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Superhero Smash Season I—Audio Issue #3: The Batman

Original Air Date

  • May 23, 2023

Hero Song (3:32)

  • “Heroes (We Could Be)” by Alesso from The LEGO Batman Movie

Superhero Smash

  • Featuring the best in “Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore”
  • Focusing on current superhero movies and popular culture
  • Playing the best music that features superheroes and is highlighted in superhero movies and shows
  • Also playing great music that is tied to the idea of heroism

Audio Episode Theme: The Batman

  • Batman will be making a guest appearance in the Summer 2023 movie The Flash
  • Release Date: June 16, 2023
  • In The Flash, Michael Keaton will be reprising his role as Batman
  • The Flash' Trailer: Ezra Miller Stars With Michael Keaton's Batman - Variety
  • Keaton starred in the original Batman released in 1989 and directed by Tim Burton
  • Batman (1989) theatrical poster.jpg
  • A marked movement away from the campy 1960’s TV show

Instrumental Piece (2:38)

  • “The Batman Theme” by Danny Elfman

Comic Book Feature

  • Batman was created to capitalize on the success of Superman in Action Comics
  • The first ever image of Batman appeared in Action Comics #12 advertising the introduction of the character
  • First Appearance: Detective Comics #27
  • Detective Comics 27 (May 1939).png
  • Publication Date: May 1939
  • Publisher: National Comics Publications which later became DC Comics
  • Written by Bill Finger
  • Penciled by Bob Kane
  • Value: In 2022, a copy of Detective Comics #27 sold for $1.7 million
  • The original costume was meant to be black and gray, but due to the printing technology of the time, the publishers used blue highlights and even gave Batman purple gloves which, thankfully were quickly abandoned in favor of the black spiked gloves he now wears
  • Batman's comic book costumes, ranked by influence and iconic design - Polygon

Batman Song #1 (1:12)

  • “Batman” from Television’s Greatest Hits Band

Origin Story

  • The Batman
  • Batman is really Bruce Wayne, child of the wealthy Thomas and Martha Wayne
  • Ironically, Superman is also raised by a mother named Martha, Martha Kent
  • Batman is a hero born in trauma: After enjoying the film Zoro, Bruce’s parents are shot in front of his eyes by a lone gunman seeking to steal Martha’s pearl necklace
  • Retold many times afterwards, Bruce sobs beside his dead parents surrounded by the scattered pearls of the broken necklace
  • It is one of the most tragic of all origin stories
  • The young Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to a war on crime, studying science and training his body endlessly into athletic perfection
  • In one of the most inspired pieces of writing of all time, Kane and Finger depict in Batman #1 how Bruce decides upon his name: “Criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts! I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible, a… a… “As if in answer, a huge bat flies in the open window! “A bat! That’s it! It’s an omen…I shall become a Bat!”
  • Batman does not merely want to do good, instead he is seeking vengeance on the underworld
  • Dr. Pagnucci’s one great claim to fame: Being featured in Wikipedia on the “Origin Story” page
    • You can change a superhero’s costume and powers, but if you change his origin, then he ceases to be that hero
    • The origin story is a critical point for each superhero because it is the foundation of the character
    • Origin stories also make superhero literature a unique genre

Batman Song #2 (2:47)

  • “Batman” by Jan and Dean
  • Jan and Dean were pioneers in the 1960’s of the California sound and vocal surf music later popularized by the Beach Boys (who will get highlighted in a future show!)

Batman Song #3 (4:39)

  • “Silver Thunderbird” by Marc Cohn
  • Because Batman is rich, he used his wealth to develop all sorts of high tech bat weapons to fight crime
  • The most famous of these is, of course, the Batmobile, which is featured in Cohn’s song

Long Lost Hero

  • Plastic Man

Long Lost Hero Song (3:02)

  • Plastic Man by The Kinks

Romantic Interlude

  • Batman and Catwoman

Catwoman Song (3:59)

  • “Catwoman (30th Anniversary Mix)  by alernative rock duo Shakespears Sister

Romantic Song (4:48)

  • “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal
  • Featured in the otherwise pretty awful Batman Forever
  • Michael Keaton was replaced by Val Kilmer for the film to give the character a lighter, less brooding tone because…why so serious???

Stay Tuned

  • Same Bat Channel next time for…Wonder Woman
  • And remember…
  • You don’t need superpowers to be a hero. The only thing it takes to be a hero is the courage to do the right thing when someone needs your help.

Closing Song (3:04)

  • “Who’s the Bat(Man)” by Patrick Stump singing as Batman for The LEGO Batman Movie