Anyone else miss the days when a zillion people didn't know Bruce Wayne was Bats

[The Cheat]

I miss the days when a zillion people didn't know Batman even existed. Far better as an urban legend spoken of by criminals only in hushed whispers.

[bat39]

I miss the days when a zillion people didn't know Batman even existed. Far better as an urban legend spoken of by criminals only in hushed whispers.

The urban legend thing honestly has never really been played up as much as you'd like to believe.

There was a retcon, back in the 90's I think, that Batman was still an urban legend in current continuity. Which...was just unbelievably crazy...because there's no way in hell that the people of Gotham (much less the world!) were unaware of the existence of Batman over a decade after he first showed up, after all the supervillains and everything Gotham had been through, after all the Robins and Batgirl, and not to mention, Batman being a member of the friggin' Justice League!

The idea has been paid lip-service in other media adaptations, but not a lot. Burton's film started with him as an urban legend (and it really suited that particular interpretation of the character), but that ended pretty quick. BvS tried to sell us on the idea that Batman had been an urban legend in Gotham for the last twenty years, but the more we learnt about DCEU continuity later, the less likely that seemed. I think The Batman cartoon started with him being an urban legend, but that ended with the first episode, when the Joker first shows up.

And he supposedly was an urban legend in New 52 continuity when he first showed up (hence GL's infamous "Batman! You're real?" at the start of the JL Origin arc), but Zero Year and subsequent stories doesn't really support that.

Honestly, Batman being an urban legend only really makes sense in the first few weeks/months of his career, if at all. Once he starts tangling with the likes of the Joker or Riddler (hell, once he starts making a serious dent in the Mob!), it just doesn't fly.

[Tzigone]

Honestly, Batman being an urban legend only really makes sense in the first few weeks/months of his career, if at all. Once he starts tangling with the likes of the Joker or Riddler (hell, once he starts making a serious dent in the Mob!), it just doesn't fly.

I agree. Heck, in actual published order, Superman was just as much an urban legend early as Batman was. Which, as you said, was not much.

[Frontier]

The urban legend thing honestly has never really been played up as much as you'd like to believe.

There was a retcon, back in the 90's I think, that Batman was still an urban legend in current continuity. Which...was just unbelievably crazy...because there's no way in hell that the people of Gotham (much less the world!) were unaware of the existence of Batman over a decade after he first showed up, after all the supervillains and everything Gotham had been through, after all the Robins and Batgirl, and not to mention, Batman being a member of the friggin' Justice League!

The idea has been paid lip-service in other media adaptations, but not a lot. Burton's film started with him as an urban legend (and it really suited that particular interpretation of the character), but that ended pretty quick. BvS tried to sell us on the idea that Batman had been an urban legend in Gotham for the last twenty years, but the more we learnt about DCEU continuity later, the less likely that seemed. I think The Batman cartoon started with him being an urban legend, but that ended with the first episode, when the Joker first shows up.

And he supposedly was an urban legend in New 52 continuity when he first showed up (hence GL's infamous "Batman! You're real?" at the start of the JL Origin arc), but Zero Year and subsequent stories doesn't really support that.

Honestly, Batman being an urban legend only really makes sense in the first few weeks/months of his career, if at all. Once he starts tangling with the likes of the Joker or Riddler (hell, once he starts making a serious dent in the Mob!), it just doesn't fly.

And it gave PAD a headache trying to work Robin into his Young Justice stories.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

I was thinking about this recently. I think a good compromise is to give a really good writer, I don't know who but a good one a dc black label on going. Just start fresh. Do two to three years of batman solo books. Kind of like giving Murphy his own universe.

If we could have a black label batman on going, 're telling of the orgin. Re telling of Gordon and his relationship forming. We could have a universe for a long while where only Alfred knows. Then slowly over time 're introduce those other characters. You could even have other books spin out of the main one.

We won't get it because it will outsell the main book, also I don't know if we could get one writer to stick that long. It would be awesome though (which is why it won't happen)

So like the intention with ASBR but done right? One counter to this idea though, is have revolving creators, so that way we can just have actual good stories that don't feel the need to build to something and cut back in filler that way too. Plus it would keep things fresh too. King's run was the last straw for me, felt more filler than anything.

[Restingvoice]

The urban legend thing honestly has never really been played up as much as you'd like to believe.

There was a retcon, back in the 90's I think, that Batman was still an urban legend in current continuity. Which...was just unbelievably crazy...because there's no way in hell that the people of Gotham (much less the world!) were unaware of the existence of Batman over a decade after he first showed up, after all the supervillains and everything Gotham had been through, after all the Robins and Batgirl, and not to mention, Batman being a member of the friggin' Justice League!

The idea has been paid lip-service in other media adaptations, but not a lot. Burton's film started with him as an urban legend (and it really suited that particular interpretation of the character), but that ended pretty quick. BvS tried to sell us on the idea that Batman had been an urban legend in Gotham for the last twenty years, but the more we learnt about DCEU continuity later, the less likely that seemed. I think The Batman cartoon started with him being an urban legend, but that ended with the first episode, when the Joker first shows up.

And he supposedly was an urban legend in New 52 continuity when he first showed up (hence GL's infamous "Batman! You're real?" at the start of the JL Origin arc), but Zero Year and subsequent stories doesn't really support that.

Honestly, Batman being an urban legend only really makes sense in the first few weeks/months of his career, if at all. Once he starts tangling with the likes of the Joker or Riddler (hell, once he starts making a serious dent in the Mob!), it just doesn't fly.

That... I can't believe when I read that the first time Batman appears on TV was after a school shooting in War Games. That's way too late, especially after No Man's Land, especially after Bane publically humiliate him... was Zero Hour after Knightfall?

[bat39]

That... I can't believe when I read that the first time Batman appears on TV was after a school shooting in War Games. That's way too late, especially after No Man's Land, especially after Bane publically humiliate him... was Zero Hour after Knightfall?

Zero Hour was after Knightfall. But its not like it rebooted Batman to make him an urban myth all along. It just kinda forced us to believe that all the stuff in the old stories happened...but somehow the public doesn't know about Batman

Hell, Year One was still in canon and in friggin' Year One, Batman's existence becomes public knowledge almost as soon as he starts out!

[PurpleGlovez]

At least the urban legend thing wasn't something they just introduced and then immediately swept under the rug. They were constantly bending over backwards throughout the 90s and early 2000s to rationalize how Batman could possibly be considered an urban legend while still holding his place in the DC Universe. Eventually, it just became untenable and was mercifully done away with. There were pre-Zero Hour stories that had Batman making televised appearances; one ("Waiting in the Wings", Batman Annual 13) was a Year-One era tale where he uses his Bruce Wayne voice, as Batman, on camera... and then of course Tim Drake deduced Batman and Robin's identities after seeing them on TV.

Morrison would later retcon, in Batman Incorporated vol. 1 #4, that Batman was making televised appearances as early as Dick's time as Robin, and all was right with the world.

Zero Hour was after Knightfall. But its not like it rebooted Batman to make him an urban myth all along. It just kinda forced us to believe that all the stuff in the old stories happened...but somehow the public doesn't know about Batman

Well yeah, this kind of was their intention, a soft reboot where most everything from Denny O'Neil's tenure as editor still happened except in a way that Batman's existence remained concealed from the general public. (Somehow.)

[Restingvoice]

At least the urban legend thing wasn't something they just introduced and then immediately swept under the rug. They were constantly bending over backwards throughout the 90s and early 2000s to rationalize how Batman could possibly be considered an urban legend while still holding his place in the DC Universe. Eventually, it just became untenable and was mercifully done away with. There were pre-Zero Hour stories that had Batman making televised appearances; one ("Waiting in the Wings", Batman Annual 13) was a Year-One era tale where he uses his Bruce Wayne voice, as Batman, on camera... and then of course Tim Drake deduced Batman and Robin's identities after seeing them on TV.

Morrison would later retcon, in Batman Incorporated vol. 1 #4, that Batman was making televised appearances as early as Dick's time as Robin, and all was right with the world.



Well yeah, this kind of was their intention, a soft reboot where most everything from Denny O'Neil's tenure as editor still happened except in a way that Batman's existence remained concealed from the general public. (Somehow.)

That can work with most of the stories including Year One and even No Man's Land (since I can imagine them just skulking between rubbles) but Knightfall, the concept is Bane showing off that Batman is dead to the public.

I guess they can just skip that part...

[Celgress]

OP Question -

I know I do.