Together, they refined the idea. The wings were replaced by a black, scalloped cape, the costume became dark and sinister and the character’s backstory fell into place: wealthy playboy by day, merciless crimefighter by night. The Bat-Man made his first appearance in Detective Comics No 27, May 1939, and became an instant hit.
Now, 80 years later, Batman is hailed as one of the greatest superhero creations of all time. With numerous TV shows, video games, animations and big Hollywood film franchises under his (utility) belt, Batman isn’t merely a comic-book character, but a cultural icon.
And he’s not the only one. The comics universe has become nothing short of a cinematic phenomenon, with big-budget superhero films released by DC and its rival Marvel every few months, complemented by spin-off TV shows and merchandise in the form of anything and everything.
As part of the DC empire’s year-long global celebration of Batman’s 80th anniversary, the landmark 1,000th issue of Detective Comics was released in March, documenting the Caped Crusader’s past, present and future. It also serves as a nostalgic reminder of where this hero’s story, like so many others, all began—on the flimsy pages of a comic book, selling for just a few pence at the newsstand, but introducing children to a whole new realm of imagination.
This story is from the September 25, 2019 edition of Country Life UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 25, 2019 edition of Country Life UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Love and logic
Two lovers who endured adversity and separation in life would become united in Paris after death, discovers Eileen Reid
Don't mock them
Plant a philadelphus, or mock orange, now for improbably lovely scent and cascades of sparkling blossom this summer, says John Hoyland
Home is where the art is
No trouble is too much for the Marquess of Cholmondeley to display to best effect Sir Antony Gormley's sculptures against the magnificent backdrop of Houghton Hall, even if it means cutting a hole in the floor, as Charlotte Mullins discovers
Bold and beautiful
The gardens at Broughton Grange, Oxfordshire The home of Sir Stephen and Lady Hester An arboretum, woodland garden, stumpery and heather garden all planted for artistic effect are among the many features that mark out this exciting garden, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Land of liquid gold
Greek cuisine-from delicious mezes to shellfish-might be 'tightly bound to the sparse soil and the blue sea', but it is sorely underrated, laments Tom Parker Bowles
An old way of life in rural France
Arcadian tranquillity, a wealth of cultural richness and a slow pace of life enchant John Lewis-Stempel as he reflects on his existence in France profonde
Deep in Hardy country
Hardy's beguilingly pretty Wessex is the setting for three houses with links to people and places that fuelled the writer's imagination
The benefit of foresight
The ability to anticipate the future is the secret of a successful building project
Nature's rarest gems
G. Collins & Sons specialises in the sourcing and setting of the finest natural fancy coloured diamonds the world has to offer
A prickly subject
Resembling a jumbo jacket potato on surprisingly long, scurrying legs, the hedgehog is Britain’s favourite mammal. Marianne Taylor takes a closer look beneath its spines