Do you know that there is a rulebook you have to follow if you wish to write a Batman comic?
The Batman series under Adam West which ran from the year 1966 to 68 was upbeat and quite corny but it was not very well received by hardcore Batman fans who yearned for the more nuanced and moodier pulp roots of the iconic character. Then came the genius Denny or Dennis O’Neil who was a journalist into the scene and was hired by DC Comics as a writer in the year 1968. And he gave what the audience and readers were craving for, Batman who was fighting gritty criminals and the morbid situations. He brought in the darker yet grounder take on the character of Batman. In the 1980s, O’Neil was book editor of Batman and he thought of setting up a set of guidelines for Batman that would help future and new writers to know the dos and don’ts while writing a Batman comic. He wrote it all from Batman’s diet to his hometowns, his enemies, his gizmos, and whatnot. Here are some of the things that we learn from this celebrated Batbible.
The Waynesare rich and they have been this way for a very long time
According to Denny O’Neil, Waynesare filthily rich since colonial times. Gotham city is built in their image as one of Bruce Wayne’s ancestorshad a major influence on downtown Gotham’s architecture.
Do not take Bruce in the cosmos but he can fight supernatural beings
O’ Neil stresses that new writers must keep in mind that Batman should not be bought in science fiction like fighting a Martian or magical world like Middle Earth of Tolkien. But at the same time, he admitted that he has no problem if Batman crosses his path with supernatural beings such as Vampires and demons.
Religious references in the story plot of Batman are a strict no-no
Bat writers should never use religion or real-world faith for plots. All the religions and creeds are a strict no-no.
Batman is celibate
One curious insight of Batman is that he is never intimate with a woman. Having said that he appreciates women and even admires some of them but he does not want to deviate from his lifelong mission. But this rule seemed to have altered in newer and recent Batman comics.
So, are you ready to be a Bat writer?
