Jean-Paul fight on the attached Batrope; Jean-Paul falls aflame into the Gotham River. Bruce and Catwoman save Selkirk and his aides just before the helicopter explodes from the leaking fuel, his decision to protect criminals affirming to Catwoman that
12840-504: A vast arsenal of specialized, high-tech vehicles and gadgets in his war against crime, the designs of which usually share a bat motif. Batman historian Les Daniels credits Gardner Fox with creating the concept of Batman's arsenal with the introduction of the utility belt in Detective Comics #29 (July 1939) and the first bat-themed weapons the batarang and the "Batgyro" in Detective Comics #31 and 32 (Sept. and October 1939). Batman's batsuit aids in his combat against enemies, having
13054-535: A villainous threat. Despite the advice of everyone in his life, including Dr. Kinsolving, Bruce refuses to rest and continues to pursue his self-imposed duty despite his worsening condition (although not explicitly noted as a cause , these events take place immediately after the death of Superman , Batman's peer, elsewhere in the DC Universe). In addition, since the events from A Death in the Family , Batman struggles with
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#173285125607713268-454: A weapon and sometimes nearly to death. This surge of violence from Gotham's defender puts pressure on Batman's relationship with Police Commissioner Gordon, who begins to distrust and even fear the new Batman and eventually comes to realize he is not the same man he has known. All of Jean-Paul's actions are compelled by "the System"; on numerous occasions, he experiences the ghosts of his father and
13482-506: A while later, when Dick Grayson persuades him to do so in later issues. Jean-Paul Valley sees visions of his dead father, who had programmed him at birth to be a deadly weapon. These visions tell Jean-Paul to avenge his father's death, and Jean-Paul searches Gotham for his father's killer. Though the killer, Carlton LeHah, had already been encountered and defeated (in Batman: Sword of Azrael ), Jean-Paul's conditioning had warped his mind to
13696-651: A year after Batman 's debut, Batman creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger introduced Robin the Boy Wonder in Detective Comics #38 (1940). The name "Robin the Boy Wonder" and the medieval look of the original costume were inspired by Robin Hood . Jerry Robinson noted he "came up with Robin because the adventures of Robin Hood were boyhood favorites of mine. I had been given a Robin Hood book illustrated by N. C. Wyeth ... and that's what I quickly sketched out when I suggested
13910-412: A young Grayson. Like Dick Grayson, Jason Todd was the son of circus acrobats murdered by a criminal (this time the Batman adversary Killer Croc ), and then adopted by Bruce Wayne. In this incarnation, he was originally red-haired and unfailingly cheerful, and wore his circus costume to fight crime until Dick Grayson presented him with a Robin suit of his own. At that point, he dyed his hair black. After
14124-504: A young adult Tim living alone at the marina, developing a closer relationship with Bernard, and adopting his own crime-fighting partner in the form of Sparrow (Darcy Thomas), a former member of the We Are Robin movement. Stephanie Brown, Tim Drake 's girlfriend and the costumed adventurer previously known as the Spoiler, volunteered for the role of Robin upon Tim's resignation. Batman fired
14338-492: Is a master of disguise , multilingual, and an expert in espionage , often gathering information under the identity of a notorious gangster named Matches Malone. Batman is highly skilled in stealth movement and escapology , which allows him to appear and disappear at will and to break free of nearly inescapable deathtraps with little to no harm. He is also a master strategist, considered DC's greatest tactician, with numerous plans in preparation for almost any eventuality. Batman
14552-467: Is actually a strict teetotaler to maintain his physical and mental prowess. Although Bruce Wayne leads an active romantic life, his vigilante activities as Batman account for most of his time. Various modern stories have portrayed the extravagant, playboy image of Bruce Wayne as a facade. This is in contrast to the Post- Crisis Superman, whose Clark Kent persona is the true identity, while
14766-403: Is an expert in interrogation techniques and his intimidating and frightening appearance alone is often all that is needed in getting information from suspects. Despite having the potential to harm his enemies, Batman's most defining characteristic is his strong commitment to justice and his reluctance to take a life. This unyielding moral rectitude has earned him the respect of several heroes in
14980-539: Is built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to justice in Gotham City. In Batman: Year One , Gordon and Batman learn to trust each other, which transforms their efforts against crime into a more effective partnership. Gordon's perspective as a police officer complements Batman's vigilantism, allowing them to tackle Gotham's challenges together. Another important ally is the Justice League , which further emphasizes
15194-457: Is fifteen, he and Superman 's daughter Kara ( Supergirl ) sneak out to have an adventure and, with the help of Wonder Woman 's daughter Wonder Girl and The Flash 's nephew Kid Flash join forces to defeat some of Flash's Rogue's Gallery. Afterward they decide to form their own team called the Justice League . BJ and Kara become romantically involved as adults, but BJ puts the relationship on hold when Joker kills Dick, forcing him to become
15408-465: Is fraught with conflict due to her father, Ra's al Ghul , and his criminal ambitions. Despite the challenges, their love story resulted in the birth of Damian Wayne , who would grow to become the latest Robin and add a new layer of complexity to Batman's character. Additionally, Batman's relationship with Wonder Woman has been explored in various storylines, including a passionate kiss in JLA (2003) during
15622-479: Is greatly extended by the use of the Lazarus Pit so he can help the human resistance battle the forces of Darkseid , but when he is mortally wounded he decides to pass on, feeling that he's kept Kara waiting far too long; the sight of their spirits departing together is enough to make even Bruce Senior shed a tear. For more information on a similar concept, see Damian Wayne , Bruce Wayne's son by Talia al Ghul . In
15836-460: Is his parents' murder and their absence. Bob Kane and Bill Finger discussed Batman's background and decided that "there's nothing more traumatic than having your parents murdered before your eyes". Despite his trauma, he sets his mind on studying to become a scientist and to train his body into physical perfection to fight crime in Gotham City as Batman, an inspired idea from Wayne's insight into
16050-514: Is needed, the Gotham City police activate a searchlight with a bat-shaped insignia over the lens called the Bat-Signal, which shines into the night sky, creating a bat-symbol on a passing cloud which can be seen from any point in Gotham. The origin of the signal varies, depending on the continuity and medium. Robin (comics) Robin is the alias of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character
16264-508: Is rarely used by Batman himself when referring to his equipment, particularly after some portrayals (primarily the 1960s Batman live-action television show and the Super Friends animated series) stretched the practice to campy proportions. For example, the 1960s television show depicted a Batboat, Bat-Sub , and Batcycle , among other bat-themed vehicles. The 1960s television series Batman has an arsenal that includes such "bat-" names as
16478-408: Is regarded as one of the world's greatest detectives, if not the world's greatest crime solver. Batman has been repeatedly described as having a genius-level intellect, being one of the greatest martial artists in the DC Universe, and having peak human physical and mental conditioning. As a polymath , his knowledge and expertise in countless disciplines is nearly unparalleled by any other character in
16692-472: Is replaced as Batman by an apprentice named Jean-Paul Valley (a.k.a. Azrael ), who becomes increasingly violent and unstable, tarnishing Batman's reputation. Eventually, Bruce is healed through paranormal means and reclaims his role as Batman. "Knightfall" resulted in long-term ramifications for the Batman continuity, as Batman's trust from the police, the public, and his fellow superheroes had to be rebuilt due to Azrael's violence. Additionally, Bruce realizes
16906-416: Is revealed in later issues - secretly, he does not want Dick to have to face Bane, as he knows Dick's character will compel him to try. Indeed, Bruce gives Jean-Paul strict orders never to engage Bane in combat—and when Jean-Paul does face Bane, only his modified gloves save Jean-Paul from being thrown to his death. Soon after, Kinsolving and Tim's father Jack Drake are kidnapped and Bruce and Alfred leave
17120-482: Is sufficiently impressed with Jean-Paul's results. Bruce decides to retire and allow Jean-Paul to continue as Batman. But when Robin tells Bruce of the circumstances surrounding Abattoir's death, Bruce sneaks into the Batcave and demands that Jean-Paul step down. Jean-Paul refuses and tells Bruce to leave the cave and never come back. To rehabilitate his skills due to his lost reflexes after so long out of action, Bruce asks
17334-558: Is unable to shake the influence of the System, giving in to it completely after his first defeat at Bane's hands and being increasingly influenced by it during the rest of his tenure as Batman. Gradually, Jean-Paul alienates Robin with his paranoia and arrogance. In Batman #500, Jean-Paul, in his new mechanical Batsuit (which is an amalgam of Azrael's costume and the Batman's), confronts Bane in an arduous battle and prevails, although many bystanders are put at risk. Jean-Paul leaves Bane broken mentally and physically, though he struggles with
17548-506: Is usually depicted as an imposing black car, often with tailfins that suggest a bat's wings. Batman also has an aircraft called the Batplane (originally a relatively traditionally, but bat-motifed plane, later seen as the much more unique "Batwing" starting in the 1989 film ), along with various other means of transportation. In proper practice, the "bat" prefix (as in Batmobile or batarang)
17762-545: Is variously an ally and romantic interest), the Penguin , Ra's al Ghul , Two-Face (Harvey Dent), the Riddler , the Scarecrow , Mr. Freeze , Poison Ivy , Harley Quinn , Bane , Clayface , and Killer Croc , among others. Many of Batman's adversaries are often psychiatric patients at Arkham Asylum . Alfred Pennyworth , Batman's loyal butler and father figure, first appeared in Batman #16 (1943). After Bruce Wayne's parents were killed, Alfred raised Bruce and became one of
17976-565: The Batman: Arkham series. Batman has been adapted in many live-action and animated television series and films. Adam West portrayed him in the 1960s Batman television series, and he has been portrayed in film by Michael Keaton , Val Kilmer , George Clooney , Christian Bale , Ben Affleck , and Robert Pattinson . Many actors, most prolifically Kevin Conroy , have provided Batman's voice in animation and video games. In September 2024, Batman
18190-501: The Rebirth era . Another important figure is Vicki Vale , a journalist introduced in Batman #49 (1948). Vicki's attempts to uncover Batman's true identity lead to a complicated romantic involvement that waxed and waned over the years, especially during the early 1980s when their relationship became more serious. Talia al Ghul , introduced in Detective Comics #411 (1971), is another key player in Batman's love life. Their relationship
18404-478: The Batman titles continued as they had before "Knightfall" where the creative teams each pursued its own storyline. Instead of a crossover, "Knightquest" was more of an umbrella title that also encompassed some issues of Batman: Shadow of the Bat (to avoid giving away their plans, the publishers treated it as though it were the new status quo, so issues were not numbered as chapters). Additionally, The Crusade served as
18618-482: The Caribbean and then Great Britain . Kinsolving's brother-by-adoption Benedict Asp kidnapped her to use her special powers to kill people at a distance. Asp demonstrates this new form of mass murder on a small English village. When Bruce Wayne finds Kinsolving, he finds himself caught in the middle of a telekinetic tug-of-war between Asp and Kinsolving. The battle climaxes with her refocusing her energy to defeat Asp; as
18832-470: The Elseworlds label. Batman is one of the most iconic characters in popular culture and has been listed among the greatest comic book superheroes and characters ever created. He is one of the most commercially successful superheroes, and his likeness has been licensed and featured in various media and merchandise sold around the world; this includes toy lines such as Lego Batman and video games such as
19046-611: The Firefly , the Cavalier , the Film Freak , Mr. Zsasz , Cornelius Stirk , Abattoir , and Amygdala . The scenario creates a rift in the relationship between Robin and Batman, as Batman irrationally seeks to face the outbreak alone — in later issues, Robin asks Batman if he is even needed as his sidekick anymore. A later flashback to this time period ( Showcase '93 #7-8) shows Batman pursuing Two-Face alone, being trapped and kidnapped to stand
19260-425: The Penguin , the Riddler , Two-Face , and his archenemy , the Joker . Kane conceived Batman in early 1939 to capitalize on the popularity of Superman ; although Kane frequently claimed sole creation credit, Finger substantially developed the concept from a generic superhero into something more bat -like. They drew inspiration from pulp fiction characters like the Shadow and Sherlock Holmes . Batman received
19474-719: The Super-Sons . Grant Morrison used the Bruce Wayne Jr. character in JLA #9 (September 1997), in the story "Elseworlds." After the supervillain Key traps the Justice Leaguers in dream worlds, Batman dreams of a future in which he is married to Selina Kyle/Catwoman . They have a son named Bruce Junior, who was raised from birth to be a superhero and serves as Robin II alongside a Tim Drake Batman. John Byrne created his own Bruce Jr. in
19688-515: The Tim Burton 's Batman and Batman Returns films, Batman has been depicted as completely black with a bat in the middle surrounded by a yellow background. Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight Trilogy depicted Batman wearing high-tech gear painted completely black with a black bat in the middle. Ben Affleck 's Batman in the DC Extended Universe films wears a suit grey in color with
19902-623: The Trigger Twins , Gunhawk and Gunbunny, the Tally Man and Clayface III and IV; the most notable encounters are with Catwoman and the Joker, both of whom could tell that Valley was not the original Batman. "Knightquest: The Search" follows Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth's search for Jack Drake and Shondra Kinsolving, the father of the current Robin and the physical therapist with whom Bruce Wayne had fallen in love during his rehabilitation sessions, respectively. Their investigation leads them to
20116-457: The "Flying Graysons". A gangster named Boss Zucco , loosely based on actor Edward G. Robinson 's Little Caesar character, had been extorting money from the circus and killed Grayson's parents, John and Mary, by sabotaging their trapeze equipment as a warning against defiance. Batman investigated the crime and, as his alter ego billionaire Bruce Wayne, had Dick put under his custody as a legal ward. Together they investigated Zucco and collected
20330-473: The "KnightSaga". Nothing was truncated, as the Batman editorial line made use of all of the Batman-related titles at their disposal, such as Catwoman , Robin and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (normally an anthology title with stories set in the past). "KnightsEnd" was collected in trade paperback as Knightfall Volume 3 soon after completion. The serial nature of the Batman titles continued beyond
20544-472: The "Knightquest: The Search" story arc had not been collected until the second omnibus edition in 2017. The initial idea for the character of Azrael stemmed from a two-part story idea pitched by Detective Comics writer Peter Milligan circa 1991, as he was leaving that position. After line editor Dennis O'Neil decided to expand it into a larger epic, he and the Batman line writers Chuck Dixon , Doug Moench and Alan Grant convened an authors' summit over
20758-509: The 'Year of the Bat'] that featured Robin sales went up because Robin did have his own fans." Although both Grant and Breyfogle initially believed that their Anarky character could potentially become the third version of Robin, they were quick to support the editorial decision to focus on Drake. The social anarchist duo adopted the character as their own in the early 1990s, during Grant's shift to libertarian socialism but before his late 1990s emphasis on Neo Tech . Breyfogle agreed that "it
20972-503: The 1980s, which reintroduced Batman in a grittier, more mature context, the character's narrative evolved to explore deeper themes and darker tones. This period also saw the exploration of Batman's origins and psyche through works like Batman: Year One , and Batman: The Killing Joke , which delved into the complexities of heroism and villainy. In the 1990s, storylines such as " Knightfall " introduced new adversaries like Bane, who physically and mentally challenged Batman, leading to
21186-421: The 1989 Batman film. The character first donned the Robin costume, and became associated with the third version of Robin, in the acclaimed "A Lonely Place of Dying" sequel storyline, which culminated in issue #442, written by Marv Wolfman with cover art by George Pérez , storyline interior pencils by Pérez, Tom Grummett , as well as Jim Aparo , and inks by Mike DeCarlo . In addition to establishing Tim Drake as
21400-516: The 1990s. The longest-running Batman comic, Detective Comics , is the longest-running comic book in the United States. Batman is frequently depicted alongside other DC superheroes, such as Superman and Wonder Woman , as a member of organizations such as the Justice League and the Outsiders . In addition to Bruce Wayne, other characters used the Batman persona, such as Jean-Paul Valley / Azrael in
21614-530: The 1993–1994 " Knightfall " story arc; Dick Grayson , the first Robin, from 2009 to 2011; and Jace Fox , the son of Wayne's ally Lucius , since 2021. DC has also published comics featuring alternate versions of Batman, including the incarnation seen in The Dark Knight Returns and its successors, the incarnation from the Flashpoint (2011) event, and numerous interpretations in comics published under
21828-474: The Bat-computer, Bat-scanner, bat-radar, bat-cuffs, bat-pontoons, bat-drinking water dispenser, bat-camera with polarized bat-filter, bat- shark repellent bat-spray, and Bat-rope. The storyline "A Death in the Family" suggests that given Batman's grim nature, he is unlikely to have adopted the "bat" prefix on his own. In The Dark Knight Returns , Batman tells Carrie Kelley that the original Robin came up with
22042-471: The Batcave so they don't have to look the same ...Everybody loves to draw Batman, and everybody wants to put their own spin on it." Finger and Kane originally conceptualized Batman as having a black cape and cowl and grey suit, but conventions in coloring called for black to be highlighted with blue. Hence, the costume's colors have appeared in the comics as dark blue and grey; as well as black and grey. In
22256-551: The Batman staff had known, the storyline would likely have been pushed down a year. The serial stories of the monthly Batman comics titles began slowly building toward the "Knightfall" arc several months prior, in conjunction with the publication of the four-issue Sword of Azrael miniseries and the Vengeance of Bane one-shot, which also laid foundation for the larger story. "Knightfall" ran from April to October 1993, Batman issues #492-500 and Detective Comics issues #659-666, with
22470-497: The Batmobile before Jean-Paul's trap destroyed it, reasoning that he would have done the same thing with a less dangerous trap. The final battle of the "Knightfall" saga takes place between Jean-Paul Valley and Bruce Wayne in the caverns surrounding the Batcave below Wayne Manor: rather than beating Jean-Paul at hand-to-hand combat, Bruce outwits him by escaping into a passage too narrow for Jean-Paul to go through in his armor, thus forcing Jean-Paul to remove most of it. Bruce then opens
22684-504: The Cowl " and Damian Wayne becoming Grayson's Robin. Following 2011's continuity changes resulting from The New 52 DC Comics relaunch, history was altered such that Tim Drake never took up the Robin mantle after Jason Todd's death, feeling that it would be inappropriate. Instead, he served as Batman's sidekick under the name of the Red Robin . However, in DC's Rebirth relaunch, his original origin
22898-400: The DC Universe, most notably that of Superman and Wonder Woman . Among physical and other crime fighting related training, he is also proficient at other types of skills. Some of these include being a licensed pilot (in order to operate the Batplane ), as well as being able to operate other types of machinery. In some publications, he even underwent some magician training. Batman utilizes
23112-490: The DC Universe. He has shown prowess in assorted fields such as mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, and several levels of engineering. He has traveled the world acquiring the skills needed to aid him in his endeavors as Batman. In the Superman: Doomed story arc, Superman considers Batman to be one of the most brilliant minds on the planet. Batman has trained extensively in various fighting styles, making him one of
23326-497: The Girl Wonder for not obeying his orders to the letter on two occasions. Stephanie then stole one of Batman's incomplete plans to control Gotham's crime and executed it. Trying to prove her worthiness, Brown inadvertently set off a gang war on the streets of Gotham. While trying to help end the war, Brown was captured and tortured by the lunatic crime boss Black Mask . She managed to escape, but apparently died shortly afterwards due to
23540-493: The Grayson years. Erica McCrystal likewise observes that Alan Grant, prior to Dixon's series, connected Drake to Batman's philosophy of heroic or anti-heroic " vigilantism " as "therapeutic for children of trauma. But this kind of therapy has a delicate integration process." The overcoming of trauma entailed distinct identity intersections and emotional restraint, as well as a "complete understanding" of symbol and self. Bruce Wayne,
23754-631: The Multiverse was recreated in the DC Universe event, Infinite Crisis , a new Earth-Two was born, with a Dick Grayson that resembles the original Earth-Two Grayson. It was established that this new Earth-Two was not the same one as before the Crisis on the Infinite Earths, although Grayson's attitude and his status as a crime-fighter with the Justice Society certainly reflected what had gone before. After
23968-554: The Night . "Knightfall" was the first time that multiple Batman titles had shared a single narrative for an extended period since the Crisis on Infinite Earths era. "Knightfall" was immediately followed by "Knightquest" in the monthly serials. "Knightquest" is divided into two storylines, one following Bruce Wayne ("Knightquest: The Search") and the other on the new Batman ("Knightquest: The Crusade"). The stories were not treated as crossovers and
24182-564: The Owls , where Batman confronts the Court of Owls, a clandestine society controlling Gotham for centuries. The chilling return of the Joker in "Death of the Family" explored the intricate relationships within Batman's extended family of allies and adversaries. More recent developments under DC Rebirth and Infinite Frontier have continued to evolve Batman's universe, exploring new characters like Gotham and Gotham Girl , and tackling contemporary issues within
24396-503: The Penguin. Tim initially suspects Jason Todd of reprising his Red Robin persona. Jason claims innocence, supposing that someone may have stolen his suit when he discarded it earlier. The new Red Robin breaks up a scuffle between Tim and Jason, and later is revealed to be Ulysses Armstrong . Armstrong later changes costumes when he reveals himself to be the new Anarky, and after being severely burned in an explosion, an embattled Tim Drake dons
24610-496: The Robin persona to fight crime in Gotham City. The most prominent of these, Duke Thomas, later becomes Batman's crimefighting partner as The Signal . Batman's romantic history spans decades, filled with relationships that reflect his struggle between personal happiness and his duty as Gotham's protector. His first love interest was Julie Madison , introduced in Detective Comics #31 (1939). Though engaged to Bruce Wayne, she left due to his distant and playboy persona, highlighting
24824-618: The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas which had brainwashed him. Later, he returns to Gotham City to aid Batman and the series was retitled Azrael: Agent of the Bat at issue #47. The series ended after 100 issues, with Valley's apparent death. Each issue was written by Dennis O'Neil . Azrael's demise occurred at the same time as the Batman: Hush storyline, which focused on how Bruce Wayne as Batman interacted with his various friends, allies, loved ones, and enemies; oddly enough though, Jean-Paul Valley
25038-503: The Spoiler, Robin, and Batgirl was retconned to have never occurred after the Flashpoint event, with her being reintroduced having just become the Spoiler in Batman Eternal . However, her history as Robin was later restored. Damian Wayne was the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul , thus the grandson of the immortal Ra's al Ghul . Batman was unaware of his son's existence for years until Talia left Damian in his care. Damian
25252-404: The Spoiler, and later as Batgirl . After Brown's apparent death, Drake resumed the role of Robin for a time. The role eventually passed to Damian Wayne , the 10-year-old son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul , in the late 2000s. Damian's tenure as du jour Robin ended when the character was killed off in the pages of Batman Incorporated in 2013. Batman's next young sidekick is Harper Row ,
25466-533: The Superman persona is the facade. In Batman Unmasked , a television documentary about the psychology of the character, behavioral scientist Benjamin Karney notes that Batman's personality is driven by Bruce Wayne's inherent humanity; that "Batman, for all its benefits and for all of the time Bruce Wayne devotes to it, is ultimately a tool for Bruce Wayne's efforts to make the world better". Bruce Wayne's principles include
25680-538: The Teen Titans after Young Justice disbanded following a massive sidekick crossover during which Donna Troy was killed. Tim served as leader of this version of the Titans until 2009, at which point he quit due to the events of Batman R.I.P . Following Infinite Crisis and 52 , Tim Drake modified his costume to favor a mostly red and black color scheme in tribute to his best friend, Superboy (Kon-El) , who died fighting Earth-Prime Superboy . This Robin costume had
25894-461: The adolescent Robin. Tim Drake's first Robin costume had a red torso, yellow stitching and belt, black boots, and green short sleeves, gloves, pants, and domino mask . He wore a cape that was black on the outside and yellow on the inside. This costume had an armored tunic and gorget , an emergency "R" shuriken on his chest in addition to the traditional batarangs and a collapsible bo staff as his primary weapon, which Tim Drake continues to use as
26108-409: The belt have these items stored in compartments, often as pouches or hard cylinders attached evenly around it. Since the 1989 film , Batman is often depicted as carrying a projectile which shoots a retractable grappling hook attached to a cable (before this, a he employed a traditionally thrown grappling hook.) This allows him to attach to distant objects, be propelled into the air, and thus swing from
26322-504: The best hand-to-hand fighters in the DC Universe. He possesses a photographic memory , and has fully utilized his photographic memory to master a total of 127 forms of martial arts. In terms of his physical condition, Batman is described as peak human and far beyond an Olympic-athlete-level condition, able to perform feats such as easily running across rooftops in a Parkour -esque fashion, pressing thousands of pounds regularly, and even bench pressing six hundred pounds of soil and coffin in
26536-532: The bunker. Jason keeps his new suit and identity for the rest of his tenure as a "Challenger of the Unknown", only to discard it on his return to New Earth and revert to his "Red Hood" street clothing. During the Scattered Pieces tie-in to Batman R.I.P. , a new Red Robin makes his appearance, at first only as a glimmering image following Robin ( Tim Drake ) and suspected to have stolen a briefcase of money from
26750-608: The cape and cowl. The Red Robin costume was stated to be more symbolism, than an actual costume choice, as Jason has been both the Red Hood and Robin , being shown as Red Robin . However, in Countdown to Final Crisis #17, Jason dons a Red Robin suit from a display case in the "Bat Bunker" (Earth-51's equivalent to the Bat Cave) as he and Earth-51 Batman join the fight raging on the Earth above
26964-408: The challenges and complexities of Batman's romantic entanglements over the years. Batman has no inherent superhuman powers; he relies on "his own scientific knowledge, detective skills, and athletic prowess". Batman's inexhaustible wealth gives him access to advanced technologies, and as a proficient scientist , he is able to use and modify these technologies to his advantage. In the stories, Batman
27178-464: The character of Robin was intended to be Batman's Watson : Bill Finger, writer for many early Batman adventures, said: "Robin was an outgrowth of a conversation I had with Bob . As I said, Batman was a combination of Douglas Fairbanks and Sherlock Holmes . Holmes had his Watson . The thing that bothered me was that Batman didn't have anyone to talk to, and it got a little tiresome always having him thinking. I found that as I went along Batman needed
27392-416: The character starred in the five-issue miniseries Robin, written by Chuck Dixon , with interior pencils by Tom Lyle and cover art by Brian Bolland . The new Batman and Robin team went on their first official mission together in the story "Debut", again written by Grant and penciled by Breyfogle. Lauren R. O'Connor contends that, in early Tim Drake appearances, writers such as Grant and Chuck Dixon "had
27606-412: The choice of whether to simply kill Bane or hand him over to the police. He decides that he will let Bane go to Blackgate Prison. Jean-Paul continues to watch over Gotham after the fight, but grows increasingly unstable. At the onset of "Knightquest", Jean-Paul Valley has been established as Batman, and Bruce Wayne is out of the country. Instead of a crossover with a definite ending, the publishers treated
27820-524: The classic version except the timeframe occurs when the Detective Comics #38 was originally printed: 1940. This version of Dick Grayson ceased to exist after the multi arc DC Universe spanning event Crisis on Infinite Earths . He was killed by the Anti-Monitor 's Shadow Demons while trying to save civilians, along with Earth-1's Kole and the daughter of Earth-Two's Batman, the Huntress (Helena Wayne) . When
28034-437: The comic books, the "reiteration of the basic origin events holds together otherwise divergent expressions". The origin is the source of the character's traits and attributes, which play out in many of the character's adventures. Batman is often treated as a vigilante by other characters in his stories. Frank Miller views the character as "a dionysian figure, a force for anarchy that imposes an individual order". Dressed as
28248-458: The conflict between Bruce's dual life and his desire for a normal relationship. Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman , is perhaps the most notable figure in Batman's romantic history. Debuting in Batman #1 (1940), their relationship is characterized by a blend of romance and rivalry. Over the years, they have shared intense connections, often navigating the fine line between love and conflict. Their relationship culminated in an engagement during
28462-455: The context of Gotham City's ever-evolving landscape of crime and heroism. Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American industrialist. As a child, Bruce witnessed the murder of his parents, Dr. Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne , which ultimately led him to craft the Batman persona and seek justice against criminals. He resides on the outskirts of Gotham City in his personal residence, Wayne Manor . Wayne averts suspicion by acting
28676-496: The country to find them - their story is continued in "Knightquest: The Search", while the happenings in Gotham are recorded in "Knightquest: The Crusade". Jean-Paul is shown to be a different, but not dangerous, Batman until an encounter with the Scarecrow, which results in Jean-Paul being infected by Scarecrow's fear gas and "The System"—his programming as Azrael—taking over, in order to combat Jean-Paul's fear. Following this, Jean-Paul
28890-405: The criminal mind. He also speaks over 40 languages. Another of Batman's characterizations is that of a vigilante; in order to stop evil that started with the death of his parents, he must sometimes break the law himself. Although manifested differently by being re-told by different artists, it is nevertheless that the details and the prime components of Batman's origin have never varied at all in
29104-567: The current timeline, and were shunted through time and given false memories by the Time Trapper , who wished to use them as sleeper agents against the time travel villain Extant . It wasn't revealed until one of the later runs of the Teen Titans that this was not Dick Grayson, in fact his true identity was never uncovered. After this storyline, this version of Nightwing has not been seen since. In Kingdom Come (a post- Infinite Crisis Earth-22),
29318-555: The decision of making Jean-Paul his replacement. A one-shot that features the return of Alfred after his resignation during "Knightquest: The Search". It has Nightwing going to England in order to track Alfred down. A new series following Jean-Paul Valley began in April 1995, titled Azrael . In it, he is found on the street by Bruce Wayne and given money to leave Gotham to travel the world and find his purpose, as had Bruce. His journeys take him to Europe, where he uncovers conspiracies within
29532-588: The desire to prevent future harm and a vow not to kill. Bruce Wayne believes that our actions define us, we fail for a reason, and anything is possible. Writers of Batman and Superman stories have often compared and contrasted the two. Interpretations vary depending on the writer, the story, and the timing. Grant Morrison notes that both heroes "believe in the same kind of things" despite the day/night contrast their heroic roles display. Morrison notes an equally stark contrast in their real identities. Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent belong to different social classes: "Bruce has
29746-424: The early 1980s. The character was rediscovered by a new generation of fans during the 1980s because of the success of The New Teen Titans , in which he left Batman's shadow entirely to assume the identity of Nightwing . He aids Batman throughout the later storyline regarding the several conflicts with Jason Todd until he makes his final return as the "Red Hood". Grayson temporarily took over as Batman (while Wayne
29960-407: The end of "KnightsEnd", with the "Prodigal" and "Troika" storylines, and into subsequent unbannered stories. This setup resurfaced in later arcs such as " Contagion ", " Legacy ", " Cataclysm ", " No Man's Land ", and " War Games ", and has on occasion continued into the present. The intent of Knightfall' s writers was to counter the then-popular style of violent heroes in comics and demonstrate that
30174-615: The end of the four-issue arc. Tim Drake eventually transitioned from late preadolescence to adolescence, becoming the third Robin over the course of the storylines "Rite of Passage" and "Identity Crisis", with all issues scripted by Alan Grant and penciled by Norm Breyfogle. Story arcs that included Drake only in subplots or featured his training in criminal investigation, such as "Crimesmith" and "The Penguin Affair," were either written or co-written by Grant and Wolfman, with pencils by Breyfogle, Aparo, and M. D. Bright . Immediately afterwards,
30388-500: The epilogue of the Batman/ Captain America crossover from 1996; this Robin is a red-head and resembles a male Carrie Kelley. Captain America wakes up in modern times after having been frozen in ice towards the end of World War II. He reunites with Batman, a friend who had helped him when Joker and Red Skull joined forces. Cap is amazed to learn that in the time he slept, Bruce Wayne has retired from being Batman, has passed
30602-399: The events of Flashpoint , Helena Wayne, daughter of Earth-2's Batman and Catwoman served as Robin and became the only partner that Batman had ever had. In this continuity, Bruce Wayne had never adopted Dick Grayson as his ward, so he never became Robin on Earth-2. However, he does appear later, married to Earth-2's Barbara Gordon, who never became Batgirl on Earth-2. The second Talon is
30816-410: The events of the entire arc, considerable time passes before Commissioner Gordon restores his trust in the idea of a Batman working for good. Gordon can tell that he is not looking at the original Batman (based on Jean-Paul's costume and Dick's height, and the fact that Jean-Paul was more than ready to kill people), and he refuses to place blind trust in a costume after spending so long learning to trust
31030-529: The evidence needed to bring him to justice. From his debut appearance in 1940 through 1969, Robin was known as the Boy Wonder. Batman creates a costume for Dick, consisting of a red tunic, yellow cape, green gloves, green boots, green spandex briefs, and a utility belt. As he grew older, graduated from high school, and enrolled in Hudson University , Robin continued his career as the Teen Wonder, from 1970 into
31244-404: The extent that he no longer remembered the incident. He eventually comes to believe that Penn Selkirk, a Gotham mobster turned weapons dealer who has taken over the remnants of LeHah's organization, is his father's murderer. Valley now spends his time doggedly pursuing him. Returning to Gotham, Bruce meets with Tim. Even though Jean-Paul disobeyed Bruce's order to refrain from attacking Bane, Bruce
31458-457: The famed assassin Lady Shiva to retrain him, using a mask to conceal his identity and arguing that she will do it for the same reason that she does anything; it might be interesting. After helping him regain the essentials of his combat reflexes, Shiva then pits Bruce against several vengeful expert martial artists , having killed their master while wearing a distinctive tengu mask that carries
31672-439: The few people to know his secret identity. He is often portrayed as a steadying presence in Bruce's life, offering both emotional support and practical assistance in Batman's crime-fighting endeavors. More than just a caretaker, Alfred is a trusted ally and sometimes sidekick, sharing Wayne Manor with Bruce and contributing to Batman's mission. One of Batman's most crucial allies is Commissioner James Gordon . Their relationship
31886-526: The first half of 1990. Preorders for Batman and Detective Comics issues featuring a revived Joker and Penguin began to compete with, and even edged out, the last three parts of Grant Morrison 's and Klaus Janson 's Gothic storyline in Legends . Todd McFarlane 's Spider-Man arrived in the second half of 1990, inaugurating six months of Spidermania (or Mcfarlamania, depending on the reader). DC closed out 1990 with vendors under-ordering issues, prompting
32100-508: The future, with Bruce only revealing his adversary's survival to Nightwing and Robin after her departure. Shiva would later learn the truth. Now back in fighting shape, Bruce returns to the Batcave and resumes his role as Batman. Along with Robin and Nightwing, he tracks Valley down to Selkirk's penthouse . Coincidentally, Catwoman is chasing the same man because he owns a neural enabler which might allow her paraplegic friend to walk again. Selkirk already wants to kill Jean-Paul for destroying
32314-457: The hero Nightwing . A second Robin, Jason Todd was introduced in the 1980s, following Dick Grayson's departure from the role. Initially impulsive and rebellious, Jason's tenure as Robin was controversial among fans. In 1988, DC held a fan vote to determine his fate in the iconic A Death in the Family storyline, where the Joker brutally beat Jason with a crowbar and left him to die in an explosion. The fans voted for his death. However, Jason
32528-446: The importance of collaboration. Batman's relationship with Superman showcases how their contrasting ideologies can complement each other. In stories like World's Finest , their friendship highlights how Batman's methods benefit from Superman's optimism and strength. Robin, Batman's vigilante partner, has been a widely recognized supporting character for many years; each iteration of the Robin character, of which there have been five in
32742-475: The incredible physical and mental burden Bruce places on himself in donning the Batsuit. During the story, a firm bond arises between Dick and Tim as they share Wayne Manor together in Bruce's and Alfred's absence. It is revealed later in "No Man's Land" that Bruce also used this time to set up contingency bases throughout Gotham. When Bruce finally returns for good, he wears a sturdier, matte-black Batsuit made of
32956-477: The inmates free and supplies them with numerous weapons to escape. Meanwhile, Robin finds it difficult to work with Jean-Paul, due to the man's violent subconscious training and lack of social skills, and also finds himself being shut out from working alongside Batman. The plot of "Knightfall" begins with the master criminal Bane freeing all of the maximum-security inmates of Arkham Asylum , a notorious psychiatric facility in Gotham City . Aware that he would lose in
33170-472: The intervening years). The child, named Clark Wayne, becomes BJ's Robin and is offered the mantle of Batman when he becomes an adult. Clark turns it down, having deduced that he isn't BJ's biological son, and believing that only a real Wayne should be Batman, instead adopts the identity of Knightwing. In the 1990s, BJ goes on a quest to locate his missing father, whom he eventually discovers as having taken over Ra's al Ghul 's criminal empire and turned it into
33384-574: The introduction of Robin, was changed in 1940 after DC editor Whitney Ellsworth felt the character would be tainted by his lethal methods and DC established their own ethical code, subsequently he was retconned to have a stringent moral code, which has stayed with the character of Batman ever since. Miller's Batman was closer to the original pre-Robin version, who was willing to kill criminals if necessary. On several occasions former Robin Dick Grayson has served as Batman; most notably in 2009 while Wayne
33598-414: The mainstream continuity, function as members of the Batman family, but additionally, as Batman's "central" sidekick in various media. Bill Finger stated that he wanted to include Robin because "Batman didn't have anyone to talk to, and it got a little tiresome always having him thinking." The first Robin, Dick Grayson , was introduced in 1940. In the 1970s he finally grew up, went off to college and became
33812-496: The man. "Prodigal" was utilized as a way of tying up the numerous loose ends that "Knightfall" left, with Killer Croc , the Ventriloquist , the Ratcatcher and Two-Face , along with many other, less notorious escaped inmates being returned to prison. In doing so, Dick avenges his worst mistake from his days as Robin, when a mistake in a confrontation with Two-Face caused a man to die and nearly killed Bruce. He also comes to appreciate
34026-445: The mantle of Batman so that Gotham has a protector. Tim Drake argues with Bruce to allow Dick Grayson (the former Robin and then-current Nightwing ) to become Batman, as he is more experienced and mentally competent. Bruce replies that Grayson has his own responsibilities and would only take up the mantle of the Bat reluctantly (Dick later expressed resentment at not being asked to stand in as Batman). Bruce's rationale for this decision
34240-479: The mantle to Dick Grayson and that his son Bruce Junior is the new Robin. Byrne revisited Bruce Jr. in his Superman & Batman: Generations series. There, Bruce Junior is son of Bruce Senior and his wife, who is never identified but is implied to be Julie Madison . "BJ" greatly desires to be a hero and trains in the hopes of following in his father's footsteps. His mother refuses to let BJ become Robin until he turns eighteen. On Halloween night of 1964, when BJ
34454-590: The miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths , much of the DC Comics continuity was redone. Dick Grayson's origin, years with Batman, and growth into Nightwing remained mostly unchanged; but Todd's character was completely revised. He was now a black-haired street orphan who first encountered Batman when he attempted to steal tires from the Batmobile . Batman saw to it that he was placed in a school for troubled youths. Weeks later, after Dick Grayson became Nightwing and Todd proved his crime-fighting worth by helping Batman catch
34668-547: The name "Batmobile" when he was young, since that is what a kid would call Batman's vehicle. The Batmobile, which was before frequently depicted to resemble a sports car , was redesigned in 2011 when DC Comics relaunched its entire line of comic books, with the Batmobile being given heavier armor and new aesthetics. Batman keeps most of his field equipment in his utility belt . Over the years it has shown to contain an assortment of crime-fighting tools, weapons, and investigative and technological instruments. Different versions of
34882-451: The name Robin Hood, which they seemed to like, and then showed them the costume. And if you look at it, it's Wyeth's costume, from my memory, because I didn't have the book to look at." Although Robin is best known as Batman's sidekick, the Robins have also been members of the superhero groups the Teen Titans (with the original Robin, Dick Grayson , as a founding member and the latter group's leader) and Young Justice . In Batman stories,
35096-520: The name of Batman, or to officially take over for Bruce during his leaves of absence. Jean-Paul Valley, also known as Azrael , assumed the cowl after the events of the Knightfall saga. Jim Gordon donned a mecha-suit after the events of Batman: Endgame , and served as Batman in 2015 and 2016. In 2021, as part of the Fear State crossover event, Lucius Fox 's son Jace Fox succeeds Bruce as Batman in
35310-451: The notion of a heterosexual bildungsroman subplot . The ensuing Tim Drake storylines, authored by Alan Grant and penciled by Norm Breyfogle , coupled with the 1989 release of Burton's Batman , spurred sales of both comic book titles Batman and Detective Comics . For the latter, Grant attested in 2007 that "when the Batman movie came out, the sales went up, if I recall correctly, from around 75,000 to about 675,000." 1989–90
35524-561: The part of a superficial playboy idly living off his family's fortune and the profits of Wayne Enterprises , his inherited conglomerate. He supports philanthropic causes through his nonprofit Wayne Foundation, which in part addresses social issues encouraging crime as well as assisting victims of it, but is more widely known as a celebrity socialite. In public, he frequently appears in the company of high-status women, which encourages tabloid gossip while feigning near-drunkenness with consuming large quantities of disguised ginger ale since Wayne
35738-582: The patriarch Saint Dumas giving him guidance and he is driven to near-insanity by the time the saga ends. He repeatedly redesigns his Batman costume, adding more gadgets and lethal weapons, including metal claws, a laser, razor-sharp batarangs and a flamethrower. Eventually, he also adds a Bat-symbol, matching the one used for the series' logo. Valley becomes compelled by a desire to be a better Batman than Bruce Wayne, especially when he discovers his lack of interest in detective work caused him to make false assumptions about Catwoman (he thought that she would sell
35952-480: The peril and burden of attempting to work in solitude, leading to the eventual creation of the modern incarnation of the Batman Family . The events of "Knightfall" also led to the (temporary) resignation of Bruce's loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth . The entire "Knightfall" storyline took over a year to complete in the comic book serials. In later years, the comics were reprinted several times, though never in full, as
36166-406: The properties of both Kevlar and Nomex . It protects him from gunfire and other significant impacts, and incorporates the imagery of a bat in order to frighten criminals. The details of the Batman costume change repeatedly through various decades, stories, media and artists' interpretations, but the most distinctive elements remain consistent: a scallop-hem cape; a cowl covering most of the face;
36380-414: The publisher to push Batman #457 and the first part of the Robin mini-series into second and then third printings. The next year, 1991, witnessed the ascension of Chris Claremont 's, Jim Lee 's, and Scott Williams 's X-Men against Magneto , as well as Fabian Nicieza 's and Rob Liefeld 's X-Force , into the top of the preorder rankings. The only exception to this X-mania was, again, Tim Drake and
36594-401: The release of "Knightfall": The two characters were quickly added to the cast in the monthly Batman titles, with Azrael being a superhero-in-training who fights alongside Batman, while Bane was introduced as a supervillain. Within the regular series, the buildup to "Knightfall" begins with a six-issue run in Batman #484-489 (September 1992 - February 1993), in which Batman (at the onset of
36808-446: The residents of his neighborhood. He is initially distrustful of both Bruce Wayne and Batman, but after witnessing his dedication towards helping people and figuring out they are the same person, the two become partners and work together to stop the corrupted Dent and arsonists terrorizing the city. The Robin of Earth-Two is a parallel version of the fictional DC Comics superhero, who was ntroduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two ,
37022-617: The role of fear in instigating a series of violent crimes. In the comics, Tim Drake was a late preadolescent boy who had followed the adventures of Batman and Robin ever since witnessing the murder of the Flying Graysons. This served to connect Drake to Grayson, establishing a link that DC hoped would help readers accept this new Robin. Drake surmised their secret identities with his amateur but instinctive detective skills and followed their careers closely. Tim stated on numerous occasions that he wishes to become "The World's Greatest Detective",
37236-537: The role of the Caped Crusader. Bruce Jr., having secretly trained on his own, volunteers to become the new Robin, despite objections from his mother. As Robin II, he fights alongside Batman II. Several subsequent " imaginary stories " featuring Bruce Jr. followed; the last in this series was "Bat-Girl—Batwoman II" in Batman #163 (May 1964). Bruce Wayne Jr next appeared in World's Finest Comics #215 (January 1973) as one of
37450-421: The role, Matt was eventually asked to stop being Robin after his encounter with the Joker. In the digitally rendered tale Batman: Digital Justice , James Gordon the grandson of his namesake, Commissioner Gordon , takes on the mantle of the Batman. A character named Robert Chang , who is somewhat reminiscent of the post-Crisis Jason Todd, takes on the mantle of Robin. In 2021, DC published Batman '89 ,
37664-462: The rooftops of Gotham City. An exception to the range of Batman's equipment are hand guns , which he refuses to use on principle, since a gun was used in his parents' murder. In modern stories in terms of his vehicles, Batman compromises on that principle to install weapon systems on them for the purpose of non-lethally disabling other vehicles, forcing entry into locations and attacking dangerous targets too large to defeat by other means. When Batman
37878-545: The sales of the Batman titles. Robin's early adventures included Star Spangled Comics #65–130 (1947–1952), the character's first solo feature. He made regular appearances in Batman-related comic books and other DC Comics publications from 1940 through the early 1980s, until the character set aside the Robin identity and became the independent superhero Nightwing . The character's second incarnation, Jason Todd , first appeared in Batman #357 (1983). He made regular appearances in Batman-related comic books until 1988, when he
38092-571: The same time as " The Death of Superman " storyline. "Knightfall" started almost immediately after the "Funeral For a Friend" storyline in the Superman books. During the breakout at Arkham Asylum, Batman and Robin both wear a black arm band with the S-shield engraved on it. The two stories involved DC Comics 's most prominent characters. Similar stories followed for Green Lantern , Wonder Woman , Aquaman , and Green Arrow , with Green Lantern Hal Jordan being driven insane and replaced with Kyle Rayner ,
38306-461: The scenario as though it were the new status quo, leaving it open-ended. "Knightquest: The Crusade" follows the story of Jean-Paul Valley during his tenure as Batman. He becomes increasingly violent and mentally unbalanced. During this time, he drives Robin away because he believes Gotham to be so tough that only violence could answer its criminals. In several issues, Robin is left horrified as Jean-Paul ferociously attacks common criminals, often with
38520-428: The secret identity of Batman. The fight between Bruce Wayne and Bane is detailed in Batman #497. After three months, the exhausted Batman was no match for Bane; Bane pummels him ruthlessly before breaking Wayne's back over his knee inside the Batcave below the manor, symbolically "breaking" Batman. Bane takes the grievously-wounded Wayne (still costumed in the Batman outfit) downtown to Gotham Square and throws him from
38734-433: The sequel to the Robin miniseries, the first variant issue of which garnered the third spot, firmly wedged between variant issues of X-Force and X-Men . The mini-series pitted solo Robin against the Joker, in response to fan demands for a matchup since "A Death in the Family." The 1990s comic booming bust had begun. In a supplemental interview with Daniel Best, Alan Grant added that "every issue from about that time [after
38948-629: The severity of her injuries. Tim Drake keeps a memorial for her in his cave hideout underneath Titans Tower in San Francisco . She appeared alive and stalking Tim, after his return from traveling around the globe with his mentor. It turned out that Dr. Leslie Thompkins had faked Stephanie's death in an effort to protect her. For years she operated on and off as the Spoiler, but was then recruited as Barbara Gordon 's replacement as Batgirl. She had her own series, as well as making appearances throughout various Batman and Batman spin-off series. Her time as
39162-502: The site of his own death with a hostage. In Azrael issues #36-40, a final thread of the "Knightfall" plot is resolved in the four-part storyline "Angel and the Bane" and its following issue, "Hour of the Quake". After the events of Batman: Bane , Azrael is tasked by Batman to track down the recently resurfaced Bane. After meeting, the two men struggle, and Bane gets the upper hand with the aid of
39376-522: The streets of Gotham, homeless and destitute. Bruce decides not to take Jean-Paul to the police because it was his decision to make Jean-Paul the Batman, leading to his subsequent breakdown. "KnightsEnd" was collected into a trade paperback about a year later. Originally released as Batman: KnightsEnd , recent editions retitled it as Knightfall Volume 3 . Shortly after the events of Zero Hour: Crisis in Time , Bruce reaffirms his partnership with Tim, resolving
39590-439: The suit and gadgets, the abilities, and most importantly the morality, the humanity. There's just a sense about him: 'they trust him ...and they're never wrong." Batman's primary character traits can be summarized as "wealth; physical prowess; deductive abilities and obsession" . The details and tone of Batman comic books have varied over the years with different creative teams. Dennis O'Neil noted that character consistency
39804-411: The superhero Red Robin . Neal Adams redesigned the entire costume with the exception of the "R" shuriken logo, first sketched by Norm Breyfogle. Tim Drake is the first Robin to have his own comic book series, where he fought crime on his own. Tim Drake, as Robin, co-founded the superhero team Young Justice in the absence of the Teen Titans of Dick Grayson's generation, but would then later re-form
40018-517: The tension caused by Bruce's unwillingness to accept help during the Arkham prison break. Bruce passes the mantle of Batman to Grayson so he can finish his recuperation and re-evaluate what it will take to restore his aura of invincibility. This begins the Prodigal storyline, a reference to Dick Grayson essentially being Bruce's prodigal son; Bruce had adopted Dick after his parents were murdered. Because of
40232-410: The third Batman. BJ and Kara eventually marry, but their wedding is halted by Kara's brother Joel Kent. Joel, who had been manipulated his whole life by Lex Luthor to hate his family, kills Kara by punching through her chest. Joel dies shortly thereafter, and BJ agrees to raise his powerless son in order to prevent another such tragedy from happening (he also marries Joel's widow, Mei-Lai, sometime in
40446-504: The time of the story, according to the Elliot S! Maggin novelization , and Nightstar calls Bruce Wayne "Grandpa", despite no blood relation. At the end of the comic and the novel, Bruce and Dick reconcile. Red Robin reappeared in promotional material for the DC Countdown event. Eventually, it was revealed that this Red Robin was not Dick Grayson, but rather Jason Todd who appeared under
40660-412: The traditional Batman made for a better hero. The issues featuring Jean-Paul Valley as Batman on the cover depict him with highly exaggerated musculature and legs which taper into disproportionally tiny feet, mimicking the styles of contemporary "violent hero" artists such as Rob Liefeld . The prelude to "Knightfall" began with the introduction of two new characters key to its storyline in issues prior to
40874-399: The trauma of the loss of his protégé Jason Todd . The next storyline, in Detective Comics #654-656 (December 1992 - February 1993), involves a young military student usurping power in Gotham's underworld and assaulting a police station, with Bruce's fatigue continuing to worsen. At the conclusion of this story, Bane and his henchman are shown monitoring Batman's performance. Bane begins
41088-402: The true Batman has returned. When Bruce tries to find Jean-Paul using the Batmobile, it explodes due to a planted booby-trap. Nightwing fears Bruce dead and takes his vengeance out on Jean-Paul on a party boat. The police arrive in time to prevent Nightwing from committing murder, but Jean-Paul escapes. However, to his shock, Jean-Paul finds Bruce waiting at Wayne Manor; Bruce had managed to escape
41302-461: The two fled. It is unknown how the two managed to flee to New Earth, or what has happened to Talon beyond that. In "The Second Batman and Robin Team" ( Batman #131, April 1960), Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred writes a story about the possible future of Batman and Robin. In it, Bruce Wayne marries Kathy Kane ( Batwoman ) and they have a son named Bruce Jr. When Wayne retires as Batman, Dick Grayson takes over
41516-410: The two titles sharing a single narrative during this time. The two series each hit numerical milestones at the end of the arc, with a triple-size 500th issue of Batman and the ominous Detective Comics number 666 wrapping up the storyline only one month apart. The massive story was quickly collected into two volumes of trade paperbacks . Volume One was subtitled Broken Bat and Volume Two Who Rules
41730-514: The wake of his father's apparent death, his father's first Robin, Dick Grayson, took over as Batman with Damian serving as the new Robin. The version of Damian depicted in Batman: The Brave and the Bold has more in common with Bruce Jr. than with his portrayal in comics. Introduced as an alternative Dick Grayson in the pages of Team Titans from a timeline when his Titan teammate Donna Troy had
41944-469: Was a big thing to bring in the new Robin, yes. I know my fans often point specifically to that double page splash where his costume first appears as a big event for them as fans and I usually have to point out to them that Neal Adams was the one who designed the costume. The 'R' symbol and the staff were all that was really mine." In the "Rite of Passage" storyline for Detective Comics , Grant and Breyfogle intertwined 1) Drake matching wits with Anarky ; 2)
42158-409: Was affectionate to his father. After Batman's apparent death during Final Crisis , Talia left her son under Dick Grayson and Alfred Pennyworth 's care and Damian was deeply affected by his father's absence. In the first issue of "Battle for the Cowl", Damian was driving the Batmobile and was attacked by Poison Ivy and Killer Croc . Damian was rescued by Nightwing , who then tries to escape, but
42372-498: Was believed dead, and served as a second Batman even after Wayne returned in 2010. As part of DC's 2011 continuity relaunch , Grayson returned to being Nightwing following the Flashpoint crossover event. In an interview with IGN , Morrison detailed that having Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin represented a "reverse" of the normal dynamic between Batman and Robin, with, "a more light-hearted and spontaneous Batman and
42586-576: Was created by Bob Kane , Bill Finger , and Jerry Robinson to serve as a junior counterpart and the sidekick to the superhero Batman . As a team, Batman and Robin have commonly been referred to as the Caped Crusaders and the Dynamic Duo . The character's first incarnation, Dick Grayson , debuted in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940). Conceived as a way to attract young readership, Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception, doubling
42800-500: Was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30, 1939. In the DC Universe , Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne , a wealthy American playboy , philanthropist , and industrialist who resides in Gotham City . His origin story features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents, Thomas and Martha , as
43014-463: Was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , being the first superhero to receive the honor. In early 1939, following the success of Superman , DC Comics ' editors requested more superheroes. Bob Kane created Batman, initially drawing a character with red tights, bat wings, and a domino mask. Bill Finger , a collaborator, made significant contributions by suggesting a cowl, cape, gloves, and
43228-422: Was indeed the "Year of the Bat:" Capital and Diamond City Distributors reported that the Year One -inspired Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight dominated four out of the five spots for preorders ( not total sales and second printings). The only exception was the third preorder spot, snagged by Batman #442, the conclusion to Tim Drake's "A Lonely Place of Dying" storyline. The "Year of the Bat" continued into
43442-425: Was later resurrected and returned as the antihero Red Hood . The third Robin in the mainstream comics is Tim Drake , who first appeared in 1989. He went on to star in his own comic series, and goes by the name Red Robin , a variation on the traditional Robin persona. In the first decade of the new millennium, Stephanie Brown served as the fourth in-universe Robin between stints as her self-made vigilante identity
43656-494: Was murdered by the Joker in the storyline " A Death in the Family ". Jason later found himself alive after a reality-changing incident, eventually becoming the Red Hood . The premiere Robin limited series was published in 1991, featuring the character's third incarnation, Tim Drake , training to earn the role of Batman's vigilante partner. After two successful sequels, the monthly Robin series began in 1993 and ended in early 2009, which also helped his transition from sidekick to
43870-472: Was neither mentioned, alluded to, or appeared during this time. This crossover event involves a rematch between Batman and Bane, who is now allied with Ra's al Ghul . It is followed by the one-shot graphic novel Batman: Bane . Batman Annual #22 featured the return of Arnold Etchinson (Abattoir)'s spirit, wishing to take revenge on Batman (specifically, Azrael-Batman) for his death. Now calling himself Etkar, he possesses Azrael's former Batsuit and returns to
44084-440: Was not a major concern during early editorial regimes: " Julie Schwartz did a Batman in Batman and Detective and Murray Boltinoff did a Batman in the Brave and the Bold and apart from the costume they bore very little resemblance to each other. Julie and Murray did not want to coordinate their efforts, nor were they asked to do so. Continuity was not important in those days." The driving force behind Bruce Wayne's character
44298-419: Was originally attached to play the role in the Burton films). Winston is a mechanic who works at Royal Autobody, an auto shop in Burnside owned by Harvey Dent's childhood mentor, Jerome Otis. His ancestors had their own automotive company that was acquired by Bruce Wayne's great-grandfather in a forced buyout. He strongly dislikes cops and authority figures and dresses up as a masked vigilante at night to help
44512-444: Was restored. In 2020s comics tying in with DC's Infinite Frontier era, Drake returns to the Robin mantle as Batman's primary crime-fighting partner when Damian goes on a soul-searching journey. Meanwhile, in his solo adventures, he goes on his own soul-searching journey, and reconnects with his old friend Bernard Dowd, whom he begins to date. Tim later comes out to Batman and is accepted. His solo series Tim Drake: Robin explores
44726-408: Was revealed in The Search for Ray Palmer : Crime Society that there have been several Talons. The first one is shown dressed parallel to that of Grayson's classic Robin costume, including brown pixie boots. On post-Crisis Earth-3, the Teen Titans' Talon and Duela Dent , the daughter of the Jokester, had been dating. When Duela revealed their relationship to her parents, her father denounced her and
44940-439: Was shot down by Black Mask's men. Nightwing tried to fight the thugs, but the thugs were shot by Jason Todd. After a fight between Nightwing and Todd, Todd eventually shot Damian in the chest. In the final issue of the series, Alfred made Damian into Robin. Damian's first task as Robin was to rescue Tim. After "Battle for the Cowl", Grayson adopted the mantle of Batman, and instead of having Tim (whom he viewed as an equal rather than
45154-442: Was subsequently murdered by the Joker in the storyline, A Death in the Family , in which the psychopath beat the youngster severely with a crowbar, and left him to die in a warehouse rigged with a bomb. Jason Todd later returned as the new Red Hood (the original alias of the Joker) when he was brought back to life due to reality being altered. After the continuity changes following the New 52 DC Comics relaunch, Jason becomes
45368-425: Was taken to see the graves to Thomas Wayne, Martha Wayne, and Alfred Pennyworth until he died peacefully in Batman's presence. Batman buried his clone on the property of Pennyworth Manor. In the Future's End event and later in the DC Rebirth run, Matt McGinnis , brother of Terry McGinnis , becomes the newest incarnation of Robin in order to save his brother from the villain Payback. Initially excited about
45582-412: Was traveling through time), using the aid of Damian Wayne, making his newish appearance as "Robin", to defeat and imprison Todd. With Bruce Wayne's return, Grayson went back to being Nightwing. DC was initially hesitant to turn Grayson into Nightwing and to replace him with a new Robin. To minimize the change, they made the new Robin, Jason Todd, who first appeared in Batman #357 (1983), similar to
45796-452: Was violent and lacking in discipline and morality, and was trained by the League of Assassins . Learning to kill at a young age, Damian's murderous behavior created a troubled relationship with his father, who vowed never to take a life. Conceived to become a host for his maternal grandfather's soul as well as a pawn against the Dark Knight, Batman saved his child from this fate, which forced Ra's to inhabit his own son's body, and thus, Damian
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