Batman

Batman is an American comic book superhero franchise centered on the character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 as the alter ego of the wealthy Gotham City businessman Bruce Wayne, who dons a bat themed costume to fight crime after witnessing his own parents' murder as a child. Published continuously by DC Comics since the character's debut, the franchise has grown into an extensive line of ongoing comic book titles, animated television series including the influential Batman: The Animated Series of the early 1990s, and multiple live action film series, from the 1960s Adam West television show through Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan film trilogies to later cinematic reboots, alongside numerous video games including the widely praised Batman: Arkham series. Batman's rogues gallery, including the Joker, and his network of allies, including Robin, Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon, are among the most widely recognized in comic book fiction, and the character is generally regarded as one of the most commercially valuable properties in the entire superhero genre.