The late Dennis "Danny" O 'Neill appeared. As a former journalist, O 'Neill was hired as a writer of DC cartoons at 1968. In the next few years, he and artist neil adams supervised the change of the keynote of the Batman series. Camping comedy came out; Tough crime dramas appeared. To quote jim lee, the chief creative officer of DC, O 'Neill and Adams "guided the spirit of the times and brought Batman a darker, more memorable but more solid image."
Sometime in A.D. 1980, O 'Neill, then the editor of Batman books, entered a set of guides entitled "Introduction to the Bat Bible: Notes of the Dark Knight Detective" and provided copies to new writers and artists who were studying their personalities. As O 'Neill saw, it has all the precautions to tell the story of Batman.
Think of it as Bruce Wayne's code of conduct. From the billionaire sheriff's diet ("he eats very little and eats well") to his research habits ("speed reading is one of his first skills"), O 'Neill made various rules. There are also some very specific notes about his friends, his enemies, his gadgets, his hometown and the types of stories that our heroes are allowed to live. This part is to avoid mistakes in continuity, but it also helps the creator to understand what makes the role work.
Here are our favorite 13 ideas in the history of this unusual comic book.
1. Batman can't go to Mars-but if he can fight vampires.
Some movie fans don't like adam west's Batman.
Film Public Archives/Getty Pictures Joint Archives
It seems that not all types are friendly to the dark knight. O 'Neill thinks it is important to keep Batman away from the narrative of "cosmic science fiction fantasy". He instructed writers to avoid taking superheroes to distant planets, such as Mars, or magical worlds, such as JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth. But he has no problem with the story of "supernatural" Batman. "Ghosts, even nerds like vampires and pranksters, are fair games," O 'Neill wrote.
The Wayne family has been rich for a long time.
"Wayne's money is old money," O 'Neill wrote. "This family has lived in Gotham since colonial times." The city was built almost in their image. One of Bruce's ancestors (Solomon Wayne) had a great influence on the architecture of Gotham Center.
Alfred, the housekeeper, gave the impression that Bruce Wayne was the murderer.
You can't find a more interesting resume. Alfred pennyworth is Bruce Wayne's faithful housekeeper and acting father. It is said that he is a nurse, a cook and a repairman-and he can "perfectly imitate" the boss's voice. If necessary, he can not only imitate Bruce Wayne, but also recognize Wayne's fake Batman voice (although a diamond may be needed later).
4. The religious image in Batman comics is a big taboo.
The clown-O 'Neill called him the perfect example of Batman villain-finally appeared in his comic series.
MATT WINKELMEYER/GETTY IMAGES toured Warner Bros. Hollywood Studio.
O 'Neill banned bat writers from using "religious references in plots and copies" and urged them to put forward "analogies". Beliefs and creeds in the real world are absolutely forbidden. In other words, even Batman cannot always avoid being involved in religious disputes.
There is an unknown secret about the floor clock at Wayne Manor.
Among the many secret passages leading to the Bat Cave under Wayne Manor, one can be accessed through the floor clock. It is located in the library. Whenever someone sets the minute hand and the hour hand to 10:42, they will "open a secret door". According to O 'Neill, this was "the moment when Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered."
6. Batman has no sex life.
He may be rich. He may be handsome. He may have a "comfortable IQ in a genius number". But Bruce Wayne is not the one who lets the most qualified single lady in gotham city enjoy a good time. A man always dates early-and he never calls a woman after dating. As O 'Neill wrote, the reason is simple: "(Batman) is single. Any form of sexual behavior will make his mission lose his mind and energy. He appreciates women and even admires women, but he can't afford intimacy. " (Although this has definitely changed in recent cartoons. )
7. Bat Cave has a complex ecosystem.
"This cave is very big," O 'Neill wrote. "Even Wayne himself has not fully explored it. There are thousands of bats living there, and there is an underground stream where freshwater fish can be found. "
8. Boss Tweed will like gotham city.
When describing corruption in Gotham, the Bat Bible quoted the infamous Tammany Hall in new york City. Under the leadership of its most notorious leader, William Mig "boss" Tweed, this political machine defrauded new york of millions or even billions of dollars.
9. Batman frequents an old subway tunnel.
According to O 'Neill, some bat movement models can reach140mph, and all of them can respond to a limited number of voice commands.
IMEH AKPANUDOSEN / GETTY IMAGES
Wayne Manor has a private underground route that can take Bruce directly to gotham city, thanks to a "long and narrow tunnel" which leads to an "abandoned subway tunnel about two miles from the central room of [Bat Cave]". There are worse ways to commute.
10. Batman is authentic; Bruce Wayne is not.
Yes, Batman regards Bruce Wayne as the role he needs to play occasionally; Not the other way around. "Wayne has become part of his toolbox, an identity he finds useful," O 'Neill wrote. As a famous billionaire, Wayne can easily collect top secret information and establish professional contacts in the process. After all, it's hard to establish contact when you wear pointed ears and a cloak.
1 1. The Dark Knight can run or swim 20 miles in "more than two hours".
It is reported that he can also bench press 550 pounds without any difficulty. Shh.
12. Ninja affected Batman's equipment.
"Dark colors enable him to blend in with shadows, a skill he learned from Japanese ninjas," O 'Neill wrote. We were also told that the clothes he chose were made of "light and flexible materials, designed like the clothes of circus acrobats, [allowing] his greatest freedom of movement." You may remember Ra's al Ghul's comments on drama. )
13. Batman and Dracula have a lot in common.
O 'Neill wants Batman to be more like a night creature than a traditional superhero.
Cultural Club/Getty Photo Agency
Part of the Bat Bible discusses the folklore and literary influence of the Dark Knight. O 'Neill paired other superheroes with classic characters of the past; He has seen The Forgotten in Superman, Apollo in The Flash, Hercules in Hulk and so on.
But in his view, Batman owes more to the bad guys in the past. O 'Neill wrote: "Look at Dracula, squint and you will see Batman." He regards the Cloak Crusader as the embodiment of popular culture, which shows our anxiety about crime, urbanization and night turbulence. Batman has a lot in common with Dracula and werewolf.
However, although these monsters are portrayed as a threat to mankind, Batman is portrayed as an agent of justice, even though he is a dark and mysterious person. "I mean," O 'Neill explained, "we absorbed more ruthless archetypes, accepted them, and declared them our allies with all their ferocious and inhuman abilities. One of the names we gave them was Batman. "