What got you into Batman?

[Nero]

Batman the Animated Series

[Ascended]

I don't remember a time when I *didn't* know who Batman was. I guess my first exposure to him was probably Super Friends, but when I found out Batman couldn't fly I completely lost interest. Bats can fly, so my child brain figured Batman should fly too and I took it as a personal insult that he couldn't. I did watch the old Adam West show and loved that though.

In comics, I got into him because of an issue of Superman where everyone gets together to have a funeral for Coast City. The whole AzBats thing was happening at the time, and Jean Paul declines the funeral invite, trying to pretend he's Bruce. The idea of someone new being Batman seemed interesting (it was kind of a new idea back then) and I ended up getting....what was the major anniversary issue where AzBats takes down Bane? #500? That was my first Batman comic.

But really, I'm a fair weather Bat fan. I read the books sporadically, when a creator or arc sounds good to me. I'm a much bigger fan of Nightwing, and even Damian, than I am Bruce.

[Janet wayne]

Batman the Animated Series
but I lost interest in the comics until I read Batman and Robin .

[Gotham citizen]

What got me into Batman?
The graphic novel The Long Halloween and the movie Dark Knight.

[Scott Taylor]

For me it was DKR, I'd guess. Prior to that I had picked up some 1970s Batman, but hadn't really gotten into the character.

[Flash Gordon]

The '89 movie on VHS, then the comics. I don't think I remember a time when I didn't know who Batman was.

[Mistah K88]

A new year is about to begin, so just thought to resurrect this to hear more tales of Bat discovery.

[charliehustle415]

The very first movie I ever saw in the movie theater at the tender age of 5 was Batman '89; so you can see how that would have awakened something in me

[lemonpeace]

the character overall? a combination of Batman the animated series and Batman Forever which I had on VHS as a yute

in the comics? Duke Thomas

[prepmaster]

Three times.

First:

Most others say its BTAS but for me, JL series has some of the greatest Batman moments. Its also what got me into Batman.

[Blue22]

This supporting cast. I've always found the Batfamily to be way more interesting than Batman himself. I'm kinda back and forth on how I feel about Bruce. Especially with more recent Batman comics. But I love his kids lol

That said, I do tend to really like Batman outside of the comics. I loved him in the animated Justice League, once I gave that show a second chance. And I thought he was great in the Nolanverse movies.

[prepmaster]

This supporting cast. I've always found the Batfamily to be way more interesting than Batman himself. I'm kinda back and forth on how I feel about Bruce. Especially with more recent Batman comics. But I love his kids lol

That said, I do tend to really like Batman outside of the comics. I loved him in the animated Justice League, once I gave that show a second chance. And I thought he was great in the Nolanverse movies.

I dont necessarily find Batfam members to be "way more" interesting than Batman. Batman as a hero produces villains who are a facet/dark reflection of the guy and arguably end up being written to be more interesting than the guy while other Batfam members are not well established enough as their own heroes to produce their own stand out villains. This forum views Dick more favorable than Bruce but Dick is always supposed to be written to be the light that counters darkness in Batman.

[SiegePerilous02]

I dont necessarily find Batfam members to be "way more" interesting than Batman. Batman as a hero produces villains who are a facet/dark reflection of the guy and arguably end up being written to be more interesting than the guy while other Batfam members are not well established enough as their own heroes to produce their own stand out villains. This forum views Dick more favorable than Bruce but Dick is always supposed to be written to be the light that counters darkness in Batman.

I think Batman's the stable rock which the others revolve around. He can survive without them (the essentials really are only Alfred, Gordon, a Robin/specifically Dick, and the villains), but they are dependent on the brand and continuity and can get disrupted when any of those things are messed with.

I sort of blame the Dixon days for the "Batman is the least interesting member of his own cast" mentality, which isn't really surprising because the Dixon era beefed up the Bat-Family but wrote Bruce himself terribly. So I can't blame people for disliking him. Bruce with all his facets and sense of fun is about equal to Dick and Barbara for me at their best (just interesting in a different way). Kate, Helena, Damian and Cass are behind them and can be interesting or I can at least see the appeal. the rest are all really boring IMO.

[BlueElf94]

This is by no means an original answer by now, but it was probably a combination of BTAS and the various VHS releases of the 90's. I don't remember my eureka/a-ha moment with Batman, he's just sorta been around my whole life. As far as comics go, my first Bat-comic(s) are a tie between Len Wein's classic Untold Legend of the Batman #2 and some issue of Tec from the 90's that Kelley Jones drew with Scarecrow. Untold Legend was a particularly good introductory comic because it was packed with so much information. That image of him throwing all of the cards/dossiers of his rogues gallery is permanently burned in my mind.

[DanMad1977]

I ve seen him with maybe 4 or 5 years old in a comic book, and bamm loved him. Same with Spider-Man, Superman, X-men...etc. etc.

Imagine a boy that age, he will love everything about superheroes at first sight

I lost interest of Batman with 10 or so, but than came Batman the Movie and it blew my mind again.