Happy Batman Day! From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, tracing the 83-year history of the Dark Knight
The original Batman
The creative duo of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger created the first Batman, a character who (vaguely) dressed like a bat and fought criminals at night. Oh, and in his real life he was a business tycoon and socialite and the richest man of Gotham City. This was not your dark, grim The Dark Avenger of the Night.
That 1960s 'Batman' show
Adam West played the role of a funky, wise-cracking Batman in an ill-fitting costume. It was clearly a far cry from the modern version, in the TV series titled simply 'Batman' and also a movie. This was a moralising superhero who was not hesitant to shake a leg even in his Bat-persona. (Pro-tip: Google 'Batusi' and prepare to be blown away).
Batman in the 1980s
For most of its history, the protector of Gotham City was a sunny and funny superhero. That changed in the 1980s with Frank Miller's 1986 comic-book series 'The Dark Knight Returns' and in films, Tim Burton's 1989 film 'Batman'. Both reintroduced a darker, grittier, and more forbidding Batman.
'Batman Begins'
A young filmmaker called Christopher Nolan was recruited to take a stab at a Batman movie and the result was 'Batman Begins, an origin story (a first in films), a well-written tale of a rich young man directing his anger and resentment of his parents' murder towards Gotham's criminals. The result was a propulsive noir crime thriller with stellar performances.
'The Dark Knight'
While 'Batman Begins' was a huge step forward for the franchise, 'The Dark Knight' was a leap. Never before so many moviegoers without any interest in superhero movies had loved a superhero movie. The titular superhero was overshadowed by Heath Ledger's Joker, an agent of chaos who makes life difficult for the hero and his city. Oh, and the only thing that sick, sick man wanted was Batman to kill him. For then Batsy would break his one rule: killing. A superhero movie for the ages.
Batfleck
If the Dark Knight trilogy was dark, Batfleck, in 'Batman v Superman', took it even further. This hulking Batman branded criminals with his bat symbol and indscriminately killed criminals. While the movie was panned by critics, Ben Affleck's performance was loved by fans.
Battinson
In Matt Reeves' 'The Batman', Robert Pattinson, fresh off a successful indie film career, donned the cap and the cowl. More than any other Bat-movie before it, this was a more grounded, realistic take (but not overly violent) on the Batman mythos. This was not an origin story but Battinson was younger and inexperienced and thus made mistakes. The film was universally praised for its writing, performances, cinematography and score.
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