Things You Probably Didn't Know About Batman

Things You Probably Didn't Know About Batman

Editorial Opinion
By Irishlad - Nov 07, 2011 01:11 PM EST
Filed Under: Batman

Welcome this is a new series I'm thinking of doing.
Please leave a comment below if you would like me to continue the series that will guarantee to surprise you.


THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS USED TO SUCK

The Dark Knight Returns is considered by many as one of Batmans greatest stories.However back when it was released critics weren't as praising as we are today here is what the New York Times had to say about it.
"The stories are convoluted, difficult to follow and crammed with far too much text. The drawings offer a grotesquely muscle-bound Batman and Superman, not the lovable champions of old... If this book is meant for kids, I doubt that they will be pleased. If it is aimed at adults, they are not the sort I want to drink with."

THE BOY WHO NEVER GREW UP

All right, Batman is not Peter Pan, but he is similar in the fact that he never grows up. Whenever you see Batman in the comic books or in the movies, he is one age - thirty-four. This could be because someone my age would get their butt-kicked if they put on a cape and fought criminals, but more likely it is because it is the age where a person is beyond the recklessness of youth, yet not old enough to be hurt by everyday life (like getting out of bed in the morning). In his youth, Batman passed his teen years at prep schools like Cambridge and the Sorbonne; his 20s saw him working with J. Edgar Hoover at the FBI, which then led him to Korea, Japan and China for martial arts training, including a lessons in stealth from some comic-book required friendly ninjas. Batman has also held some interesting side jobs. In the '40s he sold war bonds; in the '50s he taught criminology courses and experienced his own baby boom with Bathound, Batmite, Batwoman, and Batgirl. In the '60s he entered the space race by fighting aliens; in the '70s he became nostalgic and returned to his dark, comic-book roots and in the '80s Frank Miller revived him with anger and vigilantism. The rough 'n' tumble '90s earned him a broken spine and a wheelchair (from which he made a full recovery). Now, in the 2000's, Batman has taken an even darker twist as he fights against the President of the United States and is secretly keeping his own Homeland Security Act on his fellow superheroes.

THE DARK KNIGHT ORIGINALLY DIDN'T HAVE A CAPE

Bob Kane's original drawings of Batman were in RED tights with bat wings. He had the name, Batman, though. Kane was looking for a much more colorful superhero until Bill Finger reeled him back in. Inspirations behind the Batman come from such varying influences, such as: Douglas Fairbanks in the movie, Zorro; the 1930 film, The Bat Whispers based on Mary Rinehart's mystery novel The Circular Staircase; Arthur Conan Doyle's character, Sherlock Holmes; and Leonardo DaVinci's Ornithopter (an aircraft with flapping wings). Finger added a darker costume, gauntlets, and switched out wings with a cape and cowl (Kane's original just had a small mask). In a later interview, he stated that he got some of the ideas from the costume from Lee Falk's comic strip, The Phantom and the hit radio show, The Shadow. Under Finger's suggestions, Batman also became a detective, compared to Kane's original theory of having him be just a superhero.

BATMAN WAS NAMED AFTER TWO HISTORICAL FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Co-creator Bill Finger used two historical figures to name Batman’s alter ego. The first was Robert the Bruce, or King Bruce I of Scotland, which is the handsome fellow above was the man who led the Scots against the British in the Wars of Scottish Independence, and who succeeded William Wallace (think Braveheart) as Guardian of Scotland in 1298. For the surname, Finger borrowed from Anthony “Mad Anthony” Wayne, a brigadier general and hero of the American Revolutionary War.

ROBIN WAS PLANNED TO BE KILLED OFF AFTER THE FIRST ISSUE

Originally, creator Bob Kane wanted to try out Robin in one issue, but Bat-editor Jack Liebowitz was against the idea of having a kid fighting gangsters, because "Batman was doing well enough by himself." But after Detective #38 hit the stands with Robin in it, the issue sold double what the issues with just Batman had sold. So Liebowitz sheepishly agreed to keep Robin in future issues.

BATMAN FOUGHT DR.DOOM BEFORE THE FANTASTIC FOUR DID

Well kind of.
This happened in Detective Comics #158 (April 1950). When Batman and Robin are bringing their 1001st trophy into the Batcave, Dr. Doom smuggles himself inside, so he can get inside their secret lair. Dr. Doom then rigs all the other Bat-trophies to kill the Dynamic Duo, only to die himself. (I could have sworn I came across an early-1950s Bat-villain called Dr. Evil in my researches, too, but now I can't find him again.) There was also a recurring Bat-villain named Dr. No-Face, who's curiously close to the James Bond villain in name.

BATMAN USED TO KILL PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME
Before Batman was the compassionate caped crusader he was today refusing to take any life even when it meant his life when he fought Darkseid.
He hurled people off rooftops — including one member of the Frenchy Blake gang whom he tossed with "a mighty heave." In the first Bat-story, "The Chemical Syndicate," he punched a criminal into a vat of acid, and says, "A fitting end for his kind." He also strangled criminals to death with his lasso, kicked them so hard he broke their necks, and punched them so hard they fell to their deaths. In Batman #1, he kills a bunch of Hugo Strange's henchmen with a machine gun. "Much as I hate to take human life, I'm afraid this time it's necessary!" Batman shouts.
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headlopper
headlopper - 11/7/2011, 2:23 PM
Wow! Very thorough. A little Batman history lesson. Nice job!
RunDTC
RunDTC - 11/7/2011, 3:33 PM
The Dark Knight Returns does suck
ThreeBigTacos
ThreeBigTacos - 11/7/2011, 3:39 PM
dude make this an ongoing series please!
BIGBMH
BIGBMH - 11/7/2011, 4:33 PM
What RunDTC said. :)

Anyway, nice work. Some interesting facts here.
superotherside
superotherside - 11/7/2011, 6:46 PM
@Irishlad Interesting facts, and good job! btw you might bold and or italicize your titles of each section of what you want to talk about like this:

ROBIN WAS PLANNED TO BE KILLED OFF AFTER THE FIRST ISSUE

Originally, creator Bob Kane wanted to try out Robin in one issue, but Bat-editor Jack Liebowitz was against the idea of having a kid fighting gangsters, because "Batman was doing well enough by himself." But after Detective #38 hit the stands with Robin in it, the issue sold double what the issues with just Batman had sold. So Liebowitz sheepishly agreed to keep Robin in future issues.

To do this just say < b > text here < / b > (no spaces) do the same for italics only put an i where the b is...
RunDTC
RunDTC - 11/7/2011, 7:13 PM
Woopidogan!
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 11/7/2011, 8:24 PM
i actually knew half of this
BatSlam
BatSlam - 11/7/2011, 8:38 PM
bats is not always dipicted as 34, it is probably a general concept or idea, but some stories have him at different ages. Robin was also created because back then they didn't use thought bubbles, or very very rarely did. So it was kind of awkward to have batman explaining to no one the detective work he was doing and it didn't really work to have him explain it to alfred after the fact. So Bob Kane wanted to give bats a partner, and he remembered when he was a kid, he fantasized about being his idols partners and thus robin was created.
BatSlam
BatSlam - 11/7/2011, 8:38 PM
I did not how ever know that they planed on killing him off after the 1st issue.
Sanderman
Sanderman - 11/7/2011, 8:55 PM
how did they do the Dr. Doom one? Was he owned by DC before Marvel?
musicsuperhero1
musicsuperhero1 - 11/7/2011, 10:14 PM
i agree...make this a reoccurring thing.
SkullFace616
SkullFace616 - 11/8/2011, 3:13 AM
Very enjoyable read!
ROBBEATZZZ
ROBBEATZZZ - 11/8/2011, 6:34 AM
NICE DUDE!...SOME PPL MAY KNOW SOME FACTS BUT I SAY KEEP DOING THESE ITS SOMETHING FRESH!
hatrick3
hatrick3 - 11/8/2011, 8:57 AM
Nicely done! Look forward to more.
Maybe it's common knowledge but I wasn't aware Bill Fingers was so influential in developing the character.
Irishlad
Irishlad - 11/8/2011, 9:59 AM
@superotherside thanks for the tip I was wrecking my brains trying to figure that out.

Thanks everyone for the kind comments.
I've decided to continue the series.
Next up is Superman!
Super12
Super12 - 11/13/2011, 8:53 PM
Good finds! I learned a few things here, thanks!
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