Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30, 1939. In the DC Universe continuity, Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and industrialist who resides in Gotham City. Batman's origin story features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents Thomas and Martha as a child, a vendetta tempered with the ideal of justice. He trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a bat-inspired persona, and monitors the Gotham streets at night. Kane, Finger, and other creators accompanied Batman with supporting characters, including his sidekicks Robin and Batgirl; allies Alfred Pennyworth, James Gordon, and Catwoman; and foes such as the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and his archenemy, the Joker.
Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in Batman #1. She has become one of the superhero Batman's most enduring enemies, belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery, as well as Batman's best known and most enduring love interest, with many stories depicting their complex love–hate relationship. Since 1993, Catwoman has had her own ongoing series, Catwoman.
Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, first appeared in Detective Comics #66. As one of Batman's most enduring enemies, Two-Face belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery.
James W. "Jim" Gordon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane as an ally of Batman, the character debuted in the first panel of Detective Comics #27, Batman's first appearance, making him the first Batman supporting character ever to be introduced, eventually succeeding him as Batman from 2015 to 2016.
Hugo Strange is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character is one of Batman's first recurring villains, and was also one of the first to discover his secret identity. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #36.
Azrael is an alias used by multiple fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version, Jean-Paul Valley, was created by Denny O'Neil, Joe Quesada, and Peter Milligan, and debuted in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1. The second character to assume the alias was Michael Washington Lane, in Azrael: Death's Dark Knight #1. Both iterations are Christian vigilantes and assassins created by the Order of St. Dumas and/or its derivatives, secretive religious organizations seeking to restore justice to Gotham City through religious extremism. They are typically portrayed as antiheroes and reluctant allies of the superhero Batman and the Batman Family, battling forms of manipulations employed by their respective orders, violent tendencies shaped by tragedies in their life, and proving themselves trusted allies to Batman.
Rupert Thorne is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a crime boss and enemy of Batman.
William Marshall Rogers III, known professionally as Marshall Rogers, was an American comics artist best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics in the 1970s.
Leslie Maurin Thompkins is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as a supporting character in stories featuring Batman, of whom she is an ally. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Dick Giordano, she first appeared in Detective Comics #457.
Martha Wayne is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. She is the mother of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne as well as the paternal grandmother of Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin. After she and her husband are murdered in a street robbery, her son becomes inspired to fight crime as the vigilante known as Batman.
"Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is a 2009 story featuring the DC Comics superhero Batman. The story is published in two parts in the "final" issues of the series Batman (#686) and Detective Comics (#853), released in February and April, respectively. Written by Neil Gaiman, pencilled by Andy Kubert and inked by Scott Williams, the story is purported to be the "last" Batman story in the wake of severe psychological trauma that Batman endures within the story Batman R.I.P. and his ultimate fate in Final Crisis.
Gotham City Sirens is an American comic book series that was written by Paul Dini with art by Guillem March and published by DC Comics. The term Gotham City Sirens refers to three of the most popular female villains inhabiting Gotham City: Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy.
Batman: The Widening Gyre is the title of a six-issue comic book limited series starring Batman, released August 2009 through July 2010. The series is written by Kevin Smith and illustrated by Walt Flanagan. The title is a reference to the William Butler Yeats poem "The Second Coming".
Flamingo is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of Batman.
James "Jim" Gordon is a fictional character adapted to the screen by Bruno Heller. He serves as the main protagonist of the Warner Bros. and DC Comics television series Gotham, portrayed by Ben McKenzie.
Bruce Wayne, alternately known by the vigilante persona Batman, is a fictional character appearing in the Fox series Gotham, based on the character of the same name who is the secret identity of DC Comics superhero Batman, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, and developed for television by Bruno Heller. Gotham portrays Bruce's teenage years and transition into adapting his Batman personality in later years. The series marks the second time Batman was adapted for live-action television after the 1960 Batman series, though the lead character in Gotham is James Gordon. Bruce is portrayed by David Mazouz, while Mikhai Mudrik portrays him as an adult in the series finale. In October 2022, Heller expressed interest in Mazouz potentially reprising his role as Bruce in a flashforward sequence towards the end of the eventual series finale of the Gotham and V for Vendetta prequel television series Pennyworth.
Selina Kyle, nicknamed "Cat", is a fictional character on the Fox TV series Gotham. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name who goes on to become Catwoman, Selina is a morally ambiguous street thief who becomes an ally and later love interest to Bruce Wayne, the orphaned son of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Camren Bicondova portrays Selina Kyle for the majority of Gotham's run, but is replaced by Lili Simmons as an adult in the series finale.
"The Joker War" is a comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics in late 2020, featuring Batman and his family. Primarily written by James Tynion IV, the arc is his first major arc on Batman in DC Rebirth. The main story was from Batman #95–100, while 16 other issues were tie-ins.
