Over the years, DC's artists and writers have told all kinds of Batman stories - and Batman
himself often changes along the way.
But there are a few key aspects of the character that always stay the same… almost always, at least.
These are the rules Batman has to follow.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when, but at some point during the last 80 years, the silhouette
of the bat became more closely associated with a DC superhero franchise than, well, actual bats.
The basic elements of the Batman costume are essential to his identity in ways that don't
necessarily apply to other fictional characters.
For instance, Hugh Jackman plays Wolverine in multiple X-Men movies but doesn't wear
his iconic mask once, and that works just fine — because as long as you can see Wolverine's
claws, you know he's Wolverine.
Additionally, the attitude and mannerisms define James Bond more than any specific visual cues.
But Batman needs his Batsuit, and a big part of that is the insignia.
Now, there have been a few occasions on which Batman has foregone the insignia - his Insider
suit doesn't have it, for example, and certain alternate versions of the character don't use it, either.
But these are rare exceptions that prove a very important rule: namely, that the big
bad bat symbol is as much a part of the character as Alfred or the Batmobile.
Get rid of it, and you might as well be reading Daredevil.
As Batman knows, a good cape can come in very handy every now and again.
Beyond the cape's advantages in hand-to-hand combat, however, there's also the fact that
it's a crucial part of looking badass standing on a tall building in Gotham - and we all
know how much Batman loves to do that.
Still, he doesn't always wear a cape.
The Terry McGinnis version of the character doesn't wear one, while the Future State version
of Bruce Wayne goes without, too, as does that pesky Insider suit.
But even if he's not sporting a cape, there's one thing the character should always have:
a mask with little, pointy, decorative ears.
Of course, the size and shape of Batman's ears have varied over the years - heck, they're
barely even visible on Affleck's suit - but they're always there.
And while they may not be quite as iconic as the cape or even the insignia, Batman's
ears have become a staple of the hero's design - and they've even gone on to influence a
handful of other superfolk over the years, including Catwoman, Catman, Daredevil, and Black Panther.
From the unmistakably snazzy effects of the campy 1960s series to Robert Pattinson just
straight-up laying into a street thug in The Batman, it's clear that Bruce Wayne has always
been a punchy kinda guy.
There are a few good reasons why this has become such a crucial part of the character.
For one, there's a basic, primal thrill to be found in it.
Even though fighting isn't all that fun in real life, fictional combat is exhilarating
like almost nothing else; why else do action movies even exist?
So any writer who needs to inject a little excitement into their Batman story simply
needs to provide Gotham's Guardian with a face to punch, a stomach to kick, or a limb
to snap, and voila — instant entertainment.
"You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?"
From Batman's in-story perspective, criminals might not find him so intimidating if they
knew they stood a chance against him in a fistfight.
So his reputation as a master of several martial arts disciplines makes it easier to intimidate
potential foes… and also allows him to solve the majority of his problems with a well-placed
knock to a skull or ten.
Some of Batman's adversaries might be too powerful to beat up, of course, while others
might be smart enough to avoid a punching contest with him.
But for your typical everyday purse snatcher-type, a haymaker wrapped in a Bat-glove will always
do the trick - and then some.
They don't call him the World's Greatest Detective for nothing, you know.
Batman might be able to throw a punch like nobody else, but he's just not Batman if he
doesn't get the chance to flex his strongest muscle of all.
When Bruce Wayne first devoted himself to warring against crime, he didn't just spend
the following years honing his fighting prowess to virtually unmatched levels - he also developed
one of the finest forensic and scientific minds Gotham has ever known.
Particularly when dealing with foes such as the Riddler and the Joker, it's important
to be able to decipher the clues they usually leave lying around.
Batman's powers of detection also come in very handy when hunting the hordes of criminals
who don't actually want to be caught, too.
And sure, not every version of Batman has the genius-level deduction skills or access
to the lab equipment that the billionaire Bruce Wayne enjoys.
Nonetheless, they all must keep their perception sharp and their thinking sophisticated, ready
for the next time they run into a dilemma they can't get out of with a punch and a kick.
In the Marvel Universe, superheroes usually live in fictionalized versions of real-world
cities such as New York and San Francisco.
In the DC Universe, the action does sometimes take place in or around real-world locations,
but most stories occur in made-up municipalities like Metropolis or Gotham City.
These places play host to a wide variety of criminals and crime-fighters - but while other
heroes tend to bounce around the map, Batman always resides in Gotham.
The movies often copy and paste multiple urban locations into an amalgam they can use as
Gotham, with parts of New York, London, Tokyo, Chicago, and numerous other towns standing
in for the city in various Batman movies.
So while Gotham looks very distinctive in some renderings, it's more often depicted
as a fictionalized version of every American city in the Midwest and the Northeast.
And while it may not have the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles or the chic East Coast flair
of New York, it does at least seem like the kind of place a feller could open a costume
store and do alright for himself.
Maybe that's why Batman never seems to want to leave it behind - that guy just can't resist a good freak.
At the end of the day, most Batman stories come about because companies like DC and Warner
Bros. want to make money - and one way of doing that is by mass-producing toys, action
figures, and other such merchandise.
Certainly, this partly explains why Batman always drives a customized car or similar Bat-vehicle.
But let's not get too wrapped up in cynicism, here.
After all, unlike some DC heroes, Batman can't fly, and he's got to get from place to place somehow.
Although it's a near-constant feature in Batman's vast canon, the Batmobile has taken many different
forms over the years.
The heavy-duty monstrosity from Batman Begins marked a departure from the sleek, stylish
vehicle on display in Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, for example.
And they both look far less hokey than the one Adam West drives in the '60s TV show.
Indeed, the Batmobile appears to change far more frequently than Batman himself.
While different characters might take up the bat-mantle every now and then, and the setting
occasionally changes to a different historical era, Batman's design has still remained far
more consistent than the ever-changing look of the Batmobile.
Batman's definitely not your average joe, but he does have a few things in common with the rest of us.
For one, he needs a place to keep his stuff.
And if he parks the Batmobile out in the driveway of Wayne Manor, well, there's a decent chance
that passers-by might put two and two together.
Traditionally, the Batcave makes a terrific garage and secret lair, but serves plenty
of other purposes, too.
The Batcave is also a crime lab, a training gym, a top-of-the-line medical facility, a
supercomputer, a costume-design studio, and an unofficial trophy room showcasing keepsakes
from Batman's favorite adventures.
Occasionally, it even includes an obstacle course complete with faux-opponents, similar
to the early version of the Danger Room at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
The Batcave also provides a natural habitat for a colony of actual bats - because, after
all, he is called Batman.
"Charming."
Bruce Wayne's list of allies is a long one indeed.
It could include: any number of individuals formerly or currently known as Robin, multiple
crimefighters currently or formerly known as Batgirl, Catwoman, a few members of the
Gotham City Police Department, Lucius Fox and a handful of his immediate family members,
and of course, Bruce Wayne's longtime butler, Alfred Pennyworth.
And if a mission requires a trip abroad or off-planet, he has the rest of the Justice
League to call upon for assistance.
Even other versions of the character tend to have friends.
For example, Terry McGinnis' primary running buddy in his future version of Gotham happens
to be Bruce Wayne himself.
Even the horrifying Batman Who Laughs has a bunch of creepy vampire-type creatures in
Robin outfits on leashes.
And sure, in theory, Batman works alone, most likely so he can tell people that he works
alone, which is all well and good for sounding all brooding and dangerous.
But in practice, Batman usually works with a big ol' heap of pals.
To some extent, this is true of every major superhero - but it's doubly important for
Batman, as, without plenty of personal connections to keep him grounded, he could end up walking
a very dark path indeed.
Gadgets are a must-have for any superhero who doesn't have any actual superpowers, so
it follows that Batman has plenty; heck, he's even got that iconic utility belt to carry
them all around in.
"One man's tool is another man's weapon."
"In your mind, perhaps there aren't many things you can't turn into a weapon."
"Alfred, enough! the police weren't getting it done."
Batman's full list of gizmos is pretty much impossible to count, but one thing that is
certain is that, as far as equipment is concerned, it's very rare for him to find himself caught short.
It's worth noting that the exact nature of Batman's gadgets really depends on the tone
of the media in which he is appearing.
Family-friendly, lighthearted versions of Batman tend to load their utility belts up
with unintuitive and even downright silly accessories.
After all, who could forget this?
"Hand me down the shark repellent bat spray!"
But when it comes to more realistic spins on Batman's story, he usually goes for grappling
hooks, smoke bombs, and not a whole lot else.
Occasionally, a Bat-branding iron finds its way into the mix, but we wouldn't bank on
that one becoming a regular feature in the Caped Crusader's arsenal anytime soon.
It could very well be that the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne have been performed on screen
more than any character who wasn't created by William Shakespeare.
But there's more to the loss of Bruce Wayne's parents than Hollywood's overreliance on franchise fare.
Simply put: Batman always needs to endure a soul-annihilating trauma to kickstart his
vendetta against crime.
In some interpretations, his mission evolves into a war against suffering and death itself.
Other times, he just winds up beating up muggers and serial killers, but either way, if nothing
bad ever happens to Thomas and Martha, then Batman doesn't begin.
Of course, Bruce Wayne isn't the only Batman, but this rule extends to basically every single
person who has ever donned the cape and cowl.
Before they became Bat-heroes, Dick Grayson, Kate Kane, Thomas Wayne, Jean-Paul Valley,
Damian Wayne, and Terry McGinnis all lost immediate family members due to acts of senseless,
often random violence.
And here lies the true nature of the Caped Crusader: if all your loved ones are alive
and well, then you just can't be Batman.
The closest you can come is just throwing on a costume and fighting crime, which, let's
be honest, isn't necessarily the same thing.
No matter what shape or form he might take, Batman is defined by the tragedy of his origin
- and that is the one thing that can never, ever change.
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