HAPPY 80TH, CAPED CRUSADER!!!

Late March 1939: A black-gray (tinged with blue), caped figure with menacing cowl enters the cultural consciousness.

Twenty-seven years later, I, a mere boy of two, becomes enthralled by an in-color, television series that plays via my family's black-and-white set. Adam West and Burt Ward consume my thoughts, actions and dreams. From that point, nothing is the same.

As the years pass, my obsession with Bruce Wayne and his linking lore intensifies. I track down other Batman incarnations: chapter plays, cartoons, collectibles and the most prolific source of all, comic books. 

Some stories depict wild, tongue-in-cheek scenarios; others exude brooding atmospheres, in particular the '70s Neal Adams run, which nurtures the Bob Kane/Bill Finger seeds in ways that leave me spellbound and enriched. 

This progressing, darker trend follows me into the '80s, where I encounter Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" and Alan Moore/Brian Bolland's "The Killing Joke". I soon embrace Norm Breyfogle's fantastic, fluorescent panels, relishing his brilliant overlap of retro and contemporary styles.

Then comes Tim Burton's film-noir retelling with Michael Keaton, an adventure that spawns further, big-screen entries and animated variants, ultimately capped by Christopher Nolan's daring Christian Bale trilogy. 

On the heels of this fruitful feast, crossover submissions with Ben Affleck catch my eye, in addition to an acclaimed, weekly prequel. The grand, eclectic collective is sealed. My allegiance to the idolizing cause takes deeper root--and expands.

Throughout the experience, I bounce forward and (especially) backward, revisiting the Dark Knight's foundation, acknowledging his presence as the symbolic son of Zorro, Sir Galahad, Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow; an earthbound Kal-El, robbed of his parents so that he might aim his angst against eccentric adversity with the maximum, Bondian zeal. 

As a result of my avid delving, the Dark Knight's trusty sidekicks help guide my moral compass: the faithful Alfred Pennyworth, steadfast James Gordon and acrobatic Dick Grayson, aka Robin and Nightwing. And to bestow me with an ample stream of amorous accompaniment, Barbara Gordon's Batgirl and Selina Kyle's Catwoman become my steady dates. 

But no matter how enticing these supporting characters strike me, Batman remains the Gotham guardian who inspires me most: the one who gives me the incentive to keep an ethical stance and the vehement vigor to face life's obstacles, no matter how daunting.

Batman has always been and always will be my hero. That millions of others share this sentiment speaks volumes. 

Here's to another Bat-tastic eighty years of superheroic influence. No doubt another plentiful spree of dark and vibrant, crime-combating wonders awaits...