The Dark Knight's guises!

IT'S 60 years this week since Adam West exploded on to screens in the Batman TV show. Since then, the Dark Knight has gone from a campy brawler to a brooding vigilante. Here MEG JORSH takes a look at how the hero has evolved - and the actors who have played him...

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Fatman: The first actor to play Batman was panned for his lack of six-pack, with one critic describing him as “thick about the middle” Lewis G. Wilson, bottom left, played the role in 15-part cinema serial Batman, released in 1943.

Suits you, sir: The critics were kinder to beefcake Robert Lowery, who took over the role in the 1949 sequel Batman And Robin. The budget didn't stretch to a Batmobile, so he drove a Mercury convertible.

Go West: Adam West was the first Batman to fly (OK, not literally). His Batman series, released on January 12, 1966, was a riot of hammy fights and ludicrous plots. He turned down the role of James Bond in 1970.