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Is Batman Marvel or DC? The Dark Knight's Character History Explained


Batman, the world's greatest detective
Credit: DC

Batman is no Tony Stark, but as a billionaire who invents his own gadgets to save the world, there is no denying the similarity between the two heroes. Now, the question is, is Batman Marvel or DC?

When it comes to figuring out which hero belongs to which franchise, it all usually boils down to either the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Universe.

The difference between the two is slightly skewed, considering there are common superpowers that both franchises possess, and one of them happens to be Batman.

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Batman's First Appearance in DC Universe: Birth of The Caped Crusader

Due to the huge success of Superman in action comics back in 1938, Detective Comics was looking for new superheroes to be created that could slide down the same road.

It was not long afterward, in 1939, when the concept of Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.

Drawing inspiration from other fictional characters such as Zorro and The Phantom, the two writers took Batman a.k.a. The Bat-man through many different forms before his first appearance in #27 of Detective Comics.

Batman's first appearance in DC Universe, 1939
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Credit: DC Comics

Early sketches included a Batman in red tights, Batman without the cowl, and even Batman with two separate stiff batwings that stuck out from either side as opposed to the flowing cape he now possesses.

Due to its early success, DC then gave Batman his own separate comic #1 in the spring of 1940.

DC and Marvel Universe Collab

There can often be confusion over whether Batman is Marvel Or DC, as you may have seen some comics where Batman is alongside different characters found only in the Marvel universe.

Despite Batman being a character within the DC universe, DC and Marvel have collaborated a few times crossing over arcs allowing the superheroes and villains from both universes to fight each other, team up… or sometimes even combine to become one!

The Batman vs. the Hulk Crossover

Batman vs. The Hulk DC Special Series #27
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Credit: DC Comics

The best line of any crossover should always come from Alfred the butler, and in this case, it did: "Perhaps a spot of tea would calm your nerves, Dr. Banner."

During the DC special series, we see a storyline that involves Batman going up against The Hulk himself.

The DC Special Series #27 was published in 1981, during a time when Marvel and DC had yet to establish that their characters come from different universes.

Written by Len Wein with art by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, the Hulk was tricked by the Joker into thinking that Batman is the green brute's enemy.

It was at this moment that the Caped Crusader found an unexpected way to blow the Hulk out of commission before he ended up getting beaten to a pulp.

Batman dropped some knockout gas for the Hulk and to ensure that his supposed 'enemy' got sent unconscious, the Dark Knight kicked the Hulk right in his stomach to force him to breathe in the gas.

It wasn't until later that Batman and Hulk ended up teaming up together to fight against the Joker and the Shaper of Worlds.

READ MORE: Is X-Men Marvel or DC?

The Amalgam Universe – DC and Marvel Collide

Dark Claw in the Amalgam Universe is a mixture between Batman and Wolverine
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Credit: DC Comics

In 1996, DC Comics and Marvel Comics came together to create a publishing imprint, Amalgam Comics. It was here that they merged some of their most loved characters into one.

We saw Superman and Captain America merge to become Super Soldiers, Wonder Woman and Storm from the X-Men became "Amazon", and our favorite dark knight was combined with Wolverine to become Dark Claw.

Dark Claw, unsurprisingly became one of Amalgam's most popular characters, thanks to the unexpected crossover!

However, despite these mini-series being popular among fans, the world's greatest detective still belongs well and truly to detective comics, and that certainly hasn't changed, not even on the big screens.

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