Home Gaming The evolution of Batman – 75 years of the caped crusader

The evolution of Batman – 75 years of the caped crusader

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Batman-evolve

Batman has been around for over 75 years now. Three quarters of a century spent kicking ass and taking names. But the Batman that you’re used to isn’t the Batman that first started dealing fist-based justice to the criminal underworld.

Hell, the original Dark Knight was a murderous psychopath who wasn’t afraid to get his purple gloves dirty, killing super-villains by the truckload. But times have changed, and so has the Batman. Check it out, in our latest video!

Who’s afraid of the big bad Batman?

I’ve grown up with several of those Batmen. Batman.s Whatever. I was a mere youth when Danny Devito’s Penguin gave me nightmares in Batman Returns. I was thrilled by weekly adventures of the dynamic duo when they hit SABC TV screens in the critically acclaimed animated series. Hell, my favourite Batman movie, believe it or not, is Batman Forever.

For me Val Kilmer will always be my favourite Batman, a vigilante who represented the best of the character: A caped crusader who had managed to come to terms with both his Batman and Bruce Wayne personas, choosing to be both. That’s my Batman.

I’m a firm believer that Batman doesn’t have to be a paranoid nightmare to those closest around him, but it has made for some interesting reading. And over the years, he has become more than just a mentally-troubled human dressed as a bat.

Batman has become a myth, a legend that has kept crime under control. Whether it’s Batman as a dark secret that you never want to cross paths with in Gotham, or a relentless force for justice that has gone toe to toe with space gods, there’s a Batman for every taste out there.

In comics, my favourite Batman isn’t even Bruce Wayne. It certainly isn’t Azrael and his ridiculous leg-belts, but rather Dick Grayson who filled in after Bruce Wayne had been sent through time as a reality-destroying bomb at the climax of Final Crisis and Darkseid’s Omega Sanction eye-lasers.

Man, comics are weird. But awesome. And Batman will always be the best. ALWAYS.

Last Updated: July 21, 2015

32 Comments

  1. Well said D, I bet his parents are really proud! ….oh

    Reply

  2. Admiral Chief in Skellige

    July 21, 2015 at 12:37

    Geralt >>> Batman

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      July 21, 2015 at 12:39

      Geralt isn’t afraid of some glorified Katakan.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief in Skellige

        July 21, 2015 at 12:40

        Heh, last night, with that werewolf quest on Skellige, instead of flinching or being cautious close to the werewolf, he gets chatty and tunes him kak

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          July 21, 2015 at 12:52

          My favourites are the trolls. They’re just so cool.

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief in Skellige

            July 21, 2015 at 13:01

            Yeah, trolololol

    • Brady miaau

      July 21, 2015 at 14:32

      I do not think Geralt is that into Batman. Maybe just my opinion, but hey.

      Reply

  3. Admiral Chief in Skellige

    July 21, 2015 at 12:39

    Batman Beyond is my favourite suit

    Reply

  4. Mark Treloar

    July 21, 2015 at 12:41

    No way he is as hardcore as Hawk-Owl.

    Reply

  5. justlikemo

    July 21, 2015 at 12:42

    speaking of val kilme makes me think of Elizabeth Shue (watch all the younguns google that name), I love that tannie

    Reply

  6. Francois Knoetze

    July 21, 2015 at 12:45

    @darren. Have to agree with you on the movie dude. Batman Forever will always hold a special place in my heart. Love the Chris Nolan flicks but the old movies were gold. Batman and Robin is just horrible though. Watched it as a kid but after going on a bat movie binge i had to slap myself when I got there.

    Reply

    • justlikemo

      July 21, 2015 at 12:49

      Thats why I dont go back, I’ll watch a movie a couple of times at most and leave it in my mind as a good movie, thats it.

      Reply

      • Francois Knoetze

        July 21, 2015 at 12:55

        NEVER!! YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH BATMAN NOSTALGIA!!! EVER!!! HISSS

        “disappears in a puff of smoke”

        Reply

        • justlikemo

          July 21, 2015 at 12:59

          🙂 I just dont go back, leave them as good old movies, just to avoid any disappointment. Like for me Macgyver was the man, when I watched him as a young man, and thats it, never watched it again, neither did I buy the DVD, in my mind he remained as the Man!

          Reply

    • The D

      July 21, 2015 at 12:53

      You. I like you.

      Reply

  7. justlikemo

    July 21, 2015 at 12:48

    Thats when Val pitched up on the scene and Batman Forever was awesome!!

    Reply

  8. Stosta

    July 21, 2015 at 12:51

    What’s a Batman?

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      July 21, 2015 at 14:31

      It is like a butler, but normally in military circles. A general would typically have had one

      Reply

  9. Pariah

    July 21, 2015 at 12:54

    I’m here for the D. Where do I sign?

    Reply

    • The D

      July 21, 2015 at 13:02

      Right here. #WinkWink. There’s only space for one initial however.

      Reply

      • Pariah

        July 21, 2015 at 13:03

        P.

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief in Skellige

          July 21, 2015 at 13:03

          Nis?

          Reply

          • Pariah

            July 21, 2015 at 13:04

            Can you enlarge that for me please? I’m having trouble making it out.

          • Admiral Chief in Skellige

            July 21, 2015 at 13:04

            USE THE BAT-VISION?

          • Pariah

            July 21, 2015 at 13:05

            TO THE BATMOBILE!

  10. BMXWufam

    July 21, 2015 at 12:55

    I watched Arkham Knight last night. Too good.

    Reply

  11. Bagel

    July 21, 2015 at 12:56

    We all know that IRL Darryn is actually Robin.

    Sorry dude ;-;

    Reply

  12. Willjam

    July 21, 2015 at 13:27

    @Darryn_Bonthuys:disqus, I finished reading Batman: Year One the weekend. What would you recommend next?

    There were a bunch of Batman NES games that were pretty decent at the time and I spent a big part of my youth playing! Was also surprised when Batman killed a bunch of people in the 1989 movie when I watched it again a while ago

    Reply

    • The D

      July 21, 2015 at 13:48

      Try Batman: Court Of Owls. It’s a New 52 Batman book, but very easy to get into. Great new enemies.

      Reply

      • Willjam

        July 21, 2015 at 14:09

        Will do, thanks!

        Reply

  13. SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

    July 21, 2015 at 14:41

    I don’t know why. But BaleBat is still the one I feel best captures Batman for me.

    Also, cool slideshow! 😉

    Reply

  14. Kimberly White

    October 21, 2015 at 04:52

    – kes kantoi –

    Batman : “NI MESTI ADA KES BESAR NI…AKU KENA PERGI TENGOK SEPAM NI…SEBAGAI ADIWIRA AKU TAK BOLEH BIARKAN KEJAHATAN BERLELUASA DI BOTAM CITY NI!

    NI KALAU TAK KES ROMPAK NI…MESTI KES DADAH NI…TAK PUN KES CURI TAYAR KERETA…HABIS TAYAR KERETA AKU! PUIHHH!!

    TAKPE…HI ABANG BEKMEN DAH SAMPAI UNTUK CLEARKAN KEADAAN!! SI ALFRED NI DARI TADI KELUAR BELI BURGER TAK BALIK-BALIK PULAK! KEBULUR DAH AKU NI! SETTLE KES DULU LA! YEEEHA!”

    Batman thinking : “EH? TU MACAM SI ALFRED TU… APA DIA BUAT KAT SINI? AKU SURUH BELI BURGER…”

    Batman : “YE TUAN DETEKTIF! APA KES? ROMPAKAN KE?”

    Detective : “HMMM….

    KAMI TERPAKSA TANGKAP ORANG NI…KAMI PERCAYA YANG ENCIK BEKMEN KENAL DENGAN BELIAU… TU PASAL KAMI PANGGIL ENCIK BEKMEN KE SINI!”

    Batman : “MEMANG AKU KENAL! NI ORANG GAJI AKU TAU TAK?! DIA CUMA BELI BURGER JE! YANG KO NAK TANGKAP DIA APAHAL?! KALAU KO TANGKAP DIA… SAPA NAK SERVE AKU?!”

    Alfred : “TUAN…TOLONG GUA…HUHUHU”

    Batman : “HARI TU BANYAK AKU NAMPAK ORANG BUANG ROTI DALAM NI…HARI NI TAKDE PULAK!”

    Detective : “KAMI DAPAT ADUAN YANG ALFRED NI SELALU MAIN JUDI DAN BUAT BISING SAMPAI MENGGANGGU KEJIRANAN KAT SINI…BUKTI PUN DAH ADA NI HA…KAMI HARAP ENCIK BEKMEN DAPAT MEMBANTU SIASATAN…ERRR…ENCIK BEKMEN DENGAR KE NI?!”

    Detective Assistant : “JALANNN!”

    Alfred : “AAAAA!”

    Reply

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