The notion that Batman is a darker hero shouldn't feel like a revelation, right? Particularly as far as 21st century portrayals are concerned, if a new Batman project is announced, you can expect a gravelly-voiced vigilante who makes himself a friend to shadows. He broods, he mourns, and he finds gargoyles to perch on wherever he goes.
It may surprise younger fans to know, however, that before Tim Burton's Batman, the Dark Knight's legacy was dominated by the camp of the '60s Batman series. Sure, the fans of the source material knew Gotham's greatest champion had little in common with the dancing, punny hero from TV. But outside the comic book shop, most audiences heard the name "Batman" and thought of Adam West and Burt Ward climbing up walls or their ridiculous fistfights with the comic book sound effects like "POW" and "BIFF" superimposed over the melee.
Curing pop culture of this association was one of the goals of lifelong Batman fan Michael Uslan in his decade-long crusade to get Batman made. In the Shadows of the Bat documentary, Uslan says, "For about 20 years, whenever anyone mentioned the word 'Batman' ... 'pow,' 'zap,' and 'wham' were always attached to the name. I wanted to detach it and get back to the heart of the character." Considering the hero's more contemporary adaptations, it's clear 1989's Batman succeeded in forcing the hero away from his days dancing the Batusi.
