Why "The Dark Knight"?

[Chris Wallace]

Where did the name come from? When did people start calling him that & why?

 

[Buttman]

It was come up with a long long time ago, just like all the heroes have tag names and catch phrases, so did Batman. Originally the more popular and more used was 'The Caped Crusader', but after the huge success of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, TDK became his favoured nickname. There was some speculation that Miller himself had come up with it, but it was around way before that.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Really?
I like it. I just never knew where it came from. I tend to think of "The Dark Knight" as the TRUE Batman persona-i.e., dark, grim avenger, the way he was portrayed by Keaton, Bale, Conroy & (for the most part-he tried) Kilmer. Whereas I equate "Caped Crusader" with the light-hearted, happy-go-lucky, blue-cowled abomination inflicted upon us by West, Clooney & the "Superfriends" series.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I love the name for Batman, its so perfect!

 

[EmptySky]

I think it's kind of a spin on the term White Knight. Since Batman is dark and gritty, but he's still heroic in his actions, hence the phrase The Dark Knight. I think it's the PERFECT name for Batman, since he's not really a superhero, he's edgy. It just fits so well!

 

[Cain]

Geesh.

 

[Chris Wallace]

I think it's kind of a spin on the term White Knight. Since Batman is dark and gritty, but he's still heroic in his actions, hence the phrase The Dark Knight. I think it's the PERFECT name for Batman, since he's not really a superhero, he's edgy. It just fits so well!

I like that. Like somebody said it once & the name just stuck.
The movie also supports it, since Dent was viewed as Gotham's "White Knight" & Batman his polar opposite.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Denny O'Neil coined the name 'Dark Knight' in his stories from the 70's as well as a combination of Dark Knight Detective or Dark Knight Avenger, it was abandoned in the early 80's I think until Miller's DKR brought it up.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Thanks; that's what I wanted-an actual origin for the name.

 

[Chris Wallace]

BTW-have you read his novelization of the Dark Knight movie? Awesome.

 

[Soender]

BTW-have you read his novelization of the Dark Knight movie? Awesome.

I heard it sucked.

 

[Chris Wallace]

I emphatically disagree.

 

[DeGenerate10]

I emphatically disagree.

Are there any major differences between the novel and movie?

 

[Chris Wallace]

It delves into the Scarecrow's & Dent's pasts, & the events in between "Begins" and "TDK". We see Bruce still partly driven by & partly haunted by his experiences with Ra's Al Ghul, & even the events that led Scarecrow to get involved with drug dealers.

 

[Texas Zombie]

Would have loved a VG between BB and TDK. Maybe have him hunting scarecrow and lots of groups of villains. He could also have fought some famous serial killers from DCU.

 

[Two-Face]

It delves into the Scarecrow's & Dent's pasts, & the events in between "Begins" and "TDK". We see Bruce still partly driven by & partly haunted by his experiences with Ra's Al Ghul, & even the events that led Scarecrow to get involved with drug dealers.

Yeah I'm on page 79, I like Scarecrow's past and carries on from BB.