Golly Gee Wilikers Batman! You’re 80!
Bruce Wayne, a DC Comics powerhouse, is turning 80 years old this year on March 30 in 1939 with the issue of Batman! Detective Comics. Ever since, Batman grew to be a staple in the superhero story with movies, comic books, board games, trading cards, action figures, statues, and video games. Batman is so important to some people, as - according to The New York Times - “A copy of Detective No. 27 sold at auction for $1.075 million in 2010.” And now, with 80 years under his utility belt, 2019 has been declared the ‘Year of the Bat’ by fans worldwide as the anticipated release of the next Batman comic as well as multiple video games and movies are set to be released.
For his 80th anniversary, DC Comics has released “DC’s DETECTIVE COMICS #1000. With pre-orders surpassing 600,000 copies to date, the 96-page oversize collector’s edition issue features all-star writers and artists paying tribute to an iconic pop culture character, honoring Batman’s first appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #27 on March 30, 1939” (DC Comics). The price of the comic is $9.99 USD.
Movies are another thing DC fans are excited for. In June of 2021, The Batman is set to be released with Ben Affleck returning as Bruce Wayne (even with the groans and protest of diehard fans not liking Affleck). Nightwing will be released soon after, dates speculated around 2023 according to Time.com due to the lack of DC movies releasing that year compared to others. In Nightwing, Batman can be seen in multiple shots, referenced dozens of times, and with fight along with his former sidekick Dick Grayson.
And finally, more Batman games will be coming out. DC has confirmed multiple Batman video games to be released over the course of the next few years. Batman: Court of Owls has been leaked online by an anonymous user on Reddit, stating the game will take villains from the movie Batman vs Robin and pin them against The Dark Knight. DC also released the cover art for Lego Batman: The Animated Series - The Game, set for release on Xbox and Playstation in the near future. According to DarkKnight03 - the biggest Batman youtuber on the platform - “Kevin Conroy will come back to lend his voice as Bruce Wayne once more, just like in the television show.” The only thing fans are upset about with this game is Batman’s smile, feeling as though Lego and DC are taking Batman’s newly found age as a joke, preferring it to look like the original television art or no smile at all; to replace it with his classic frown.
According to a blogspot post by a Batman-rounded blog, “Bruce Wayne is ranked at the 8th position this year with over 7 billion dollars of net worth.”