2019 is a big year for Batman. It’s his 80th anniversary as a character in general, as he first appeared in Detective Comics #27 way back in 1939. That same title reached a thousand issues just a few months ago, and has been going strong ever since.
Batman’s even celebrating a film anniversary this year, as 1989’s Batman turned 30-years-old just a few days ago. The Tim Burton-directed film was a smash hit when it came out, and its reputation has only grown over the years. Still highly regarded among many fans as one of the greatest comic book films ever made, the movie changed blockbuster cinema and set the template for pretty much every comic book movie that has been released since.
To celebrate the history of Batman in all facets of media over his 80-year history, Insight Editions have announced a new book titled Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond. Written by Andrew Farago and Gina McIntyre, the book will explore Batman’s history in, well, comics, film, and beyond.
Farago has been hinting at something big coming regarding the book, as seen on his Twitter feed:
Big announcement tomorrow at noon (PST) regarding #Batman: The Definitive History of The Dark Knight, co-written by @_ginamcintyre and published by @insighteditions! https://t.co/jPK5UQ0uN6
— Andrew Farago (@andrewfarago) June 27, 2019
And, well, even though we kind of spoiled it in the headline, it’s true: Michael Keaton himself will be writing the foreword for Farago’s Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond.
I'm excited to announce @MichaelKeaton is writing the foreword and @RealKevinConroy is writing the introduction for #Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight! Follow @batmannewscom for more announcements! The book is available for pre-order now: https://t.co/dMoJ07FISs pic.twitter.com/prFE4pukZV
— Andrew Farago (@andrewfarago) June 28, 2019
Yes, Keaton– the man behind the mask in Burton’s Batman– will write the foreword for a book celebrating the Dark Knight’s ubiquitous presence in the pop culture landscape. That’s some pretty exciting news, especially considering that Keaton had a hand in making Batman the character that he is today. It’s not an exaggeration to say that, without Batman, the Caped Crusader would not be nearly as popular as he is now, and Keaton’s intense, stoic performance is a big part of that.
AND! It appears Kevin Conroy is writing the introduction. Two Batmans writing about Batman? Fantastic times, chums.
ALSO AND! Denny O’Neil will be writing the preface and yeah put me down for five copies now.
And for good measure, we have a preface by Denny O'Neil, who entered this world in May 1939–the same month as #Batman!
— Andrew Farago (@andrewfarago) June 28, 2019
Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond will be available on October 22.
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