Initially, what got me into Batman was the 1989 film. As a 5-7 year old kid, it was quite good. I've since grown to truly dislike it, and to hate the three films that came after it.
What really made me into a Bat-fan, though? That was the Animated Series of 1992-1995. I remember watching every episode over and over on FOX Kids, 4 and 4:30 PM for my area, for the better part of those years.
I was vaguely familiar with different super-heroes -- X-Men and Spider-Man had fairly "to do" Animated shows on at the time as well. I recall buying a sporadic comic on occasion. I was never much of a "superhero" kid though. I spent my allowance on Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe (which where past their hey-day by this point, but they made the best damn action figures ever!) and Power Rangers.
As I got older, I found my fondness for comicbook heroes increasing. I saw the late season of the Animated Series under it's repackage of "The Batman/Superman Adventures" and through that, began to learn more about Superman whom, I'd only really experienced through sporadic half-viewings of the Christopher Reeve films over my childhood. I mostly missed "Justice League" on CN, which was a continuation of the character from the Animated Series.
In the 2004, when the first volume of the Animated Series came out on DVD, I bought it that very day. I had been following rumors and production of Batman Begins at the time, still pretty naive, but more "in the know" than John Q. Public from the Animation and such. I remember not knowing anything about Chris Nolan, but renting Memento. I liked the look of Christian Bale and rented 8 out of every 10 movies he had done before Begins came out.
After Begins, I finally did my due diligence and started buying up graphic novels. I've read the top 25 or so of Batman ones from over the decades. I would love to read more, but I don't know which ones! LOL I'd also love to buy the comic each month, but I've got no place to buy it from. Literally. I've looked!
By the time Dark Knight was being made, I had ceased being a third-class fan. I'd read the comics, if not a lot of them a good share. Watched and re-watched the animation. Played some games. Learned about stories I'd not been able to read. I don't claim to be a huge encyclopedia bat-fan (as I am with Star Trek) but... I love the bat. He's a singular distinction in the world of mutants, aliens, robots, and other super-powered heroes. He is a human, a man, who through his drive and determination, skills and sacrifice, mind and body, manages to stand tall along side virtual gods as an equal. He appeals to a dark nature in all of us, without getting lost in the evil so often associated with that darkness. He is, without a doubt, the greatest hero of them all, any universe. If there where a real Batman, this world would be a far better -- if scarier as hell -- place. Because at least then we could have some hope that someone out there was watching out for us all, instead of just their bottom-line.
t:
