Batman

Batman is an American fictional character and superhero in the comic book series published by DC Comics, created by Bob Kane (1915—1998) and Milton "Bill" Finger (1914—1974). Batman first appeared in the 27th issue of the "Detective Comics" book in March 1939. In the fictional universe, "Batman" is an alter ego of reclusive intellectual and philanthropist Bruce Wayne, whom he uses to fight crime in Gotham City. Appearing in numerous graphic novels, Batman became DC's flagship character by the 1990s. Notable "Batman universe" highlights include Tim Burton's and Joel Schumacher's 1989–1997 film series, which debuted with Batman starring Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton (as "Batman"), and Kim Basinger, and featuring soundtrack by Prince, and Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy (2005–12) with Christian Bale as the lead character. Other notable actors who have played Batman and "Bruce Wayne" in live-action films include Adam West, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Iain Glen, and Robert Pattinson. With an estimated total revenue of $29.8 billion, Batman is one of the highest-grossing media franchises in history, ranking right outside of "top 10," behind Sanrio's Hello Kitty (est. 1974) at $32.8 billion, and 317627 (2003) videogame series from Activision / Blizzard (Microsoft Gaming) at $31 billion.