Things You May Not Know about Batman

Gotham’s beacon of justice and courage is here once more, and fans get to see “The Batman” in a freshly new narrative brought to us by Director Matt Reeves, with Twilight’s Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne a.k.a. The Batman.

The Caped Crusader of Gotham City is the most rebooted comicbook character of all time. From TV series to film adaptations, producers, writers, and directors have always come up with new ideas to re-tell the story of DC Comics’ Dark Knight – to the benefit and excitement of comicbook enthusiasts throughout generations. Batman is truly one of the most important fictional heroes that has a very strong influence on people’s imaginations, both young and old.

Read and learn about the Batman actors throughout the years.

It’s time to see a new and exciting take on Batsy, but before you head to the theatres to watch “The Batman,” let’s have a look at some of the things you may not know about our favourite DC hero.

1. There is an actual city called Batman

Did you know that there is a city in southeastern Turkey called Batman? And no, it was NOT named after him! In fact, in 2008, the mayor of Batman City sued Warner Bros for royalties. The residents even claimed that their city was called Batman long before his first appearance as a comicbook character in 1939. Yet, no one could explain why it took the city decades to take legal action against Warner Bros. (Source: Variety.com)

2. Batman’s greatest asset as a superhero is his wealth

Being a mere human with no superpowers, what particular asset allows Batman to keep up with his hero colleagues? Some say it’s his high intelligence. Others say it’s his above-human athletic skills, while not a few will say it’s his arsenal of gadgets and gear. But mind you, Bruce Wayne would have not been able to acquire all the state-of-the-art equipment and the necessary mental and physical training without his wealth!

Wayne Enterprises, the company that provides for Bruce has been with the Wayne family for generations. It is a quadrillion dollar empire (maybe even more) that has businesses in steel, biotechnology, energy, electronics, medicine, and military supplies to name a few. In the comics, Wayne Corp is said to have built Gotham City.

3. There is such a thing as Batmanology

Do you want to be an expert on Batmanology? You can be! If you want to include that in your curriculum vitae, then you should take a course that teaches the science of anything about Batman. Interested? You can go to the University of Victoria in Canada and enrol.

4. Kevin Conroy is the longest-running Batman actor

From live-action to animated series and movies, the Caped Crusader has been portrayed by many actors throughout the decades. Yet, did you know that Kevin Conroy has the longest-running Batman acting portfolio? For over 25 years, Kevin has been voicing Batman starting with the classic yet all-famous Batman Animated Series of the 1990’s all the way down to numerous animated shows, animated movies, and video games.

5. Batman’s original suit was supposed to be red

Before the all-black cape and cowl, many older fans remember Batman with his blue and grey suit, and yellow chest sign and utility belt. However, before all the evolution of the Bat costume happened, did you know Bob Kane (the creator of Batman) originally wanted him to wear red leotards? Have a look…

6. The first Batman movie was made in 1964

The first live-action Batman movie was directed by Andy Warhol and released in 1964. It was entitled “Batman Dracula.” Sadly, the film was made without the consent of DC Comics. The full copy of the movie has been lost in time, and film historians were only able to salvage a few stills and images.

7. Gotham City got its name from a phone book

Bill Finger, Batman’s co-creator and artist, got the name Gotham when he opened the phone directory book and stumbled upon a jewellery business called Gotham Jewelers. Recounting the moment, Bill said…

“Originally I was going to call it Civic City. Then I tried Capital City… Then I flipped through the New York City phone book and spotted the name Gotham Jewelers and said, ‘That's it, Gotham City!’ We didn't call it New York because we wanted anybody in any city to identify with it.”

8. Zorro, Sherlock Holmes, and Leonardo da Vinci inspired Batman

Bob Kane’s original concept of the “Bat-Man” was inspired by:

• Sherlock Holmes – one of history’s greatest fictional detective.
• Zorro – the masked vigilante who wields a sword to defend the poor and the oppressed; his secret identity – a rich young man named Diego de la Vega.
• The sketch of Leonardo da Vinci’s bat-winged flying machine.

Combine all 3 and you have the Batman!

9. Bill Finger gave Batman most of his identity

The idea and concept of Batman may have been created by Bob Kane, but it is his artist-collaborator, Bill Finger, who gave us the iconic cape and cowl look including Batman’s alter-ego Bruce Wayne – and of course, the name of Gotham City (see #7).

10. Batman has many aliases

Batman has been called with other names, among them are:

• Bat-Man (the original spelling given by Bob Kane)
• World’s Greatest Detective
• Caped Crusader
• Dark Knight
• Matches Malone (the identity used by Batman to infiltrate Gotham’s underworld)
• Defender / Guardian / Protector of Gotham
• The Bat
• Bats
• Batsy

Do you know of other fun facts people may not know about Batman? How about sharing them with us? Don’t forget to check out our assortment of Batman toys and games!