What if Bob Kane and Bill Finger never come up with the idea for Batman? How are comics affected (Superman and Wonder Woman would still exist ITTL)? Would we see less "darker" characters, or would some other company create a similar character (maybe even buying the rights to The Shadow, who had a big influence on Batman)?
WI: No Batman?
- Thread starter Hadley
- Start date
I suspect that they Shadow would be more prominent. The Shadow was one of the inspirations for Batman, after all,
His first story in Detective Comics had him breaking mobsters' respective necks by hanging them from bannisters and light fixtures. Subsequent issues had him doing things like hold a smoking gun and cocking the hammer, and running a Nazi sympathizer through with a sword. Even Robin was introduced blasting away with a Lewis machinegun.
Getting his own book toned him down just a little... by introducing Catwoman, The Joker, and Clayface. And Bruce in his civilian ID was an asshole even by the standards of the day. (A full-force birthday spanking for the kid who saved your life at least three times by then, seriously?) It took Mort Weissinger taking over the character in the Early '50s to turn him into the campy cardboard cutout of the '60s TV show.
If not for Batman, the likes of Shadow, Green Hornet, The Spider of Gotham, The Face, or some similar business suit, trench coat, fedora, and mask mystery man captures the public imagination. And DC promotes Green Arrow and Wildcat more. We may even see a Silver Age revival of the latter with a Barry Allen treatment.
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Tovarich
Banned
Doug Moench's first run on Batman was pre-Miller, and plenty dark.
Indeed, I'd rate it as even darker than either TDKR or Year One.
I doubt no Batman means no Punisher, but he would be darker.. and like Bolan he only works if the family is dead.