Batman - why so many different versions?

Question

Why are there so many different versions regarding the occurence of certain events in the Batman universe(comics, movies, TV series, etc). Is it possible that some facts that appear for example in an episode to be in disagreement with other facts that appear in comics or vice-versa? Is this TRUE? And if it is, then is this OK? Why does it happen? Thxs

Answer 1

It's called creative freedom. When DC comics hands over the Batman character to a writer or director, the writer or direction has creative freedom to do whatever they see fit to make Batman look good on screen or TV. Some Batman storyline just wouldn't fit well on the big screen, so the writer and/or director will combine or alter some events to make the movie flow smoothly.

With Batman, he's been around for almost 70 years, so writers have had 70 years to tell Batma's story. In the movies, the director and writer only have about 2 hours to tell Batman's story, so they combine stories so that it can be told in 2 hours.

Answer 2

I am no comic--book fanboy but here is my best answer.

Comic book characters have what is called a "mythos". This is their image. When a new comic book artist / movie director / TV director comes in they want to change or tweak the "mythos" and give a fresh take. (What if we did the story of SUPERMAN growing up? = SMALLVILLE) (What is we did a Batman origin story an made it dark and moody = BATMAN BEGINS)

However, his creates different versions. Hardcore fans get upset sometimes when they feel they character is being changed too much. Every time a comic book movie comes out fans go on the internet an scream "They are RUINING a classic character!!"

You can't make everyone happy.

Answer 3

It is all about relevance. What was working 50 years ago won't necessarily work today. I don't really know batman's evolution. But a character like Captain America was once a Nazi killer in WWII, and a Communist killer in the 80's, that doesn't work today. So they have to find new stories that will make people interested. Each writer has a new chance to make the characters story relevant to the generation he is writing for.

Answer 4

money is the bottom line, they reinvent or rewrite heros all the time to suit their purposes.