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For as long as I can remember, Batman has been an important part of my creative life.
Ever since I was a little kid wearing a baggy ‘Batman For President’ jersey on my Uncle Bruce’s Honda bike, and Adam West’s campy version in iterations of the vintage Batman Television program, purchase of Frank Miller’s debut song and Klaus Jansons’ groundbreaking The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, or attending the opening of director Tim Burton’s book Batman at the Westwood Theater in Los Angeles, this pop culture gem is still relevant to me.
My love for the character extends to late-night gaming sessions caffeinated on gallons of Diet Coke, playing Batman: Arkham Asylumto interview Batman: The Animated Series‘ creator Bruce Timm, or sitting next to legendary Batman artist Neal Adams for hours at comic cons, Batman’s dark influence, cool demeanor, and psychological complexity still seem as alluring and watchful as ever.
Whether he’s known as the Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader, or the centerpiece of the Dynamic Duo with his trusty sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder, this fearless vigilante and champion of justice—first appearing in the pages of Detective Comics #27 in May 1939—one of the greatest Dark Knight stories ever written. Infused with equal parts Zorro, Sherlock Holmes, and that pulp icon known as The Shadow, Batman is the embodiment of someone who has channeled his inner pain into a beacon of hope and justice.
Batman Through the Ages
Clad in gothic black and equipped with an arsenal of “awesome toys,” Batman is an intimidating hero for the ages. He has no real superhuman powers, but relies on his sharp intellect, lightning-fast reflexes, physical strength, and supernatural deductive powers.
Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, Batman was born in pre-World War II America during the Golden Age of comics when there were clear distinctions between good and evil. Billionaire playboy industrialist Bruce Wayne became a nighttime crusader after his parents were gunned down in Crime Alley following a screening of The Mark of Zorro in Gotham City. He adopted the emblem of a bat to instill fear in criminals and perfected his mind and body.
Over the decades, the character would be reinvented in numerous media, and by the 1940s he was appearing in matinee performances. Batman series at the local cinema after he got his own movie Batman solo comedian and still a fixture in DC’s Detective comics line – if you’re wondering where these fit into a timeline, read on to learn how to watch the Batman movies in order.
Batman becomes a breakthrough cultural sensation in the 1960s alongside James Bond and The Beatles with his own hit TV series, plastered on lunchboxes, buttons, posters, t-shirts, toys and bed sheets, then debuts in cartoon form as part of the 1970s Super Friends Saturday morning show, eventually landing in the Tinsel Town spotlight in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson.
Today, Batman is DC Comics’ most popular character of all time, currently appearing in half a dozen different titles and graphic novels. We have a new Batman feature film coming out in 2026 titled Batman Part 2, which is a sequel to The BatmanBatman theme park rides, Batman video games, and a new Batman animated series created by Bruce Timm called Batman: The Masked Crusader.
Directors Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves have all had their time in the Bat Cave with their own interpretive visions, and fans have varying opinions on which rendition feels most true to Batman to them. I myself am quite partial to Robert Pattinson’s laconic ‘Year Two’ incarnation of Gotham City’s grim protector, with Christian Bale a close second. With his rogues gallery of formidable foes including The Joker, The Penguin (who has a new Max spinoff show called The Penguin)Scarecrow, Catwoman, The Riddler, Harley Quinn, Bane, Poison Ivy, Two Face, Mister Freeze, Ra’s al Ghul and Killer Croc, Batman is a man who has his work cut out for him keeping the streets safe.
On this most auspicious day, Batman Day, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the origins and evolution of this mysterious crime fighter. It’s also worth discovering the many ways to watch the best Batman movies on the best streaming services. You can also discover everything Bat needs in terms of movies, animated series and TV shows.
To soak your soul in the abundance of Batman fare, there are endless opportunities to figuratively (or literally, if you prefer) don the cowl and cape in his honor. So let’s find out where you can get your fix of the Dark Knight on this heroic day of remembrance.
Batman, on request
A good place to start is Batman’s official streaming home on Max, the platform owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of DC Comics. A respectable sampler for those in the US, Max currently offers five seasons of Gotham (in the UK the series can be found on Prime Video) featuring younger proto-versions of heroes and villains from the Bat-universe.
If you continue further, you’ll find a plethora of Hollywood’s major Batman feature films, including the 1989 Batman films. Batmanfrom 1992 Batman Returns1995s Batman Foreverfrom 1997 Batman and Robin2005 Batman Begins2008 The dark knight2012 The dark knight risesand the grim and grim of 2022 The Batman with a standout performance from Robert Pattinson – read our pick of the 10 best performances from the Batman films.
Animation fans can also enjoy the 90s classic from creator Bruce Timm on Max Batman: The Animated Series and the futuristic Batman Furtheras well as The BatmanAnd Batman: The Brave and the Bold. More adventurous types should consider the 2017 edition The Lego Batman Movie or the ultimate edition of Zack Snyder’s opera Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeJustice Leagueand the intriguing black and white cut, Justice League: Justice is Gray.
And if you’re looking for a solid recommendation from the dozens of excellent DC Animated Universe feature films that Max presents, you can’t go wrong with the horror-themed Batman: The Fate That Came to Gothamwhich is based on a 2000-2001 Elseworlds comic book miniseries written by Mike Mignola and Hellboy’s Richard Price.
On Netflix, Batman is predictably absent, except in the horrific mess called The Flash and two decent animated series for children, Justice League And Justice League Unlimited, that are not included in our selection of the best superhero movies.
Finally, Amazon’s Prime Video took home a big award when it picked up Bruce Timm’s new noir-ish animated series set in the 1940s, Batman: The Masked Crusader, which quickly became one of Prime Video’s best shows. Plus, Prime Video is also the exclusive destination for a pair of Technicolor Batman gems from the ’60s: all 120 episodes of the Batman Television series that aired from 1966-1968 and 1966’s super fun Batman: The Movie.
However and wherever you dance the Batusi today: Happy Batman Day to everyone!
