Original artwork, not a still
Criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot. So my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible...
— Detective Comics · 1937
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
This is the first time Batman is explained rather than merely introduced: the logic of the costume laid out in one speech. The cowl is a weapon aimed at the criminal mind, and the bat is not so much chosen as announced by fate. Later retellings keep returning to the idea that Bruce becomes a symbol because fear works, and here it is at its plainest.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Detective ComicsShow the scene
Detective Comics #33 (November 1939) tells how the Batman came to be in a short origin tale written by Bill Finger and drawn by Bob Kane. It shows young Bruce Wayne watching his parents murdered by a mugger and vowing to spend his life warring on all criminals. Years later, trained to physical and scientific peak, he sits in his father's mansion one night and decides he needs a disguise: criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so it must strike terror into their hearts. A huge bat flies in through the open window, and he takes it as an omen.
Sources (2)
- DC Database: Detective Comics Vol 1 33Synopsis, 'The Batman and How He Came to Be'Reference checked
- Wikipedia: Origin of BatmanStory sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
