He's the Dark Knight. He's the Caped Crusader. He's 90% of the Dynamic Duo. And he's 85 years old!
30th March 1939. Detective Comics #27 hit the shelves and gave us the first look at a brand new hero, The Batman. Bob Kane's original creation looked very different to the one we now know and love; it was Bill Finger's involvement that added the more familiar characteristics such as the cowl, the cape, and removing the red from his costume.
Today, he and his emblem are instantly recognisable (although you might have to squint to see it in DC's new version of the logo). From his comic book beginnings, through the famous 60s TV series, the animated shows, and various video games, it's the movies now he's best known for, with some of the most universally acclaimed superhero films being Batman ones (thank you Messrs Burton and Nolan).
The whole team has loved working on our various Batman products. Oli, our Head of Digital (and author of this blog, writing in the third person), is a big fan and recently attended the exhibition in Manchester showcasing the last 85 years of the World's Greatest Detective. He also uses our Batman deskpad and coaster set on his desk in the office, and when he was at Comic Con in May, got one of his graphic novels signed by legendary writer Jeph Loeb!
With our 85th anniversary range out there in the world, and with more on the way, he's showing no signs of going away and it's one of the best times for a Batman collector!