From: [p--te--w] at [jolt.mpx.com.au] (Peter Williams) Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info,rec.arts.comics.misc,alt.comics.batman Subject: Batman FAQ v2.0 Date: 17 Jan 1995 23:20:34 -0800 BATMAN FAQ Frequently-Asked Questions about the Darknight Detective VERSION 2.0 January 1995 Current author (versions 2.0 onwards) Peter Williams. Original author (versions to 1.10) David T. Chappell. Comments, suggestions and corrections may be sent to [p--te--w] at [mpx.com.au] LEGAL STUFF: Batman and all related characters are trademarks of DC Comics. Mention of these characters in this document is without permission of DC Comics, but said use is not intended to challenge DC's trademark rights or copyrights. Readers who want to learn more about Batman are encouraged to purchase the comic books. Permission is granted for non- profit distribution of this document, provided all headers remain intact and the original authorship is acknowledged. Any other use requires the written permission of the author. AVAILABILITY: This FAQ is posted regularly to Internet newsgroups and ftp sites (see Q6a and Q6b). Permission is granted to distribute the FAQ in its entirety and without modification electronically as long as such is done without charge. For other use beyond that appropriate for using other resource material, please contact the author for prior permission. Peter requests that anyone posting the FAQ to another major computer network contact him (so that he can keep track of where it’s got to :). -oOo- This FAQ gives comic-book readers an introduction to Batman. Though most Americans are familiar with the lead character, the current comic books include many characters and events with which new readers will be unfamiliar. This FAQ tries to keep new readers from wondering about the background information. All facts are about the post-Crisis universe (see Q3a) and current Batman (see Q3b) unless specified. All information is accurate as of the date of this document (currently January 1995), and some details (notably current story line events and mailing addresses) may change. Events from the most recent comic issues will not appear in the FAQ to prevent spoiling the story for readers. Note: The term "Batman" implies the character rather than the comic book of the same name. "Comic" means comic book. ALL CAPS are used in lieu of italics to indicate a title; a "title" is a series of comics under the same published title (e.g., DETECTIVE COMICS). [As this version is a substantial re-vamp of the existing format, there are no revision markings between this and previous versions. For future versions, + will indicate an updated question, and * will indicate a new question.] =CONTENTS= Section 1: WHAT IS HE? =1a= Who is Batman? =1b= Who created Batman? When did Batman first appear? =1c= What are Batman's abilities? How did he get his abilities? Section 2: THE COMIC BOOKS =2a= What Batman comics are published regularly? =2b= I only want to read one Batman title rather than all of them. Which one should I choose? =2c= How do I subscribe to Batman comics? =2d= How do I find old Batman comic books? =2e= How much money are old Batman comics worth? =2f= How do I contact the creators of Batman comics? =2g= In what other media has Batman appeared? Section 3: THE STORYLINES =3a= What was the Crisis? =3b= When and how was Batman revamped in recent years? =3c= What happened in Knightfall? =3d= What was Knightquest? =3e= How did Bruce return to take the Mantle of the Bat? Section 4: SUPPORTING CAST =4a= Who is Robin? How many Robins have there been? =4b= What major villains has he fought? =4c= Who does he work with in the police force? Section 5: GENERAL INFO =5a= What is Batman's origin? =5b= What are Batman's nicknames? =5c= How old is Batman? =5d= Where does Batman live? =5e= What and where is Gotham City? =5f= What is the Batcave? Where is it? =5g= Who knows Batman's secret identity? Section 6: COMPUTER NETWORK RESOURCES =6a= What Internet newsgroups cover Batman topics? =6b= Where can I find various Batman-related files on Internet? =6c= Where can I find comics-related files on GEnie? =6d= Where can I find comics-related files on BBSs? -oOo- ---------------------- Section 1: WHAT IS HE? ---------------------- =1a= Who is Batman? Batman is among the best-known superheroes in the world. Batman comic books have been around for over 50 years (see Q1b), though his appearances in movies and television (see Q2g) have probably done more to make him famous. Bruce Wayne is a normal human who decided to become a super-hero. Taking the theme of the bat, he has good fighting skills and is an expert detective. During the day, Bruce keeps up the image of being a millionaire playboy, but at night he fights crime as the Batman. Bruce has a significant personal fortune as owner of WayneCorp and its associated companies. =1b= Who created Batman? When did Batman first appear? Batman was created by Bob Kane. The first appearance of Batman was in DETECTIVE COMICS #27 (5/39). The name "DC" itself is derived from DETECTIVE COMICS, which shows the importance of the title to the company. =1c= What are Batman's abilities? How did he get his abilities? Batman has no super-human powers but has trained himself to learn many skills. He is an excellent fighter and knows several martial arts styles. He is also skilled in acrobatics and has highly-trained reflexes. Batman is a world-class detective and a smart thinker. In addition to his personal abilities, Batman has developed several tools (e.g., the Batarang, Batmobile, and smoke bombs) that help him fight crime. -------------------------- Section 2: THE COMIC BOOKS -------------------------- =2a= What Batman comics are published regularly? There are currently five monthly Batman comics (BATMAN, DETECTIVE COMICS, BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT, BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, and THE BATMAN ADVENTURES), as well as three monthly comics starring supporting characters (ROBIN, CATWOMAN, and AZRAEL). Each also has its own annual issue, appearing once each year. There are also plans rumoured for a Batman quarterly title. All of these are published by DC Comics. [For convenience and reasons of space, the main titles will be referred to respectively as BATMAN, DETECTIVE, SHADOW, and LEGENDS.] BATMAN, DETECTIVE, and SHADOW all contain Batman stories in the modern continuity. LEGENDS is a special case, as it occasionally crosses over with the regular titles for major story arcs, such as KnightQuest (see Q3f). Usually though, LEGENDS deals with early cases in Batman’s career. Several storylines have been declared as out-of-continuity in this title, and it is generally a more ‘experimental’ title. Batman-related characters also star in the ROBIN, CATWOMAN, and AZRAEL series, and Batman occasionally appears in both titles. In recent times, with the major arcs of KnightQuest, KnightsEnd, and Prodigal, there have been regular crossovers into one or both of these titles. At present, it seems we are heading towards regular storylines in BATMAN, DETECTIVE, and SHADOW, with crossovers into ROBIN on a recurring basis. THE BATMAN ADVENTURES has stories in the style of the Batman animated TV series, and they are not connected with stories in the other titles. In addition, the SHOWCASE '94 anthology series featured a story about a character from the Batman mythos in each issue. =2b= I only want to read one Batman title rather than all of them. Which one should I choose? Alas, this is not that easy anymore. With the growing trend of multi-part story arcs crossing over into all titles, it is very difficult to only read one book. In between these story arcs, however, it is possible to have continuing storylines within the one book. Each title has a slightly different flavour. BATMAN and DETECTIVE are the more mainstream titles, and tend to keep to a standard style. SHADOW is a ‘darker’ book, which tends to tell more serious and gritty storylines when it is not crossing over with the other titles. LEGENDS is the historical title, dealing with earlier cases in a more experimental and ‘what-if’ style. BATMAN ADVENTURES is a good standalone book, with occasionally a more humorous style. ROBIN, CATWOMAN, and AZRAEL are also good standalone books when they are not tangled up in crossovers. I would probably recommend either BATMAN ADVENTURES or ROBIN if you must choose only one title. =2c= How do I subscribe to Batman comics? Many comic-book stores will hold incoming comics each week for customers in what they call a "subscription service." In addition, you can order a mail subscription from the publisher. Write to DC Comics, P. O. Box 0528, Baldwin, NY 11510, or check current comics for subscription advertisements. =2d= How do I find old Batman comic books? Many comic-book dealers will sell old comics. Comic-book conventions feature many new and used comics for sale. Furthermore, many current comics will include advertisements for dealers who sell old comics by mail order. Finally, DC reprints some collections of Batman stories in books. Do not try to contact the publisher for old issues of comics. In addition to current titles (see Q2b), comics from the past that featured Batman include THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS, WORLD'S FINEST, and BATMAN FAMILY. =2e= How much money are old Batman comics worth? The crude answer is that they are worth whatever someone is willing to pay for them. In general, the value depends on the importance of the story, the number of copies printed, the physical quality of the book, and whether it is the first printing or a reprint. For example, the first issue of Knightfall (BATMAN #492) is valuable because fans consider the story important and the demand exceeded the supply. Second printings of that book are worth much less, and a poor-condition copy would not be worth as much. The OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE is often accepted as the best guide to comic prices. =2f= How do I contact the creators of Batman comics? The address for DC Comics is 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. To ensure that a letter gets to the desired title's creative team, use the appropriate letters-page name: DETECTIVE COMICS Detective Comments BATMAN Bat Signals BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT Legends of the Dark Knight BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT Batman: Shadow of the Bat CATWOMAN Catwoman ROBIN Robin THE BATMAN ADVENTURES The Batman Adventures AZRAEL Azrael It is also now possible to send e-mail to the letter columns. The address is [d--nl--e] at [aol.com] . You should probably mention the letters-page name in the subject to ensure it reaches the right title. Following the Knightfall saga, DC has been inundated with letters about the Dark Knight, so a personal reply or printing of your letter is unlikely, but the team is likely to read your correspondence. =2g= In what other media has Batman appeared? Although comic books are the first and foremost medium for Batman stories, the Darknight Detective has appeared in several others over the years. Examples include animated cartoons, a television program, novels, feature films, and a syndicated newspaper strip. Details are too numerous to list here, and this FAQ deals primarily with the comic series. For the most part, the stories in these other media do not fit into the continuity of the regular comic books. The FOX television cartoon THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN AND ROBIN deserves special note because it is contemporary. The stories seem to be set during Bruce's early years as Batman. Thus, in the TV series, Dick Grayson is Robin, Bane never Broke Batman, and other important events have not yet happened. In addition, the current series of movies is likely to continue. The third movie “Batman Forever” is currently being filmed. Starring Val Kilmer as Batman, Jim Carrey as the Riddler, and Tommy Lee Jones as Two- Face, it will be released sometime this year. It will be the first of the films to feature Robin, played by Christopher O’Donnell. ------------------------- Section 3: THE STORYLINES ------------------------- =3a= What was the Crisis? The Crisis on Infinite Earths was a major event in DC stories. In 1985, the 50th anniversary of DC Comics was highlighted by a comic-book maxi-series, CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, which included all of DC's heroes and also had cross-overs in most DC titles. Prior to the Crisis, DC explained the existence of many heroes in different times by having multiple universes. On Earth-1, for example, all the major heroes were in their prime in modern times, whereas the Earth-2 heroes were in their prime during the 1940s. This explained how Batman stories from both WWII and today showed him at roughly the same age. In the Crisis on Infinite Earths, an evil force (the Anti-Monitor) tried to destroy the multiverse, but a good force (the Monitor) summoned the major heroes to battle the Anti-Monitor. In the process, they travelled back to the start of time, and caused the universe to be remade with only one Earth. The heroes destroyed the Anti-Monitor, but the history of the Earth had been significantly changed. Afterwards, everyone in the universe forgot about the events of the Crisis and everything proceeded as though there had only ever been one Earth. In the modern story, the one and only Batman became a hero a few decades ago, and other heroes (mystery men) existed during WWII. The entire Crisis story is much more detailed than presented here, and interested readers are encouraged to read other Internet Crisis discussions (see Q4a) or read the comic books. The Crisis actually had little effect on Batman (see Q3b). =3b= When and how was Batman revamped in recent years? (This is a summary of the full version which appears in the Batman Stories list, by the same author. It is available in the same locations as this file.) Batman never got a full rewrite from scratch. The process was slow and gradual, with several additions and alterations over the years. Due to this process, there is no 'official' cutoff point between the 'old' and 'new' continuities. A general rule of thumb is that all stories are part of the new continuity, until contradicted by a later story. It all started with the limited series =Dark Knight= (aka 'The Dark Knight Returns'), appearing shortly after Crisis finished (3/86 to 6/86). Set in the future, it covered Batman's return from ten years of retirement. The story is now generally regarded as an Elseworlds story (DC's line of stories set outside the normal continuity). It has been considered as the start of a 'darker' Batman. The real changes began in 1987, with the =Batman: Year One= storyline (BATMAN 404-407, 2/87 to 5/87). This story provided a new, darker, realistic image, and the definitive origin. The basics of the Batman character generally remained intact. Year One told the story of Batman's first days as a hero. When it starts, Bruce is not in costume, and as it progresses he learns how to instil fear in criminals; for a while, no one knows whether he is human, bat, or demon. While the story did not have an immediate effect on present-day continuity, a few elements like a redefined origin for Catwoman and new love interest for Gordon popped up later. While this was running in BATMAN, an issue of DETECTIVE dealt with the gunshot wounding of Jason Todd (DETECTIVE 574, 5/87). This was similar to the incident which led to the leaving of Dick Grayson (BATMAN 408, 6/87). These two issues helped define the relationship between Batman and Robin, as well as that between Bruce and Leslie Thomkins. Leslie was the one who, with Alfred, took care of Bruce after the death of his parents. This was followed immediately by =Batman: Year Two= (DETECTIVE 575- 578, 6/87 to 9/87). It featured a new villainous vigilante - the Reaper - and Batman's confrontation with Joe Chill (the guy who murdered his parents). This story also showed the reasons behind Batman's refusal to use firearms. =Did Robin Die Tonight= (BATMAN 408, 6/87) also contained the new origin and first meeting with Jason Todd. This differed markedly from the previous origin, as Jason was now a street kid, who stole the tires off the Batmobile. The =Batman: Year Three= story arc (BATMAN 436-439, 9/89 to 10/89 [biweekly]), takes place both in the present and the past. It deals with the death of Dick's parents, leading to him becoming Robin. In the present, it deals with the release of the man who caused their deaths, Anthony Zucco. =3c= What happened in Knightfall? In Knightfall, Batman's nemesis Bane decided to defeat Batman once and for all. He released all of Arkham Asylum's inmates, and Batman had to defeat them all. In the process, Batman was weakened and tired. When Bane finally faced Batman, the Dark Knight was too weary to put up a decent fight. Rather than kill him, Bane decided that it would be more humiliating to merely defeat Batman, so he broke Batman's back. Bruce survived the incident, but he clearly could not continue his role as Batman. =3d= What was Knightquest? Knightquest was the story line that followed Knightfall. It consisted of two independent parts. Knightquest: The Crusade told the story of how Jean Paul Valley (Azrael; see Q4c) became Batman in Bruce's absence. He created a new costume and was tougher, fiercer, and more impulsive than Bruce. Meanwhile, Knightquest: The Search told of Bruce Wayne's search to find and rescue two kidnapping victims: Tim Drake's father and Dr. Shondra Kinsolving. At the conclusion, Shondra used her healing powers to psychically restore Bruce's physical health. =3e= How did Bruce return to take the Mantle of the Bat? In the KnightsEnd story line, Bruce Wayne trained to regain possession of his physical abilities. After hearing of Azrael's misuse of the Batman identity, Bruce donned his Batman costume and challenged Jean- Paul. At the end of the story, Bruce used his intellect to defeat Jean- Paul and become the one, true Batman. For a short time after Zero Hour, Bruce asked former Robin Dick Grayson to take the Mantle of the Bat, but Bruce returned to take his proper role. -------------------------- Section 4: SUPPORTING CAST -------------------------- =4a= Who is Robin? How many Robins have there been? Robin is Batman’s sidekick, and has assisted him in fighting crime since his first appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #38 (4/40). There have been three Robins in the modern continuity: Richard Grayson, Jason Todd, and Timothy Drake. Dick Grayson was the first Robin. He became Robin after his parents, circus performers, were killed. He remained Robin for about 6 years, until his near death in an incident led Bruce to break up the team. Jason Todd became the second Robin a while after. Batman found him on the streets after stealing the tyres off the Batmobile. He was killed by the Joker about 2 years later in the =Death in the Family= storyline. Tim Drake is the current Robin. He became Robin after deducing the identities of Bruce and Dick, and helped Batman out in the =Lonely Place of Dying= storyline. =4b= What major villains has he fought? Batman has fought many villains over the course of his career. Recent villains include the Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, Riddler, Clayfaces, Scarface, and Bane. =4c= Who does he work with in the police force? Batman has had a long relationship with Commissioner Gordon, head of Gotham’s police force. Other notable officers are Sgt. Harvey Bullock and Detectives Montoya and Bock. =4d= Who is Azrael? Azrael is Jean Paul Valley, an initiate into the ancient order of St Dumas. He was mind-controlled from an early age, and is now suffering from the legacies of this ‘System’. He substituted for Batman while Bruce was injured, but became obsessed with violently ridding Gotham of crime. After a major fight in KnightsEnd (see Q3e), he left and ended up on the streets. He now has his own monthly title, AZRAEL (see Q2a). ----------------------- Section 5: GENERAL INFO ----------------------- =5a= What is Batman's origin? Young Bruce Wayne watched a gunman murder his parents. He thereafter dedicated his life to fighting crime. He learned the various skills he needed and eventually donned the costume of a bat. As a millionaire, Bruce can afford to concentrate his life work on crimefighting. =5b= What are Batman's nicknames? At various times, Batman is also known as the Dark Knight, the Darknight Detective, and the Caped Crusader. Other, less dignified names by which he is called include Bats. =5c= How old is Batman? The character has existed for over 50 years (see Q1b). By tradition, Bruce Wayne is 34-year-old. Though flashbacks and stories of his early years may show a younger Bruce/Batman, all current stories show him at the age of 34. =5d= Where does Batman live? Batman lives in Gotham City (see Q5e). He usually fights crime only in Gotham and leaves the city only for important reasons. Bruce lives in "stately Wayne Manor" in Gotham and uses the Batcave (see Q5f) for his headquarters. =5e= What and where is Gotham City? Gotham City is Bruce Wayne's home city. In the real world, the term "Gotham" was applied to New York City even before Batman's first appearance, but Batman's Gotham City is a distinct city located on the Atlantic Coast of the United States near Metropolis. See also the WELCOME TO REC.ARTS.COMICS posting for a discussion of where various DC cities are in the real world. =5f= What is the Batcave? Where is it? The Batcave is Batman's secret hideout. It is a large, natural cave underneath Wayne Manor. Bruce has built up his headquarters in the cave. Bruce also constructed a secondary Batcave under the Wayne Foundation headquarters in downtown Gotham City, but the existence of that cave in modern continuity is uncertain. =5g= Who knows Batman's secret identity? Several people know Batman's real identity. Present and former Robins clearly know, as does Alfred. Superman also discovered his secret identity (ADVENTURES #440, May 88). Others who know the truth include Azrael (Jean Paul Valley), Bane, and Harold. It is uncertain whether Commissioner Gordon knows the truth, and various stories have implied that Batman MAY have told Gordon the truth. At various times, certain friends and foes have known his secret ID, though the lack of serious continuity in the Batman books makes it uncertain which ones know now. Notable enemies who learned the truth include Ras al-Ghul and Hugo Strange. ------------------------------------- Section 6: COMPUTER NETWORK RESOURCES ------------------------------------- =6a= What Internet newsgroups cover Batman topics? Further discussion of the Batman comics can be found in the Internet newsgroups rec.arts.comics.misc and alt.comics.batman. BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES is also covered in the later group. The Batman FAQ is regularly posted to alt.comics.batman and rec.arts.comics.info. =6b= Where can I find various Batman-related files on Internet? This Batman FAQ is available via anonymous ftp at the following site: Host Name: ftp.dhhalden.no # Address: 158.36.33.3 File: /pub/Comics/FAQ/Batman.FAQ Mosaic users can access the above sites via the WWW page ftp://ftp.dhhalden.no/pub/Comics. In addition, the Batman FAQ can be accessed via gopher: gopher.dhhalden.no port 70. Another file, written by the author of this FAQ, is the Batman Stories list. It contains a list of all major Batman stories in the current (post-Crisis) continuity. This file is also available on dhhalden as /pub/Comics/Reference/Batman.ComicList. The dhhalden site is the primary rec.arts.comics site, and it has many other comics-related files. The BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES FAQ is also available at dhhalden. =6c= Where can I find comics-related files on GEnie? Comic book data can be found on the Comics RoundTable library. The GEnie address is page 1320. =6d= Where can I find comics-related files on BBSs? Comic book discussion can be found on the comic book conference on the Relaynet International Message (RIME) Network. Note that not all bulletin boards are part of the RIME system, and not all RIME boards carry the comics conference. (end) -- Peter Williams [p--te--w] at [mpx.com.au] (Microplex) Sydney, Australia. "If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research!" Disclaimer: Any opinions lurking above are mine, all mine! Bwahahaha ...