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• Batman, AKA Bruce Wayne, makes his first appearance - Detective Comics #27
• Doctor Death, the first recurring Batman villain makes his debut – Detective Comics #29
• First look at Batman’s utility belt - Detective Comics #29

1939

• The first appearance of Hugo Strange - Detective Comics #36
• Robin, AKA Dick Grayson, is introduced for the first time - Detective Comics #38
• The Batman series debuts - Batman #1
• The Joker and Catwoman make their first appearances – Batman #1
• Batman’s hometown is identified as Gotham City for the first time - Batman #4

1940

• The beloved Batmobile first appears - Detective Comics #48
• Scarecrow character debuts - World’s Finest Comics #3
• The Penguin’s first appearance - Detective Comics #58

1941

• First use of the Bat-Signal - Detective Comics #60
• Two-Face debuts - Detective Comics #66

1942

• Batman makes his first on-screen appearance in the theatre-released, episodic series Batman – Batman played by Lewis Wilson
• Alfred makes his first appearance - Batman #16
• Batman “fights” Hitler and other WWII Axis leaders on the cover of World’s Finest Comics #9 – unlike many other comic heroes at the time, he never actually fights Hitler in any stories

1943

• “The Bat Cave” officially gets its name - Detective Comics #83
• Alfred’s solo stories begin - Batman #22

1944

• Robin’s solo stories start - Star Spangled Comics #65

1947

• Riddler debuts - Detective Comics #140

1948

• Episodic series The New Adventures of Batman and Robin-The Boy Wonder is shown in theatres – Batman played by Robert Lowery

1949

• Batman and Superman join forces for the first time - Superman #76

1952

• Batwoman, AKA Kathy Kane, is introduced - Detective Comics #233

1956

• Mr. Freeze’s first appearance (as Mr. Zero) - Batman #121
• The Bat-Mite character is first introduced - Detective Comics #267

1959

• Bat-Girl, AKA Bette (Kathy Kane’s niece) makes her first appearance - Batman #139

1961

• Robin forms The Teen Titans - Brave and the Bold #54
• Without permission from DC Comics, Andy Warhol directs Batman Dracula, a silent film showed exclusively at his exhibits
• Alfred is killed off (temporarily) – Detective Comics #328

1964

• The 1943 series Batman is re-released under the title An Evening With Batman & Robin

1965

• The Batman TV series debuts – Batman played by Adam West
• Batman: The Movie is released – Batman played by Adam West
• Poison Ivy’s first appearance - Batman #181
• Alfred is revived – Detective Comics #356

1966

• Barbara Gordon becomes Batgirl - Detective Comics #359

1967

• Man-Bat character debuts - Detective Comics #400

1970

• First appearance of Ra’s al Ghul - Batman #232

1971

• Arkham Asylum is introduced for the first time (as Arkham Hospital) - Batman #258

1974

• The Joker’s solo stories begin

1975

• Lucius Fox character is first introduced - Batman #307

1979

• First appearance of Killer Croc - Batman #357
• Jason Todd becomes Robin - Detective Comics #526

1983

• Dick Grayson becomes Nightwing - Tales of the Teen Titans #44

1984

• Batman: The Dark Knight is published
• The Batman: Year One story arc begins

1986

• Batman teams up with Superman again in the first Action Comics Annual

1987

• The Killing Joke is published

1988

• Batman film premieres – Batman played by Michael Keaton
• Jason Todd dies, per a fan vote - Batman # 428

1989

• Tim Drake becomes Robin - Batman #442

1990

• Tim Drake’s Robin gets his first solo miniseries

1991

• Batman: The Animated Series begins
• Batman Returns film hits theatres – Batman played by Michael Keaton
• Harley Quinn’s first appearance - Batman: The Animated Series

1992

• The animated film Batman: Mast of the Phantasm premieres
• Harley Quinn makes her comic debut - The Batman Adventures
• Bane’s first appearance - Batman: The Vengeance of Bane #1
• Bane breaks Batman’s back - Batman #497
• Catwoman’s first ongoing series begins

1993

• Batman Forever film is released – Batman played by Val Kilmer

1995

• Batman: The Long Halloween story arc begins
• Character of Lyle Bolton, AKA Lock-Up is introduced - Robin Vol. 4 #24
• Dark Claw, AKA Logan Wayne (a combination of Wolverine and Batman) makes his first appearance - Marvel Vs DC #3

1996

• An earthquake destroys Gotham City in the Cataclysm series – Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73
• Batman & Robin film premieres – Batman played by George Clooney
• Animated TV series The New Batman Adventures debuts

1997

• Batman Beyond animated TV show begins
• Lex Luthor makes his first appearance in a Batman title - No Man’s Land series

1999

• Batman: Hush story arc begins
• Batman: Family series begins
• Mister Fun, Doctor Excess, and Suicide King make their first appearances – Batman: Family #1

2002

• The animated TV series The Batman first airs
• Stephanie Brown becomes Robin - Robin #126
• Catwoman film hits theatres – Catwoman played by Halle Berry

2004

• Batman Begins film debuts – Batman played by Christian Bale

2005

• The Dark Knight film premieres – Batman played by Christian Bale
• The graphic novel Joker is published
• Animated TV series Batman: The Brave And The Bold premieres
• Lego Batman: The Video Game comes out

2008

• The Batman: Arkham Asylum video game is released
• Damien Wayne becomes Robin - Batman & Robin #1

2009

• An unrestored copy of Detective Comics #27 sells for over a million dollars

2010

• The New 52 revamp is launched
• Batman: The Court Of Owls story arc begins
• The video game Batman: Arkham City comes out

2011

• The Dark Knight Rises film premieres – Batman played by Christian Bale
• Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is released
• Batman: Earth One is published

2012

• The Batman: Arkham Origins video game hits the shelves
• The Batman/Superman series is published
• Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Superheroes Unite debuts

2013

• It’s Batman’s 75th anniversary!
• The animated film Son Of Batman is released straight to DVD
• We have the highest graded copy (ever!) of Detective Comics #27 and we’re bringing it to the 2014 Comic-Con International: San Diego – come see us and catch a glimpse of Batman history, literally

2014

Holy timeline, Batman! It’s really amazing to see how far the Caped Crusader has come since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27.

Tweet your favorite moment in the history of Batman to @dacardworld Tweet #Batman75 and keep on celebrating Batman’s 75th anniversary with these related stories:

All images courtesy of comics.org

• http://www.newsarama.com/21288-dc-comics-reveals-Batman-day-75th-anniversary-poster-free-comic-more.html
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975590/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
• http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Batman:_Family_Vol_1_1
• http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Lyle_Bolton_(New_Earth)
• http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Hugo_Strange_(New_Earth)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman
• http://www.comicvine.com/mr-fun/4005-6157/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Comics
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3139072/?ref_=nv_sr_1
• http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Legends_of_the_Dark_Claw_Vol_1_1
• http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Logan_Wayne_(Amalgam_Universe)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_Cataclysm
• http://www.comicvine.com/doctor-excess/4005-6162/
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035665/?ref_=nm_knf_t1
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041162/?ref_=nm_knf_i2
• http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/World's_Finest_Vol_1_9
• http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Batman:_Shadow_of_the_Bat_Vol_1_73
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_Dracula
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057875/
• http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/Batman/the-7-actors-who-ve-played-Batman
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotham_City
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327554/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_52
• http://www.comicvine.com/suicide-king/4005-6153/
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/
• http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Batman's_career_timeline
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Pennyworth
• http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Karl_Hellfern_(New_Earth)