batman begins

These comic book movies reinvigorated their film franchises.

A quarter of a century. 25 superior comic-book movies.

If you’ve seen Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, you probably remember the great scene where Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and Ducard (Liam Neeson) fight on a frozen lake. But did you know that all throughout the day Bale and Neeson shot this scene, they could hear cracks in the ice beneath their feet? When the crew returned to the lake the next day, the entire thing had thawed. Yikes. That’s just one of the facts featured in the newest episode of You Think You Know Movies!

Q: How essential is The Mark of Zorro to Batman's origin story? -- @TheKize A: Strictly speaking, I don't think it's necessary. For one thing, while I'm actually not sure where it was introduced, the idea that young Bruce Wayne was watching The Mark of Zorro on the night his parents were murdered was at least canonized in stone in the opening pages of The Dark Knight Returns, which means that there were almost 50 years where Batman got along just fine without that element. On top of that, there have been plenty of Batman stories that go in a different direction, and it doesn't really hurt the mythology behind the character to make it something else. But that said, The Mark of Zorro being the last thing Bruce Wayne sees before his world ends and he makes the choice to become Batman certainly makes it a whole lot better.

But Batmen can come in all shapes and sizes, from the bulky and gritty of the latest movie, to the vibrant and comical stylings of Batman in the ‘60s, or even the new costume that debuted in the comics just this week. Whether fans are going after that classic Adam West appeal, the dark and macabre visions of Tim Burton, or the more combat suit-oriented look, there’s plenty of variety to be had underneath that cape and cowl. Cosplayers around the world have shared their favorite visions of the playboy-turned-vigilante to produce some fantastic results. We’ve combed our archives to assemble an overview of our favorites. From specialized scene photos to conventions crawling with caped crusaders, this gallery brings Dark Knights from all walks of life together. We hope you’ll enjoy this gallery of the best Batman cosplays ever.

Listen: I love Batman, and, for obvious reasons, I am always up for seeing people who love Batman get unexpected and unique Batman-related presents just because they really, really love Batman. As a result, it was pretty fun to watch the video above, an installment of Super-Fan Builds where a big Batman fan and his presumably equally Batman-loving son are given a custom-made stroller built to look like the Tumbler from Batman Begins. There's just one problem, and it's a pretty obvious one. You, uh... you know how Batman's origin story goes, right? As cool as it is, maybe an item that makes your kid more like Batman is not the best idea.

The last time Christopher Nolan released a movie, film critics got death threats. That was back in 2012, when Nolan released ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ and the first writers who dared to stray from the positive consensus about the film received waves of overwhelming backlash. After Marshall Fine published his pan, his site and his page on Rotten Tomatoes were both bombarded with angry comments politely requesting he “die in a fire” and hoping someone would beat him into a coma with a “thick rubber hose.”

Just how many times have we watched a young Bruce Wayne witness the murder of his parents? No origin story for the Caped Crusader has been without it, and FOX's Batman prequel series, 'Gotham,' is no different. As the new drama premiered this week, kicking off with the brutal death of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, a new supercut has hit the web of all the time's we've seen this scene onscreen -- and it's quite a number of times.

In stores this week is The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition box set (which we're giving away a copy of). The set includes all three of director Christopher Nolan's Batman films on Blu-Ray, plus a number of extras, including, as revealed by Batman News in the site's review of the set, a video of Christian Bale's audition for the role of Batman, while wearing Val Kilmer's suit from

Read on for Thursday links aplenty.