SEEKERS OF THE BAT

In the left image we see Batman in his heyday. Clearly an homage to the 1960s TV series, with the fight sound effects in bright neon lights (Biff! Bam! Pow!). Grant Morrison imagined this to be an era of “popcrime”, with his foes being more akin to quirky performance artists than hardened criminals. The worst crimes were a penguin or cat themed theft, littered with childish riddles or bad puns leading them exactly to their hideouts, and the only backup he ever needed was a pair of wisecracking teenagers. Also note that Batman is wearing his cheery bright blue and gray costume with large yellow chest logo.

But in the right image are the darker times that would come from the 1970s on. From Robin turning his back on him and leaving as Nightwing, to the vicious crippling of Batgirl, to fathering an assassin with the daughter of a global terrorist, to the Joker beating Jason Todd to death, to the frustration at filling Arkham Asylum with murderous lunatics, only to see them escape again and again without hope of rehabilitation, it is no wonder Batman now wears the mournful midnight blue and dark gray costume.

Dustin Nguyen gives us this awesome group shot of the major characters in the Bat universe. It must have been a blast to put together. The only character I had trouble identifying was the little girl sitting on Clayface’s shoulder. It turns out she’s Annie, Clayface’s “daughter” from the animated series. For such a loner, Batman sure does have a lot of people in his life :)

We’re big fans of Dustin Nguyen around here, and here’s a great pinup of four of the main bat family members. It’s clear to see everyone misses Barbara Gordon as because we still see images of her in the Batgirl suit despite there having been 4 people in the suit since. :\

Batman began his crusade as an orphan, with his butler as his only friend, and earned a reputation as an unrepentant bachelor. Despite all this, in modern stories, he is written as a cold but caring father, both metaphorical and literally.

He has one biological son in Damian, and two adopted sons in Dick and Tim. He has one more lost black sheep in Jason. Much more so than the Batgirls, the four male Robins strive for his respect, desperately attempting to support him in his impossible quest, each in their own way. In return, their influence has humanized Batman. He has made an effort to balance being an unfeeling force of nature with what is best for his boys.  He is also trying to be the best father he can be.

This wondrous shot of the Bat family is brought to us by Kuroi Tsuki. There are some anachronisms, such as Barbara Gordon still able to walk and in her Batgirl costume. In any case, it shows how even a so-called loner like Batman can accomplish so much more with family and friends supporting him.

When Bruce Wayne disappeared, it took quite a lot of convincing for Dick to take over as Batman. After all, he and his ‘father’ had their differences. Still, he succeeded as a kinder, gentler Batman, even taking on Bruce’s vicious biological son Damien as his Robin.

Bat In The Sun productions gives us another excellent addition to its Batman fan film portfolio with Batman Legends, a compilation of clips featuring faithful renditions of several scenes including the creation of the Joker, the death of Jason Todd, and Bane’s breaking of the Batman. Also notable was a shot of the original Bob Kane Batman with the wide ears :)

After Bruce Wayne’s apparent death in Final Crisis, the rest of the Bat family had an internal struggle as to who should carry on as Batman. In this teaser photo, we have a sampling of the major players.  From left to right, the various Batmen are: Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Two-Face, Jason Todd, with a special mention to Hush (with a bandage around his leg), who surgically altered his appearance to match Bruce Wayne’s.

Dick Grayson eventually reluctantly gave up his Nightwing persona to become the new, kinder Batman taking his adoptive stepbrother Damian on as his Robin.

Criminals are a cowardly, superstitious lot.  I must become a… lovable giant rabbit creature?

via danbooru.donmai.us

Sean Galloway gives us a great character sheet lineup of Nightwing, Batman and Mr. Freeze, adding Superman and Darkseid for good measure.

via http://gotcheeks.blogspot.com/