The Detective You Don’t Know
Batman is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, but you might not even recognize him from early iterations. The Caped Crusader has evolved and changed throughout the decades to become the popular character we know today. Are you happy about these changes, or do you wish they kept some of the original ideas?
1. Alfred Pennyworth
Nowadays, Alfred is known as a father figure to Bruce and is practically a part of the family. But when he first appeared in Batman #16, he was portrayed as a bumbling butler. In fact, Alfred was pretty clueless but desperately wanted to be a detective himself.
2. His Weapon of Choice
Remember how Batman has a rule about certain weapons, most importantly, no firearms? Well, in his early iterations, Batman did in fact carry a firearm. This is a bit surprising as in modern day, a major part of Batman’s arc is his aversion and hatred for firearms.
3. Fatality
Obviously, if Batman’s going to use a firearm, there’s a likelihood of fatality. Well, the early iteration of Batman didn’t mind. He would take out the criminals he encountered with a more permanent method.
4. Minor Tech
Batman’s known for his variety of gadgets, from grappling tools, to drone use, to his hacking tools. Well, in the 40s, Batman kept it simple. He carried batarangs and a rope, and that was about it.
5. Rogues Gallery
While Joker’s been around for a while, Batman’s rogue gallery has certainly developed with heavy hitters that fans adore. However, characters like Freeze and Ivy were later introductions. Instead, Batman’s villains were more comedic in nature and focused on monsters and the Mad Monk.
6. Harley Quinn
If you’re a longtime Batman fan, you may know that Harley Quinn was introduced in Batman: The Animated Series. Now, she’s one of the most popular DC characters around, and we have Bruce Timm to ask for that. Originally, she was more of a villainous sidekick, although now she walks a line closer to antihero.
7. Detective Work
Batman is the world’s greatest detective, that is his title of choice after all. But a lot of times, his detective skills are overshadowed by his combat and tech abilities. In fact, it’s a running joke how Batman can fight Superman, when that’s not what the character’s about. Well, in early works, he was solely focused on his detective work, and the action and tech were added much later on.
8. One Shots
A lot of fans have their favorite Batman stories, from Hush to Court of Owls to Long Halloween. Most of these stories are ongoing and serialized. But in the 40s, Batman stories were mostly one-shot adventures, which was more economical at the time, too.
9. Purple Gloves
In his first iteration, Batman’s appearance was fairly different from his current brooding self. He first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, this Batman had a bat symbol with no oval and had purple gloves in the early issues.
10. The DC Universe
Batman was one of the first DC characters around, and so his original iteration was a bit lonely. It’s only recently that DC has turned into a much bigger franchise with far more characters. He used to be Gotham-focused, but now Batman operates on a more worldwide level.
11. The Bat Family
Unsurprisingly, for someone who claims to work alone, Batman has a massive family. From numerous Robins to love interests to police connections and more. Originally, Batman did work solo, but now he has anyone from Nightwing to Catwoman to call on.
12. He’s a Father
Batman definitely wasn’t a family man when he started off, and he isn’t the world’s greatest dad these days either. Regardless, modern-day Batman has a son with Talia al Ghul, a boy named Damian who would go on to be a fan-favorite Robin. Seeing Batman act as a father just adds further layers to an originally shallow character.
13. The Importance of Gotham
Originally, Gotham was just a placeholder for a dark city setting. It wasn’t anything unique or special. But now, Gotham in itself is a major character in Batman films and comics. From the many cults and myths that inhabit the city, it’s almost like a living entity.
14. The Mythos
Batman in himself is a myth in Gotham. This has been played up in modern iterations, where we see criminals talking about him like an urban legend. He was more of a physical detective rather than an idea when he started out.
15. The Bat Signal
The Bat Signal was introduced as early as Detective Comics #60 and was originally used as a way for Commissioner Gordon to call Batman. Nowadays, it’s used as a warning sign. In fact, the commissioner claims to leave it on just to spook criminals.
brian donovan from Pittsburgh, PA, United States on Wikimedia
16. More Politics
Originally, Batman kept it simple. The world was black and white, and he’d seat the criminals up. But modern runs have explored the deeper politics of vigilantism. Such as the legality of it, or the impact of police corruption, or whether Batman should permanently take out his enemies.
17. Worlds Finest
Batman’s friendship with Superman started an entire decade later when they officially teamed up in Worlds' Finest #71. This would be the beginning of a long-standing friendship and occasional rivalry. Plus, the modern-day World's Finest comics are a great read.
18. The Bat Ears
Fans have been divided between short ears and long ears for ages. Well, if you’re wondering what came first, it was the tall ears. This would be changed only a few years later, though, when his cowl shifted from black to blue, and his ears became more rounded and shorter. In terms of costume changes, Batman’s been through a few.
19. A Kinder Bat
Batman was all about justice from the get-go, but he came across as cold and stoic. He’s still pretty stoic, but nowadays it’s clear to see that Batman has a kind heart and truly cares about everyone from the villains he fights to the people he tries to save. He’s even been known to have a sense of humor on occasion.
20. Psychology
In its early run, Batman was pretty to the point and almost a little shallow. It just focused on a detective solving noir-style crimes and beating up criminals. But now, Batman has a lot more psychological depth, from childhood trauma to themes of mental health and ego.
