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Golden Age of Batman

(1939-1956)
Nina Bejany Guy Nehme
Batman Begins
Batman first appeared
on the pages of a comic
book in Detective
Comics #27 The Case
of the Chemical
Syndicate
It was released May,
1939
Co-created by artist
Bob Kane and writer Bill
Finger
Only Kane recieves
official credit


Gotham
The name Gotham City was first used in
Detective Comics #48 in February, 1941
It is the universal city, it represents all
modern cities
It is modeled after such cities as Chicago, New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburg
Batman: The Ultimate
Example of Good Work Ethics
Batman is a super hero without any super
powers
He relies upon intense training, discipline, his
arsenal of toys, and intellect to fight crime
Batman represents the perfectibility of man
and the great American work ethic
Theoretically any individual has the ability to
become like Batman through hard work and
dedication
The belief, embodied by Batman, that hard work
brings about success and greatness gave many
Americans hope during a time when unemployment
levels reached about 25%
Gangsters and Villains
Batman originated at the end of the Gangster Era, a
period form the late 1920s to the early 1930s in which
the United States experienced a period of widespread
lawlessness
This period saw the rise of such notorious mobsters as: Al
Capone, Baby Face Nelson, George Kelly "Machine Gun",
John Dillinger, and "Pretty Boy" Floyd

John Dillinger baby face Nelson
Batmans earliest enemies were more realistic
criminals, such as petty thieves and mobsters
Batmans parents were murdered Joe Chill, a thief under
the direction of mafia boss Joe Moxon
Original Moral Code
Batman was written originally in
the style of the pulps
When first introduced, Batman
wore gun under his cape and
didnt show any remorse for
causing death
When the criminal falls into an acid
tank at the end Detective Comics
#27 Batman declares it A fitting
end for his kind.
In Detective Comics #29, Batman
threatens some criminals Tell me!
Or Ill kill You
In Batman #1, Batman exclaims,
Much as I hate to take human life,
Im afraid this time its necessary!
before using the Batplanes machine
gun to kill the criminals
Changing Moral Code
By the end of 1941, Batman moral credence had
gone through a drastic transformation
In Batman #4 Batman tells Robin, we never kill with
weapons of any kind! and theres a caption which
states The Batman never carries or kills with a gun.
These changes in Batman were due to audience
response and the changing political climate in
the world
Letters were written by concerned
mothers who were afraid that having
their children exposed to such gory
material would have a negative impact
on them.
There were also fears that Batman
would be seen as a violent,
authoritarian figure like Hitler


Batman & Robin
Robin was introduced in
Detective Comics #38 in
April, 1940
His name was based on
Robin Hood
He was introduced to
humanize Batman and to
lighten the mood of the
comic
His debut coincided with
the changes to Batmans
moral code
He signaled the end of
the depression
He relieved the gloom and
isolation of Batman
Children could relate to
him

Batman Fights to Reclaim Its Image
As a way to reclaim the
image of Batman and Robin
as respectable cultural
icons, heterosexual love
interest were introduced
The cover of Batman #87
reads Batman Falls in Love
Batgirl was introduced as a
love interest for Robin
Batwoman was also introduced
a little later as another
possible love interest for
Batman
Even Alfred, the butler, was
killed off and replace by
Aunt Harriet, to include
more women
The Comics Code Authority
Due to the Senate Committee
investigations being held to
determine the correlation
between comic books and
juvenile delinquency, various
comic book companies created
the Comics Code authority
(CCA) in October, 1954
The CCA guidelines contained
rules pertaining to violence,
religion, costume, marriage, sex,
and advertising
Every comic approved by the
CCA had a CCA seal on its
cover

Examples of Some C.C.A. Guidelines
Crime
In every instance good shall triumph over evil and
the criminal punished for his misdeeds
Costume
All characters shall be depicted in dress reasonably
acceptable to society
Dialogue
Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or
symbols which have acquired undesirable meanings
are forbidden
Sex and Marriage
The treatment of love-romance stories shall
emphasize the value of the home and the sanctity of
marriage
Advertising
Liquor and tobacco advertising is not acceptable
Batman Goes to Camp
The post-war crackdown on
comics brought an end to the
Golden Age of Batman in
1956
In order to follow the
guidelines of the CCA, the plot
lines got sillier and sillier

In 1964 Batman was given a
new look, which included the
yellow ellipse behind the
costumes bat symbol
Movies and TV series
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight (2008) (movie)
Batman Begins (2005) (movie)
Catwoman (2004) (movie)
Return to the Batcave (2003) (TV movie)
Birds of Prey (2002-2003) (TV series)
Batman & Robin (1997) (movie)
Batman Forever (1995) (movie)
Batman Returns (1992) (movie)
Batman (1989) (movie)
Legends of the Superheroes (1979) (TV movie)
Batgirl (1967) (short TV movie)
Batman the Movie (1966) (movie)
Batman (1966-1968) (TV series)
Batman and Robin (1949) (movie serial)
The Batman (1943) (movie serial)

THE END
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