Addendum to the last post

this photo has a source. click it, and appreciate his art

 So, as an addendum to my last post, This image came up, and it basically could have been my thesis for my last post. I really love it, and have seen it before, but forgot it existed. although it doesn't show the distinct personalities, the differences in costumes really do get to the point of the differences in the ways batman can exist. you can love all of them, or one of them. let's go through each one.


1. The Dark Knight Returns
 ever since it's publishing in 1986, this has been held as one the best adaptations of batman. it is the story of a long retired batman, that is brought back into the scene at the age of 55. it was the first to do the "dark and gritty" batman that is so popular nowadays.

2. Christopher Nolan
Again, there is not much to be said about this interpretation that hasn't been done already. possibly the most widely seen batman in the modern era, and possibly all time. therefore it gets much credit for getting batman "right."

 3. Azrael
 the '90s were a crazy time in comics. Superman died. and Batman had his back broken by the villain Bane. Gotham could not go without a batman, thus (after dick grayson declined) the mantle turned to a trusted from, Azrael. he was a bit more... liberal with the lethal force then Bruce Wayne, and got demoted rather quickly upon Bruce's return.

4. TAS
 The Animated Series. It ran from '92-'95, and then again in '97. Was hugely popular due to the dark tones and heavy themes in the "kids" cartoon.

5. Hush
A hugely popular comic from 2002-2003 that began the modern form of batman. This began the serialization of stories (consecutively) and it showcased the entire batfamily in a year long story arc. perfect jumping in point for the comics.

6.1970s
This was known for the bright colors, and wacky adventures of the Dynamic Duo. lots of the insane plots from World's Finest took in this particular suit. 

7. 1939
 First appearance in Detective Comics for the masked vigilante.

8. Adam West
The only other batman that can possibly complete with being instantly recognizable as the Nolan batman. 120 episodes and a movie over the course of 3 years led to this being THE definitive batman for a generation. the humor and jokes found in it still resonate with audiences today, as it is a cult classic movie.

9. Brave and the Bold
A relatively short lived show that ran from 2008-2011, but was a spiritual successor to the Adam West show. brought back the zany adventures, as well as showcasing lesser known heroes, and putting emphasis on how batman is not the only superhero out there (although it always was him to save the day)

10. New 52
 Currently under the pen of Scott Snyder, the new 52 batman title is one that fuses together many different iterations of the dark knight.  you have the realism of the Nolan, mixed with the family of the Hush, all with the general flare of a comicbook that isn't afraid to try something new to stun the audience.

11. Beyond
A spin-off of sorts from TAS, this was held in high regard by the television batman community as a fun new take on the caped crusader (even though he went sans cape)

12. Tim Burton
 heavily influenced by the number 1 entry on this list, as well as Batman: Year One, this was the first movie adaptation, and solidified the audience desire for their movie batman to be dark and brooding.


So, these are all different forms. all show different sides of the same character. some focus on the tragedy. some focus on the "comic" in comicbook. others treat themselves as high literature. it is all different, and all good. one is not better than the other. which is your favorite?