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In 1939, Detective Comics introduced a new superhero. He was just a man with no superpowers. He had only the mind of a detective and a whole lot of money. He's a silent guardian watching over the people of Gotham City, protecting the good and punishing the evil. He isn't the comic book hero we deserve, but he is the one we need. Learn more about the history of Batman on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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This episode is sponsored by hexclad. You've heard me talk about how I've been using hexclad in my kitchen for about a year and a half now. Well, now hexclad is taking its hybrid technology outdoors with a barbecue collection designed for foods that usually treat grill grates like an escape hatch. The hexclad barbecue grill pan is perfect for vegetables, seafood, fish and kebabs. Its perforated design allows heat and smoke to circulate so you still get the real grilled flavor. It combines the searing power of stainless steel, the durability of cast iron, and the convenience of non stick. It's heat safe up to 900 degrees, dishwasher safe, easy to clean, and backed by a lifetime warranty. So if you're planning on spending time behind the grill this summer, don't make it harder than it needs to be. Stop losing food through the grates, stop fighting cleanup and upgrade your backyard cooking setup with hexclad's barbecue collection. For a limited time only, my listeners get 10% off their order with my exclusive link. Just head to hexclad.com daily. Support the show and check them out at hexclashad.com daily and make sure to let them know I sent you. This episode is sponsored by Drip Drop. If you've been watching the World cup for the last few weeks, you may have noticed that they added something called a hydration break. They will briefly stop the game for the players to hydrate and it isn't just a play for extra television ads. There was a real concern about the athlete's hydration. Well, you don't have to be in the World cup to require proper hydration. Drip Drop uses science based formulas for rapid hydration so you feel the results fast while getting three times the electrolytes of leading sports drinks. It has six key electrolytes as well as 15 essential vitamins and nutrients. Drip Drop is trusted by firefighters, medical professionals and over 90% of top college and pro sports teams. And I use Dripdrop. I'm a fan of the zero sugar version. Right now DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code everything. That's dripdrop.com promo code everything for 20% off. Stock up now@dripdrop.com and use promo code everything. Few fictional characters have remained as popular, adaptable and recognizable as Batman. The origins of Batman begin with the success of another comic book hero, Superman. Superman was released in Action Comics 1 in 1938 and the character became extremely popular. Superman was the subject of a previous episode. Wanting to capitalize on Superman's popularity, Detective Comics Incorporated decided to introduce a new hero. Drawing on the work of writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, they created the new character Batman. Early concepts of the character were completed by Bob Kane. The original version depicted Batman very differently from the black suited vigilante that you're probably familiar with. In the earliest versions, the character sketches depict bat wings, a domino mask just covering the eyes, and red tights. The version of Batman that we know today took shape through Bill Finger's recommendations. He suggested that the costume use darker tones and include a cape, cowl and gloves. The creators also developed a backstory and an alter ego for Batman in the form of millionaire Bruce Wayne. The authors portrayed his civilian life as that of a bored playboy. In sharp contrast to Batman, Batman's secret identity was influenced by predecessors like the Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro. Like Batman, Zorro and the Scarlet Pimpernel, they acted in secret, were aloof in public, and had a signature symbol. The name Bruce Wayne was inspired by two different historical figures. The first of these figures was Robert the Bruce, who was King of Scotland from 1306 to 1329. He's best known for his victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The creators thought it would be fitting for an aristocrat like Bruce to have a name with a noble lineage. His last name, Wayne, comes from the American Revolutionary War officer known as Mad Anthony Wayne. The surname Wayne was chosen because Anthony Wayne had a reputation as a fearless yet reckless military leader. The idea was that Anthony Wayne employed aggressive battlefield tactics similar to Batman's fearless protection of Gotham from the criminal underworld. Batman's cowl, cape and bat symbol were heavily influenced by the 1930 crime film the Bat Whispers. The movie's antagonist, the Bat, wore a bat themed disguise that helped shape the hero's look, and his use of acrobatic tricks and tools to drop into rooms unexpectedly inspired Bruce Wayne. Furthermore, the character's practice of leaving a bat shaped calling card directly inspired Batman's bat signal and overall design. Finger and Kane also wanted Batman to be a detective, and they drew on characters like Sherlock Holmes to make him the world's greatest detective. Initial drafts had the Caped Crusader operating out of New York City, but they ultimately set the story in a fictional city named Gotham. The name was chosen after seeing Gotham jewelers in the New York City phone book. Batman first debuted in Detective Comics 27 on March 30, 1939. The character's popularity quickly skyrocketed. The first issue that introduced Batman is one of the most valuable comic books in the world. In 2026, the comic sold at auction for $2.3 million. The initial tales of Batman were very dark. His origin story was revealed in issue 33 where Bruce Wayne witnessed his parents murder during a mugging. While mourning his parents death, he he promised to avenge them by fighting criminals, giving the character his motivation. Detective Comics 35, published in January of 1940, was the first time Batman became a main cover feature rather than just featured content on the inside. The character's popularity led to Batman receiving his first solo title in the spring of 1940. Batman 1 introduced two of the most important characters in the Batman mythology. His most popular love interest, Catwoman, and his archenemy, the Joker. In almost mint condition. Batman 1 has reportedly sold for nearly $6 million in a private transaction in February of 2026. One of the reasons for Batman's popularity has been his villains, and his greatest foe has been the Joker. The Joker's creation can be attributed to Bob Kane, Bill Finger and artist Jerry Robinson. The character was inspired by the playing card character and the 1928 movie the man who Laughs. The film followed a young man who was mutilated by a sadistic monarch. The mutilation left the man with a permanent grotesque grin. These different inspirations led to the creation of the Joker. The character was initially depicted as a bloodthirsty killer who murdered his victims with just his signature grin. The character was initially set up to appear in only one edition of the comic where he'd be killed off in the end. But at the last minute, the creators decided to save the character and make him a recurring villain. It was also established in Batman 1 that Batman would not kill his enemies, nor was he allowed to fire a gun. This was a corporate mandate by DC Comics. Earlier versions of the character had him routinely kill criminals. But to keep the character marketable, they decided to give him a moral code which later written into Bruce Wayne psychology. That same year, Batman's sidekick Robin was introduced. First appearing in Detective Comics 38 the Boy Wonder's initial identity was Dick Grayson. Created by the same team, Robin was designed to attract younger readers. The duo quickly became known as the Caped Crusaders or the Dynamic Duo. Robin made Batman less dark. The boy was meant to bring youthful, optimistic energy and serve as the ideal sidekick. Dick Grayson served as robin from the 1940s through the 1980s until the character was rewritten to mature into the hero Nightwing. This allowed other characters to take up the mantle of Robin as a sidekick. Robin inspired numerous other characters to develop teenage counterparts of their own, and this became an industry trend as other studios tried to match its appeal. Batman's popularity, as well as Superman's helped propel DC to become the biggest comic book publisher of the 1940s. Following World War II, the comic book industry struggled. Only Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman comics were able to maintain their individual series. To combat declining interest. The industry as a whole underwent a shift in the 1950s in a period known as the Silver Age of comics. To keep the industry going and the characters popular, studios began to make changes to make comics more marketable to a general audience. The Silver Age is known for revitalizing the superhero genre through artistic changes and pioneering new types of storytelling. For Batman, this meant his stories became lighter with more science fiction overtones. This period saw the introduction of villains like Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. Characters like the Joker changed from being a sociopath to just being a prankster. In 1964, sales of Batman comics were declining. One of the comics editors, Julius Schwartz, decided to make a shift in Batman. He wanted to return Batman to his detective roots and update his suit. Schwartz's new design included highlighting Batman's chest insignia with a yellow oval. And while it might not seem like a very big deal, it was considered a sharp stylistic break from the past. Additionally, they introduced the character of Batgirl, whose alias was Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner Gordon. She became an important new supporting character who helped draw in female readers. Perhaps More importantly, a TV show was released in 1966 titled Batman starring Adam West. The TV portrayed Batman in a humorous and campy way, which also carried over into the comics. The Batman TV series was popular, and its popularity led to merchandise being created surrounding Batman. This included a theatrical movie and a newspaper strip. These continued until the show was canceled in 1968. Despite the show's cancellation, the series helped revitalize the superhero genre as a whole. But after the TV show ended, DC Comics sales eventually began dropping again. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, sales of Batman comics began Trailing off to overcome the slump, DC decided to change the character once more. Writers and artists such as Steve Englehart, Denny o', Neill, Len Wein, Dick Giordano, Neal Adams and Marshall Rogers decided to restore Batman to his grittier nature. And perhaps the best example of this new grittyness came in the comic the Dark Knight returns. Published in 1986. The four part miniseries was developed by the artist and writer Frank Miller. This comic was so popular that it inspired other comic creators to follow his lead and adopt darker tones with their own work. In 1989, Batman returned to the screen when director Tim Burton directed the movie Batman. The film helped propel the comic industry by showing that superheroes could be dark, gritty and complex, rather than just being campy with actors in spandex. After the success of the first movie, a sequel was greenlit as well as the TV series. The Animated Series. Debuting in 1992, the television show became the standard of how Batman stories were told and portrayed, especially after the quality of the films began to decline. The TV series portrayed Batman stories in a more mature way, had a distinct visual look and design, reimagined key villains and introduced new characters like Harley Quinn. The series won four Emmys, which shaped the future depictions of the Batman universe. Batman grew even more popular after director Christopher Nolan brought the character back to the silver screen. 2005's Batman Begin, 2008's the Dark Knight and 2012's the Dark Knight Rises were the first major theatrical reboots of the character, but they were certainly not the last. Nolan's Batman was portrayed differently from his predecessors. He did his best to keep the character grounded in realism and focused on the relationships between Bruce Wayne and other characters. The films were incredibly popular, grossing over a billion dollars, and this led other comic book publishers to follow suit. Stories became more grounded in realism, focusing on detective work and more psychological battles to sustain audience interest. Batman's popularity has led to the character being developed in more films including Batman vs Superman, dawn of Justice, the Justice League, the Lego Batman Movie and the Batman. Batman and the Batman universe paved the way for other popular fictional characters. His dark nature inspired a wave of characters known as antiheroes. Because Batman was allowed to experience moral complexities, other creators drew inspiration to create their own morally ambiguous characters such as the Punisher and Wolverine. Additionally, Batman revolutionized how we perceive heroes. Unlike characters like Superman who have extraordinary powers, Batman is really just a normal guy. It set a standard that non powered characters could be powerful in their own way. Characters like Iron man and Hawkeye all owe a debt to Batman. Finally, Batman's Rogues Gallery established the comic industry trope of featuring villains with gimmicks and themes. Without characters like the Joker or the Riddler, we might never have seen the trend of recurring villain rosters. Batman has endured because he can change without losing the core of what makes him compelling. He's been a grim detective, a colorful TV hero, a tormented vigilante, and a global entertainment icon, yet he has always remained a human being, confronting fear, crime and tragedy without any superpowers. More than eight decades after his creation, Batman continues to reflect the anxieties and values of every generation, ensuring that the Dark Knight will remain one of the most important characters in popular culture for years to come. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Otkin and Cameron Kiefer. Research and writing for this episode was provided by Olivia Ashe. My big thanks go to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon. Your support helps make this podcast possible, and I also want to remind everyone about the community groups on Facebook and Discord. This is where everything happens that's outside of the show. As always, if you leave a review on any major podcast app or in the above community groups, you too can have it read on the show.