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Created in 1939, Batman isn’t the first superhero or even necessarily the best. But different approaches to adapting him for the screen have provoked inordinate passion among fans, including knee-jerk reactions that border on the hysterical. That included the howls that greeted casting Michael Keaton in the 1980s (admittedly an unorthodox choice) and perhaps especially Ben Affleck in 2013.
Through the years, fans seeking fidelity to the comics have had reason to be wary and suspicious of Hollywood.
The key window for Batman in comics came in the 1970s, which marked shift from the lightness and camp that characterized the 1960s “Batman” TV show — with its “Wap! Bam! Pow!” graphics — to a darker vision of the caped vigilante.
Christopher Nolan rectified that with his trilogy of “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” which featured Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning take on the Joker — the kind of prestige that usually eludes superhero fare.
Social media has fueled that dynamic, creating echo chambers where those holding “a lot of opinions” can commiserate with like-minded souls, or conversely, argue with dissenters.
The loudest voices, of course, aren’t always the most representative, especially with something like Batman. But they do reflect why that Bat-signal occupies such a distinctive place in pop culture: Because so many people think they know what’s right for the character, believing that he — no matter who wears the costume — belongs to them.
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