Leaving his oily mark

• Published date: 24 September 2024
• Publication title: Signal

FOR a bloke who turns 85 years old this year, Batman is holding up pretty well

The Caped Crusader has been re-invented countless times since his 1939 debut, and that’s the secret of his longevity.

You want a friendly Batman? Adam West’s Day-Glo 1960s television series fits the bill. Bold and epic? There’s plenty of animated series to choose from. Dark and gritty? Pick up Frank Miller’s classic The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel. Somewhere in the middle, with lots of Gothic architecture? Tim Burton’s unique 1989 Batman still holds up very well.

Those Bat-villains just keep on going, too. Batman probably has the best rogues’ gallery in comic books — a twisted collection of eccentric obsessives strongly defined enough to take the spotlight in many of their own solo comics and movies. Stars who have played the Joker have now won two Academy Awards for best...