Batman getting a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a long time coming. As we’ve seen, he’s become more than a comic book character. He’s a pop culture icon, a star on TV and the movie screen, a toy, artwork, and so much more. That’s not including all of the creators inspired to become writers and artists after reading his comics.
Batman’s fame didn’t happen overnight. Changes to his lore, retcons of characters, and branching out into other forms of media helped propel him to stardom. Here’s a list of the most important people, moments, and times in the Caped Crusader’s 85 years.
Death of his parents
The only way to start this list is with the moment that everyone knows. Joe Chill kills Martha and Thomas Wayne in Crime Alley leading to Bruce’s vow to avenge his parents’ murder. This scene has been played to death (no pun intended). Nevertheless, it’s the most significant moment in Bruce’s life.
Batman and Robin
Batman wouldn’t be the person he is without Dick Grayson. Robin's lighthearted nature kept the darkness from overcoming Bruce. Even after Dick left to become Nightwing, seeing him evolve made Bruce smile.
Batman watched his son grow up and become the hero and man he could ever be. He knew that the world was in good hands with Nightwing in it.
Batman meets Catwoman
Whether they met on the boat or the street is irrelevant. The fact that they met is the only thing that matters. Selina Kyle is Batman/Bruce Wayne’s biggest weakness. He knows he should arrest her for being a cat burglar, but he can’t bring himself to do it. He loves her more than anything. Like Dick Grayson, she keeps the light inside him shining. As seen in Tom King’s Batman, he’s a mess without her.
Alfred Pennyworth retcon
Originally, Alfred was hired by Bruce Wayne to be his butler. The change to making him Bruce’s father figure was the best thing to happen to Bruce. Now, Bruce’s origin story makes more sense. Bruce was given an anchor and someone who helped raise him. It also showed that Bruce has a heart beyond the people he randomly met and brought into his life.
As time passed, Alfred became more than a father figure to Bruce. Everyone in the Bat Family looked at him as one. Even if they didn't, they trusted him with their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
Live action Batman...Batmen?
Batman breaking into live-action turned the Dark Knight into a household name. It may not have started with Adam West, but his portrayal is what most people recognize. It leads to Michael Keaton (two actors we won’t mention), Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson. Eventually, James Gunn and Peter Safran will have their own live-action Batman and others after that. However, as great as they are, it all started with Lewis Wilson.
Batman: Knightfall
This isn’t a great Batman victory, but it’s crucial to his lore. Bane didn’t just beat the Dark Knight, he broke him. He was the first to manhandle the Batman and put him on the shelf. But the loss isn’t the most important part of this. It’s Bruce picking himself back up and becoming the Caped Crusader again. It made him a better and more cautious hero.
Batman the Animated Series
“I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!” That moment put Kevin Conroy on the path to becoming the greatest representation of a comic book character. But it wasn’t just him. Every voice actor, animator, and writer of Batman: The Animated Series helped continue the momentum of the Caped Crusader's greatness.
If there’s one project featuring the Dark Knight that should survive if none of the others do, it’s Batman: The Animated Series.
Joker’s evolution
The Joker was always a maniac, but he’s continued to evolve as a character. Not in the ways that make him sympathetic. The Clown Prince of Crime has become more sadistic, creative, and smarter. Whenever a Bat-villain steps their game up, Joker takes it up another few levels. He has to remind everyone that he is the best. The funny thing is Joker will continue to be Batman’s best antagonist by inventing new ways to torture his nemesis.
Saw this is already out! Nightwing 96 Cover :) @TomTaylorMade @jesswchen @DCComics @thedcnation pic.twitter.com/6JqE2A9aYD
— Bruno Redondo is back home (@Bruno_Redondo_F) June 17, 2022
Batman uses a gun
There are two things Batman doesn’t do. He doesn’t kill or use firearms. Bruce honored the first, but he did break the second. That’s how seriously he took Darkseid’s threat in Final Crisis. He knew it was the only way to help the multiverse survive. While the image of his corpse in Superman's arms was shocking, it must have made fans happy to see Bruce Wayne alive in the past.
Injustice
What would happen if Batman had to fight Superman? The general idea is that Bruce would win because he’s Batman. The Injustice comic and video game prove that the answer isn’t simple. The fight wouldn’t stop with the two of them. Friends, enemies, and civilians would pick sides. Injustice is an extreme example, but an example nonetheless.
The best part of this was seeing Batman’s resilience. He found different ways to stay alive with the world’s most powerful heroes after him and the Insurgency. Eventually, it took the intervention of another world, but it was still Bruce who figured out a solution.
The Batman Who Laughs
After killing Joker, a toxin got into Bruce Wayne. You see, The Clown Prince of Crime had a contingency plan. Whoever killed him would become him. Once Batman killed Joker, he became the thing he hated the most and transformed into the Batman Who Laughs.
People always wondered what it would look like if Batman went too far. Well, now we know. This Bruce Wayne wasn’t just a threat to superheroes. He became the most dangerous person in the multiverse. He almost destroyed reality by becoming god-like as the Darkest Knight. It's easily the scariest form of Batman in all of reality.
Batman: Arkham City
Lastly, we come to what many think is the greatest comic book video game ever. Arkham Asylum was a good start, but Arkham City is the game that gave creators the idea that comic book video games could be more inventive, the stories could be deeper, and focusing on comic book accuracy is a gift. Without this, it’s doubtful PlayStation’s Spider-Man would be as good.
Batman: Arkham City could have also been a door that opened people up to the Dark Knight comic book character. After playing this game, gamers may have wanted to know more about the Caped Crusader and his villains. This means Batman: Arkham City became another important project in Batman’s 85 years.