There are several ways to view superheroes who have been around for decades. Some prefer to see Spider-Man as a well-balanced everyman, while others see him as exceptionally nerdy. Superman might be an alien pretending to be human, or he could be as human as they come in personality. However, I believe no superhero has created interpretations as divisive as Batman.

When Batman started off in 1939 (well, after the rarely credited Bill Finger fixed a few things), he was donning a gray and black costume. He was dark, mysterious, and frankly more akin to pulp comic heroes like The Shadow or The Spirit. He also carried a gun and wasn’t afraid to unload a few rounds into whoever had it coming. I don’t know too many fans who gravitate toward this early interpretation, and I’m willing to bet there are quite a few out there who’d call such a version blasphemy if it were to show up in a modern movie or TV show.

In the post-WWII era, the entire comic book industry went through a dramatic change. Batman was too dark for the children, so they attempted to lighten him up piece by piece. They introduced Ace The Bat-Hound, the original Batwoman and Bat-Girl, and this was also the era that had all of those goofy comic covers we all like to laugh at. Some would argue that these attempts to lighten up the ol’ Bat went too far by the 1960’s. Robin’s Aunt Harriet came to live at Wayne Manor, Batman got his own Mxyzptlk-like magic imp named Bat-Mite, and you couldn’t go five issues without some incredibly stupid shit happening. This era was remembered as one where Batman started wearing blue, and I’m sure we all remember a certain TV show starring Adam West.

Shake what your mother gave you, old chum

It wasn’t long before Batman was brought back to his more noir days, though. While most people like to credit Frank Miller for making Batman dark again with his over the top portrayal in The Dark Knight Returns, I think a lot of credit should go to writer/artist team Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams. Though Batman continued to wear a blue cape & cowl throughout the 70’s, the comics became much darker in tone, with Batman being treated once again as a serious character.

Because of these dramatic shifts in character portrayal, Batman has had many different forms when he appears in other media. Tim Burton’s movies made Batman a dark and mysterious character in a world gone mad. Joel Schmacher’s movies made Batman a snarky yet conflicted man in a world not only gone mad, but in love with its own neon insanity. Christopher Nolan’s movies have made Batman a focused man of conviction in an increasingly corrupt city. Cartoons have ranged everywhere from pulp hero to walking joke. The animated world established by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Dwayne McDuffie alone has shown Batman do everything from futilely fighting organized crime, to defeating evil goddesses by singing Billie Holliday.

Yet there are fans out there who insist that their favorite version of Batman is the only correct version of Batman. I’ve known people to flip out at the mere sight of Batman in a blue cape, and I’ve heard complaints of the character being too brutal in a fight.

“Why the hell is this new cartoon funny?! Batman’s not funny!”

“Why did Batman let him die at the end of the movie? Batman doesn’t let people die!”

It’s not that simple with Batman. He has too many faces to pin him down to only one interpretation. You’re free to choose your favorite, but try to remember that other versions of the character aren’t going to change the stories you’ve already read or watched. There are too many ways to see Batman for any one to be truly wrong…

…except for the Knightfall-era. That period where Bruce’s back was broken and Jean-Paul Valley was Batman? Utter shit.