List of DC Comics characters named Batman

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Batman
Batman-Vol2-3-Variant.jpg
Cover of Batman vol. 2, #3 (January 2012). Art by Ivan Reis.
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
Created by Bob Kane (concept)
Bill Finger (uncredited)
Characters Bruce Wayne
Jean-Paul Valley
Dick Grayson
Terry McGinnis
See also Alternative versions of Batman

Batman is the name of a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original and best-known Batman is Bruce Wayne, however other characters in the DC Universe have adopted the alias when he has been indisposed.

Batman Fictional superhero

Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Originally named the "Bat-Man," the character is also referred to by such epithets as the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, and the World's Greatest Detective.

Superhero Type of stock character

A superhero is a type of heroic stock character, usually possessing supernatural or superhuman powers, who is dedicated to fighting the evil of their universe, protecting the public, and usually battling super-villains. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine, although the word superhero is also commonly used for females. Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially in American comic book and films since the 1930s.

American comic book Comic book originating in the USA

An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, typically 32 pages, containing comics content. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of Action Comics, which included the debut of the superhero Superman. This was followed by a superhero boom that lasted until the end of World War II. After the war, while superheroes were marginalized, the comic book industry rapidly expanded and genres such as horror, crime, science fiction and romance became popular. The 1950s saw a gradual decline, due to a shift away from print media in the wake of television and the impact of the Comics Code Authority. The late 1950s and the 1960s saw a superhero revival and superheroes remained the dominant character archetype throughout the late 20th century into the 21st century.

Contents

Characters

Bruce Wayne

Bruce Wayne is the main character associated with the Batman alias.

Hugo Strange

Having discovered Batman's secret identity, Hugo Strange drugs Bruce Wayne and usurps the role for a time. [1]

Jean-Paul Valley

When Bruce Wayne's back is broken by Bane during the Knightfall storyline, Jean-Paul Valley, better known as Azrael, replaced him until he was deemed a poor replacement for Bruce Wayne and was subsequently replaced by Dick Grayson. [2] [3]

<i>Batman: Knightfall</i> Comic book arc

"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. Wayne is replaced as Batman by an apprentice named Jean-Paul Valley, who becomes increasingly violent and unstable, tarnishing Batman's reputation. Eventually, Wayne is healed through paranormal means and reclaims his role as Batman.

Azrael (comics) fictional character

Azrael is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Azrael is a member of a group of assassins who were created by The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas.

Dick Grayson One of several fictional characters using the identity Robin

Richard John Grayson is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940 as the original incarnation of Robin. In Tales of the Teen Titans #44 the character retires his role as Robin and assumes the superhero persona of Nightwing, created by Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez.

Dick Grayson

Although best known as Batman's teen sidekick Robin and as his independent, adult persona Nightwing, Grayson became Batman twice. The first time was during Knightfall when Valley proved an unsuitable replacement [4] (although it was never the intention to kill off Batman at this time) [3] and the second time was following the apparent death of Wayne in the Batman R.I.P. storyline. [5] During the Battle for the Cowl storyline which followed Batman R.I.P. other characters briefly assumed the role, Jason Todd and Tim Drake, before the alias finally passed to Grayson. Grayson has also donned the costume on least one other occasion, although it was merely for one issue.

Nightwing DC Comics superhero

Nightwing is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations, with the Nightwing identity most prominently being adopted by Dick Grayson when he reinvented himself from his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although Nightwing is commonly associated with Batman, the title and concept have origins in classic Superman stories. The original Nightwing in DC Comics was an identity assumed by alien superhero Superman when stranded on the Kryptonian city of Kandor with his friend Jimmy Olsen. Drawing inspiration from Batman and Robin, the two protect Kandor as the superheroes Nightwing and Flamebird. Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity reboot in 1985, Nightwing was re-imagined as a legendary vigilante from Krypton whose story inspires Dick Grayson's choice of name when he leaves behind his Robin identity.

Comic book death Apparent death and subsequent return of a fictional character

In the comic book fan community, the apparent death and subsequent return of a long-running character is often called a comic book death. A comic book death is generally not taken seriously by readers and is rarely permanent or meaningful other than for story or thematic purposes. The term is usually not applied to characters who have the ability to return from the dead as an established power or ability, such as Solomon Grundy.

Batman R.I.P. 2008 story arc in Batman comic book series

"Batman R.I.P." is an American comic book story arc published in Batman #676–681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands. It has a number of tie-ins in other DC Comics titles describing events not told in the main story.

Tim Drake

The third Robin. Tim Drake briefly assumed the role of Batman before "Batman: Battle for the Cowl", and then again during the event itself. He replaces Bruce Wayne in some continuities, notably the Titans Tomorrow continuity. He has also assumed the role in an apocalyptic future, after the "Futures End" storyline.

<i>Batman: Battle for the Cowl</i> 2009 comic book storyline

"Batman: Battle for the Cowl" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC comics, consisting of an eponymous, three issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in Gotham City following the "Batman R.I.P." and "Final Crisis" story arcs, due to Batman's perceived absence and abandonment by the public. His disappearance is actually caused by the character's apparent death at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis, which causes dissension in the ranks of his allies and enemies who fight for the right to become the new Batman.

Titans Tomorrow

"Titans Tomorrow" is a storyline of a possible alternate future in the DC Comics Universe, from Teen Titans vol. 3 #17-19 (2005), by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone. The story arc has been collected as part of the Teen Titans: The Future is Now trade paperback.

Jason Todd

The second Robin. Jason Todd usurped the identity of Batman during "Battle for the Cowl", but was defeated by Dick Grayson, who became Batman following. He is the second Batman on Earth-15.

Damian Wayne

The 5th and current Robin. Portrayed as the successor to Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in a possible future of mainstream continuity (prior to Flashpoint).

<i>Flashpoint</i> (comics) American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics

Flashpoint is a 2011 comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011. The core miniseries was written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Andy Kubert. In its end, the series radically changes the status quo for the DC Universe, leading into the publisher's 2011 relaunch, The New 52.

Terry McGinnis

The second Batman in the DCAU/Earth-12 universe and the fourth Batman in a possible future of mainstream continuity (prior to Flashpoint).

Jim Gordon

Following Bruce Wayne's apparent death in Batman #40, Gordon took up the mantle in Divergence #1 (both issues being part of The New 52).

Thomas Wayne

A hardened version of Thomas Wayne seen in Geoff Johns's alternate timeline comic Flashpoint (2011) whose son was killed instead of Martha Wayne and himself. His character returned to the main DC Universe in DC Rebirth as a revived amalgamation of his original self.

See also

Related Research Articles

Robin (character) identity used by several DC Comics characters

Robin is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson, to serve as a junior counterpart to the superhero Batman. The character's first incarnation, Dick Grayson, debuted in Detective Comics #38. Conceived as a way to attract young readership, Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception, doubling the sales of the Batman titles. The early adventures of Robin included Star Spangled Comics #65–130 (1947–1952), which was the character's first solo feature. Robin 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 team of Batman and Robin has commonly been referred to as the Caped Crusaders or Dynamic Duo.

Alfred Pennyworth Fictional character throughout the DC Universe

Alfred, most commonly named in full as Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, also known by his other alias Christopher Miller, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Alfred serves as the loyal butler of Bruce Wayne / Batman.

Bane (DC Comics) Fictional character in the DC Comics universe, a supervillain

Bane is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dennis O'Neil, Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan, he made his debut in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1. The character is usually depicted as an adversary of the superhero Batman and belongs to the collective of enemies that make up his central rogues gallery. Possessing a mix of brute strength and exceptional intelligence, Bane is often credited as being the only villain to have "broken the bat" both physically and mentally. He is also a son of another one of Batman's enemies, King Snake. Bane is the character that broke Batman's back in the Comic Knightfall.

<i>Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight</i> comic book

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, often simply called Legends of the Dark Knight (LotDK) is the name of several DC comic books featuring Batman. The original series launched in 1989 as the third major monthly Batman title, following the popularity of Tim Burton's Batman film. Many of the stories follow the tone of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. The series differs from other Batman titles of the time. The creative team rotated with every story arc and the stories stood alone, unlike the inter-connected nature of other Batman comics. Initially the title ran stories contained to five issues, often with more mature topics and sensibilities than the other Batman titles. After issue #20, the number of issues for each story began to vary and occasionally tied into crossover events.

Tim Drake Fictional character

Tim Drake is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in Batman #436 as the third character to assume the role of Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Following the events in Batman: Battle for the Cowl in 2009, Drake adopted the alias of Red Robin. In 2019, Tim returned to his original Robin persona in the Wonder Comics relaunch of Young Justice, but later adopted his current codename Drake.

<i>Batman</i> (comic book) American comic book series

Batman is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero Batman as its main protagonist. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication with a cover date of Spring 1940. It was first advertised in early April 1940, one month after the first appearance of his new sidekick, Robin, the Boy Wonder. Batman comics have proven to be popular since the 1940s.

Thomas Wayne fictional character, father of Bruce Wayne (Batman)

Thomas Wayne, MD is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was introduced in Detective Comics #33 in the first exposition of Batman's origin story. He is the father of Bruce Wayne, who is Batman, and husband of Martha Wayne.

Red Robin (identity) Fictional comic book character

Red Robin is a name that has been used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The identity was first used in the future timeline of the 1996 miniseries Kingdom Come, where a middle-aged Dick Grayson reclaims the Robin mantle and becomes Red Robin. His uniform is closer to Batman's in design than any previous Robin uniform. Red Robin then 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 the cape and cowl. This was the first time the identity had been used in the main DC Universe reality. During the "Scattered Pieces" tie-in to the Batman R.I.P. storyline Ulysses Armstrong briefly appears as Red Robin. In 2009, a new ongoing series was introduced titled Red Robin staring Tim Drake in the role. Drake was the third Robin before assuming the Red Robin persona.

Robin is a fictional character in publications from DC Comics. Robin has long been a fixture in the Batman comic books as Batman's sidekick. Since 1940, several different youths have appeared as Robin. In each incarnation, Robin's brightly colored visual appearance and youthful energy have served as a contrast to Batman's dark look and manner.

In addition to comic books, the superhero Robin also appears in other media, such as films, television and radio. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne are generally the versions of Robin chosen to be portrayed.

Robin (Earth-Two)

Robin of Earth-Two is an alternate version of the fictional superhero Robin, who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, 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 taking place in current continuity while being able to disregard Golden Age stories featuring Robin, solving an incongruity, as Robin had been published as a single ongoing incarnation since inception. Unlike his main counterpart, Robin is only the alter ego of Dick Grayson, who uses the title into adulthood, rather than taking on later codenames such as Nightwing or Batman. In addition, the name "Robin" is not taken on by later characters.

Alternative versions of Barbara Gordon

This is a list of alternative versions of Barbara Gordon appearing in stories published by DC Comics in which the comic book character has been placed in non-canon storylines taking place both in and outside of mainstream continuity.

<i>Batman and Robin</i> (comic book) Ongoing comic book series

Batman and Robin is an American comic book ongoing series, created by Grant Morrison and featuring Batman and Robin. The debut of the series followed the events of "Batman R.I.P.", Final Crisis, and "Battle for the Cowl" in which the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, apparently died at the hands of DC Comics villain Darkseid and features the winner of the "Battle for the Cowl" as the new Batman. The conclusion of Battle for the Cowl shows Dick Grayson ascending to the role of Batman, while Damian Wayne becomes the new Robin.

<i>Red Robin</i> (comic book) Comic book

Red Robin was an American comic book ongoing series, written by Chris Yost with art by Ramon Bachs, featuring former Robin Tim Drake under the identity of Red Robin. The debut of the series follows the events of Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, and Battle for the Cowl in which the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, apparently died at the hands of DC Comics villain Darkseid. Of all the characters in the so-called "Batman family", Drake is the only one that believes Bruce Wayne is still alive and leaves Gotham City to begin a global search for evidence supporting his theory and hope.

Batwoman (Kathy Kane) Character appearing in DC Comics

Batwoman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics and is the first to use the alias of Batwoman. She was created by writer Edmond Hamilton and artist Sheldon Moldoff under the direction of editor Jack Schiff, as part of an ongoing effort to expand Batman's cast of supporting characters. Batwoman began appearing in DC Comics stories beginning with Detective Comics #233 (1956), in which she was introduced as a love interest for Batman in order to combat the allegations of Batman's homosexuality arising from the controversial book Seduction of the Innocent (1954). When Julius Schwartz became editor of the Batman-related comic books in 1964, he removed non-essential characters including Kathy Kane, Bat-Girl, Bat-Mite, and Ace the Bat-Hound. Later, the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths retroactively established that Batwoman's existence was on an Earth separate from DC's main continuity.

References

  1. "Hugo Strange (comic book character)". Comicvine.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  2. Doug Moench  (w), Jim Aparo  (a). "Killer's Bane" Batman  489(February 1993), DC Comics
  3. 1 2 Cronin, Brian (March 13, 2008). "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #146". Comic Book Resources.
  4. Doug Moench (w),  Mike Gustovich  (p),  Romeo Tanghal  (i). "Part One: Robin and Batman"Batman 512(November 1994),DC Comics
  5. Tony Daniel  (w), Tony Daniel (p),  Sandu Florea  (i). "Last Man Standing" Batman: Battle for the Cowl  3(July 2009),DC Comics