Ann Arbor Public Schools film/media arts teacher R.J. Fox was 12 when 1989’s “Batman” — directed by Tim Burton and starring Oscar nominee Michael Keaton as the titular hero— debuted and it had quite an impact on him.
“The film’s promotion in the months leading up to its release gave it a mythical feel. The yellow and black logo of the bat symbol was the only marketing they needed. I got the sense that this was something cool and hip,” recalled Fox.
“Batman” also made Fox a comic book geek.
“I collected multiple titles for years following this movie,” he said.
National Batman Day
The Vault of Midnight will celebrate National Batman Day on Saturday, Sept. 20 at its store in Ann Arbor (located at 219 S. Main St.) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as its Detroit and Grand Rapids locations.
“All three Vaults of Midnight will be participating in Batman Day! We have loaded up on free goodies, exclusive releases and are having a storewide sale on comics and graphic novels!” said Liz Sullivan, general manager of the Ann Arbor store.
The Vault of Midnight will be giving away four Free Batman Day 2025 edition comics on a first-come/first-served basis. Only one free item per customer, while supplies last, stated Sullivan. These comics are:
- “Absolute Batman” No. 1
- “Batman & Robin: Year One” No. 1
- “Batman: Year Two” No. 1
- “Batman: Gotham Sampler” No. 1
Exclusive Batman Day 2025 comics for sale include:
- “Batman: Hush” 20th Anniversary Edition (hardcover variant)
- “Absolute Batman” No. 1 (Nick Dragotta foil variant cover)
- “Absolute Batman” No. 1 (blank variant cover)
- “Batman: Year Two” No. 1 (Alan Davis variant cover)
Additionally, the Vault of Midnight will have a sale on all “Batman” comic books and graphic novels for 10% off.
Batman throughout the years
Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger (who finally received a co-creator credit in 2015), Batman debuted in 1939’s “Detective Comics” No. 27, published by DC Comics. As a child, Bruce Wayne witnessed his parents being gunned down right before his eyes. In that moment, he vowed to rid Gotham City of crime and trained his entire life, finally becoming the Batman when he reached adulthood.
Batman has no super-powers except he is one of the world’s greatest fighters, the world’s greatest detective, has a vast array of cool gadgets—including the Batmobile—and is a billionaire. He is aided by Alfred Pennyworth the butler, sidekicks Robin and Batgirl, and Commissioner James Gordon.
One of the hottest “Batman” stories on the stands today is “Batman: Hush 2,” the sequel to 2002’s acclaimed and commercially successful “Batman: Hush” storyline. Eisner-winning/New York Times best-selling writer Jeph Loeb (who’s also written for TV’s “Smallville” and “Heroes”) has reteamed with fan-favorite artist Jim Lee, who’s also DC’s president, publisher and chief creative officer. “Hush 2” is a 12-part storyline broken down into two 6-part arcs. The second arc will be out in 2026. In “Hush 2,” Batman battles the enigmatic Hush, a villain as deadly as his arch-foe the Joker, who knows he’s Bruce Wayne and tries to systematically destroy his life.
“The first issue came out (in April). We were blessed with ginormous sales figures, people seem to love the book, and there’s a tabloid-size edition DC put out—they’ve never done that before—and that sold out!” said Loeb, who will appear at the New York Comic Con in October.
Loeb considers himself fortunate to have worked with what he’s called a “murderer’s row of comic book artists,” which includes Lee and the late Tim Sale, his collaborator on the best-selling “Batman: The Long Halloween.”
RELATED: Dirk Manning Resurrects Lost Silent Film “London After Midnight” as a Graphic Novel
“They bring out the best in me and it enables for me to see the vision of my story told with the best artists,” he said. “It always surprises me that when I get the pages back from the artists, the artwork is always next level. I try to work with people who take my script and go with it. I am the architect, they are the builders. I’m giving them the plans, so they’re making a building that will last forever.”
He explained why “Hush 2” has been divided into two 6-parters.
“We wanted to have enough time for Jim Lee to do the incredible artwork he’s been doing,” said Loeb. “At the end of the day, we think we’re telling an exciting, fun, and—in some ways—groundbreaking story. Jim Lee, (inker) Scott Williams, and (colorist) Alex Sinclair are the art team. Richard Starkings is the letterer. It’s all the original people from the original ‘Hush.’ We’ve all come back to do ‘Hush 2’ and we’re having a ball. We’re referring to ourselves as—and I’m saying this as a joke—the Rolling Stones reuniting, the OG ‘Hush’ guys.
Batman also has quite the rogues gallery. This includes the Joker, Catwoman, the Penguin, et al. Oscar winner Jack Nicholson played the Joker in the 1989 movie.
“One of the best villains. Pure lunacy. I remember being equally creeped out and entertained (by Nicholson),” said Fox. “Batman and Catwoman are one of the most compelling love-hate duos in pop culture history. None have the complexity that they have had. The whole ‘will they or won’t they’ dynamic gives the franchise some much-needed spice. I hope they continue to explore this in future iterations of Batman.”
The 1966-68 “Batman” series with the late Adam West as the eponymous character was a campy take on Batman, who’s usually portrayed as a brooding, dark character. In fact, West’s Batman has been called the “Bright Knight.” In the 1970s, comic creators distanced Batman from his campy trappings and returned him to his dark roots originated by Kane and Finger.
In 1986, writer/artist Frank Miller revolutionized the character further with “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.” Miller’s take introduced an era of “grim and gritty” comics, demonstrating that it’s not just a children’s medium. It received mainstream media attention, something unheard of at the time, and high praise from renowned novelists Stephen King and the late Mickey Spillane. Miller followed up with 1987’s “Batman: Year One,” the basis for 2005’s “Batman Begins.”
Miller also paved the way for 1989’s “Batman” with Keaton and Nicholson. Keaton and Burton reunited for 1992’s “Batman Returns.” Despite its success (it grossed $266.8 million), Warner Bros. executives deemed “Batman Returns” too dark for children and named the late Joel Schumacher director of 1995’s more family-friendly “Batman Forever.”
Keaton bowed out and was replaced by the late Val Kilmer. However, Kilmer felt his Batman was overshadowed by the villains and didn’t return for 1997’s “Batman & Robin.” Instead, George Clooney replaced Kilmer in a film that received negative reviews across the spectrum. It was criticized for being too campy and commercialized. It won a Worst Picture Razzie Award and is considered one of the worst superhero movies ever made. Box office revenue dropped 63% its second week of release.
In 2005, director Christopher Nolan and Oscar winner Christian Bale gave the franchise a much-needed shot in the arm with “Batman Begins,” co-written by Ann Arbor native David S. Goyer. Oscar winner Ben Affleck replaced Bale as Batman with 2016’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (filmed in Michigan). Robert Pattinson currently portrays Batman on the big screen as of 2022’s “The Batman” and is slated to reprise the role in 2027.
Writer/producer Paul Dini was one of the three architects behind 1992-95’s “Batman: The Animated Series,” where the late Kevin Conroy voiced Batman. Dini, along with fellow producers Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, wanted to do a dark, noir version of Batman’s world. It is considered the definitive cartoon starring Batman.
“Batman is a potent fantasy about how an ordinary person – granted, with lots of training and money – can right wrongs and mete out justice without real life repercussions,” said Dini. “Not only that, he gets to wear a cool costume and drive an awesome car while doing it. It’s a kid’s eye view of how we’d like the world to be when we grow up.”
New York Times best-selling novelist/University of Michigan alumnus Brad Meltzer has written Batman in “Identity Crisis” and “Justice League of America,” as well as “I Am Batman” as part of his children’s book series, “Ordinary People Change the World.” His next novel, “The Viper,” and his next comic book series, Ghost Machine’s “First Ghost,” are slated to be released in 2026.
“We all love Batman because of the cape, utility belt and all his wonderful toys, but the real reason he’s persisted as an icon comes from his mission,” said Meltzer. “Every day, Batman knows he’s going to lose. He’ll never stop crime in Gotham. He’ll never stop the death of his parents. But Batman’s going to try again tomorrow and again the night after that. He’ll fail every day. But Batman will never ever, ever give up. How can you not admire that?”
