Arguably the most famous superhero in all of fiction, Batman made his first appearance in 1939, emerging in Detective Comics - an early arm of DC Comics - in issue #27, before receiving his first titular comic the following year with Batman #1. He hasn't looked back since.
The character's prominence today has hit its zenith: he has established a presence across comic books, movies, television shows, video games and countless other forms of merchandise. Each depiction of the hero has the same aim - to make Gotham a safer place - but they don't all necessarily go about it the same way or look the same (two things that are very dependent on the media and the target audience).
So, in order to fully appreciate just how much of an influence Batman has had over popular culture through the years - and in order to see just how different these versions sometimes look to each other - let's have a look at Batman with a visual history of the iconic Gotham hero. With yet another depiction of the Dark Knight on the way, in the form of Ben Affleck's portrayal in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, what better time to do it?
The next live action Batman is Ben Affleck. In 2013, the Daredevil actor was cast as the new Dark Knight, resulting in a huge backlash amongst fans of the hero.
He will make his first appearance in DC's expanded cinematic universe in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, when he will face off against Henry Cavill's Superman, before joining forces with the Man of Steel and various other characters, including Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, in a live action Justice League. It remains to be seen whether or not Affleck will prove his doubters wrong and portray Batman well, but the world is certainly hoping he does so.
So there you have it - a visual history of Batman. Did you enjoy this article? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
