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Who is Ra’s al Ghul, Batman’s Nemesis?

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The Joker may be considered by most as the ultimate enemy of Batman, but he certainly is not the only deadly threat in the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery. One that also stands apart among other DC Comics supervillains is Ra’s al Ghul.

Ra’s al Ghul’s First Apparition

Created by writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Neal Adams in the story “Daughter of the Demon” (Batman #232, 1971), Ra’s al Ghul was named by DC editor Julius Schwartz–in Arabic, the name means “the Head of the Demon.” If we are to believe Talia al Ghul, Ra’s chose this name himself, it was not given to him.

Ra’s al Ghul first entered Batman’s world after his daughter Talia, whom Batman had recently rescued from the League of Assassins, was kidnapped. He appeared suddenly in the Batcave to reveal to the Detective that the people responsible are the same as the ones who just took Robin (Dick Grayson). Once the shock passes, the two team up to go on a series of adventures, following the criminal to the other side of the world.

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Batman ’66 Reading Order

In January 1966, the American TV Network ABC launched a live-action Batman show starring Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin. It soon became a massive hit which had a big impact on pop culture, influencing other TV Shows but also the comic book it was based on.

It was created by William Dozier, a man who, before starting work on the project, had never read a Batman comic in his life. Not knowing how to adapt the character, he tried multiple approaches and the one that worked was to make Batman a pop-art campy comedy. For the kids, it was a colorful action/adventure series. For the adults, it was a fun time.

This Batman show lasted for three seasons and a movie as ABC decided to milk this success to the max, ordering 60 episodes for the second season, emptying at a fast rate its creative juice. The public grew tired of Batman and Dozier tried to save the series by introducing Batgirl/Barbara Gordon (played by Yvonne Craig) and asking DC Comics to develop the character in the Batman comics. This was not enough to make the ratings go up–Dozier also flirted with surrealism at one point and tried to be more topical.

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Batman Dawn of DC Reading Order

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Following the events of the 2022 crossover events Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths and Lazarus Planet, DC Comics put an end to its publishing initiative known as the Infinite Frontier to launch the Dawn of DC line. Introduced as a yearlong storytelling initiative, it became another era of the DC Universe with its relaunches and crossover events.

Like with Infinite Frontier, new creative teams had already taken over the main Batman series before the new ‘era’ began, and they continued to tell their story without much interruption. The Dark Knight continues his adventures in Batman by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez, Detective Comics by Ram V and Rafael Albuquerque (and others), Batman/Superman: World’s Finest by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, but also in new volumes of Batman: The Brave and the Bold by Tom King, and Batman and Robin by Joshua Williamson and Simone di Meo.

The Dawn of DC era is developing an overarching narrative that focuses on Amanda Waller’s last nefarious plan. Also, the Justice League didn’t reform following the events of the Dark Crisis. Overall, Batman is not at the center of the big story but still has plenty to do.

Of course, as it is always the case, the following guide is mostly about Batman, but the Bat-Family is also featured. Nevertheless, their books are not necessarily included. Though, you can find them on their dedicated pages: Nightwing, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon, Batwoman, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Terry McGinnis (The Batman Beyond).

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Bane, The Supervillain Who Broke Batman’s Back

Batman: Vengeance of Bane

Unlike some of the most iconic members of Batman’s rogues gallery like Joker and Penguin, Bane is a fairly modern creation, if you consider that thirty years may still be considered recent in the world of the Dark Knight. This international masked criminal debuted in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993). He was created by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Graham Nolan, but the original idea for the character came from Batman editor Dennis O’Neil.

Bane: Batman’s Back Breaker

O’Neil had the idea of introducing a new Batman and the concept of the long Knightfall storyline. He wanted a new version of the character who could challenge the readers’ expectations. He wanted a Batman who could kill (so, not Nightwing). This is why Azrael was created. He was going to be the replacement. With a new Batman, a new villain was also introduced–especially after the idea of using KGBeast was forgotten, the fall of the Soviet Union apparently made him irrelevant.

Originally named Doc Toxic, Bane was always a Venom addict–a drug introduced by O’Neill in Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20. He was thought of as being Batman’s equal on multiple levels. Chuck Dixon added a touch of the Man in the Iron Mask, and introduced a tragic origin story, making him a “prisoner from birth,” to offer a kind of parallel with Bruce Wayne’s childhood trauma. It was Graham Nolan though who had the idea for the mask, giving him a Mexican Luchador look.

Bane came onto the scene with a plan to push Batman to his limits and, when the moment came, he confronted him and famously broke his enemy’s back.

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Bat Family Comics, A Beginner’s Reading Order Guide to the crimefighters of Gotham City

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So, you want to read about the Bat Family? Maybe you are a new reader and want to know more about Batman and his many allies. Or you have seen an animated movie and would like to explore further the unique dynamics of the Batman Family. Or, yet, you already know quite a bit but would like to revisit the history of the Batfamily. Whatever your position, there are several ways to approach the Bat Family:

  1. Focusing your reading on one member of the Batfamily! This is maybe the best and simplest approach. You like a character and go on reading many adventures featuring him/her. Along the way, you discover you have quite an interest in another member and do the same. All the main characters from the Batfamily (except Alfred, sorry Alfred!) have their own reading order on the website. Go check out our Batfamily Introduction Guide for this part.
  2. Reading some Comic Books with the Whole Family! Thanks to many Batfamily events and many catastrophes affecting Gotham, the members of the Batfamily have to work together regularly, and you will find in those stories some great interactions between the characters, helping you have a better understanding of the family dynamics. For this part, we made a selection of comics to read.
  3. A Batfamily Reading Order! For the most ambitious reader out there, Comic Book Treasury has just compiled a reading list of many comic books featuring the members of the Batfamily, from the beginning of Batman to the actual era. This is not a complete reading order, but a sort of essential/very long starter pack to know the most important facts there is to know and live some fun adventures with your favorite characters.

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Batman Family: An Introduction to the Members of the Gotham Knights

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As one of the most iconic DC superheroes, Batman has the reputation of being a loner. The Cape Crusader has unraveled many mysteries, solved many crimes, and confronted Gotham’s villains by himself on countless occasions. But he also did the same many times over with fellow superheroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman and many more with his found family that readers affectionately called The Bat Family.

What is the Bat Family, you ask? You may have noticed that there are a whole lot of crimefighters in Gotham City to resolve cases and stop criminals. Those vigilantes, whether trained by The Dark Knight himself or operating in Gotham with his implicit approval, are generally Batman’s closest allies, constituting The Bat Family.

Referred to at times as the Gotham Knights, the Bat Family is an informal name, and there is no official first appearance although we could argue that the earliest appearance would be with the introduction of Robin in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940).

Follow the guide as we introduce you to the members of one of the most important families of the DC Universe!

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Batman Comics, Classic Tales from the Golden Age through Bronze Age!

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Holy Batman! The Cape Crusader is one of the most popular comic book superheroes out there and at Comic Book Treasury, but we – until now – didn’t explore his glorious comics past! And by that, I mean the publication from the Golden Age to the Silver/Bronze Age, before the famous Crisis on Infinite Earths and the start of the modern Batman era.

As you know, Batman made his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 (1939) and became so popular that he soon had his own ongoing series with his name on it. And only one year after his debut, he was joined by the most iconic sidekick, Robin!

From the 1940s to the mid-1980s, there have been many Batman (and Robin) adventures, and DC Comics has reprinted them in different collections. This article is here to help you navigate all those collections (some only available second-hand, very pricey or not), and explore those old colorful times for Batman!

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Batman: The Animated Series: A Look Back at The Best Adaptation That Ever Is (and ever will be?)

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We chose to publish this article today as this is the third Saturday in September, which means it is Batman Day! For more Batman-related articles and reading orders, we invite you to check out our Batman archives!

Batman Logo (pré New 52)

During the 1980s, as Disney dominated the afternoon on TV, some affiliate stations contacted FOX to ask if the young network wouldn’t be interested in entering that market. This led to the creation of the Fox Kids Network which debuted on September 1990. Margaret Loesh who was head of Marvel Productions at that time was recruited to launch the new venture. To achieve her goals, she started working with Warner Bros. Animation.

It started slow, but things became serious in the third season with shows that eventually impacted a generation of kids and the comic book industries: X-Men and, of course, Batman: The Animated Series!

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Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War Reading Order

The Dawn of DC line is full of events to the point that one is spinning off the other. Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War is indeed taking place right after the Nightmares of Knight Terrors: Batman.

In Gotham City, a concerted effort has reduced violent crime, but at what cost? Villains disperse as their lives under the new rule start to fall apart. One name comes to Batman’s mind as he recovers from his epic struggle through the Multiverse and the horrors of Knight Terrors. Catwoman is the driving force behind this new, safer Gotham.

The Bat-Family will be torn apart when a feud that has been festering for well over a year finally breaks out on the streets!

Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War is a crossover event that takes place in Batman and Catwoman, as well as in special one-shots and a miniseries. Mostly written by Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard, with art by Jorge Jimenez, Mike Hawthorne, Nico Leon, and Adriano Di Benedetto, the story is sold as an all-out war between the Bat and the Cat.

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Batman Origin Stories: Explore Bruce Wayne’s tragic past in the comics

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In 1938, the success of Superman prompt the company now called DC Comics—it was National Comics Publications at that time—to launch another one. Editor Vin Sullivan was tasked to do exactly that in the pages of Detective Comics.

The writer and artist Bob Kane came up with an idea based on Sherlock Holmes, Zorro, and other pulp heroes (like The Phantom), but also, apparently, a Leonardo da Vinci sketch of a bat-winged flying machine. He took all this to the writer Bill Finger who added his own inspiration like the Dracula movie (the one from 1931) and the 1926 silent film The Bat. He then suggested a new costume as Kane’s was then basically Superman with a mask and bat wings (the Da Vinci inspiration). Finger suggested a cape, a cowl, and a gray bodysuit. As a result, The Bat-Man silhouette really looked like a bat.

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