July 23 has — somewhat inexplicably — been declared Batman Day in an effort to celebrate the Caped Crusader's 75th anniversary.
July 23 isn't actually the day Batman first appeared — that was March 30, 1939, when Detective Comics #27 hit newsstands. It's not the day Tim Burton's 'Batman' film came out, either (that was June 23, 1989), or the day 'Batman: Arkham Knight' will be released (that's set for September).
Regardless, DC Entertainment has decreed that July 23 is Batman Day, and we're not going to knock something like that back.
UPDATE: July 23 does correspond with the San Diego Comic-Con, so don't be shocked if that's the day we see images or footage of Batfleck in costume for the first time...
DC Entertainment will partner with thousands of comic retailers, book stores and libraries to celebrate the occasion; each location will host a Batman 75th anniversary celebration and offer fans a free, special edition 'Batman' comic.
The Dark Knight's 75th anniversary will also be marked by a 'Cape/Cowl/Create' art exhibit, led by fashion designer Asher Levine, that will be showcased at San Diego Comic-Con International in July; the highly anticipated release of Adam West's 'Batman '66' TV series on DVD for the first time ever; and new animated films 'Son Of Batman' (May 7) and 'Assault On Arkham' (Winter 2014).
A 25th Anniversary Edition of Tim Burton's 'Batman' film (congratulations, everybody, you're old) will also be released this year, as well as two new animated shorts created by Bruce Timm ('Batman: The Animated Series') and Darwyn Cooke ('Batman Beyond').
We're also likely to see FOX's 'Gotham' TV series at some point this year (official images of Ryan Atwood Ben McKenzie in character as Ryan Atwood Jim Gordon have already been released).
If you're a Batfleck hater, the greatest gift Warner Bros and DC Entertainment can give you for Batman's 75th anniversary is the knowledge that Zack Snyder's Superman/Batman film won't be in cinemas this year — it's slated for a 2016 release.
For more info about the anniversary celebration we deserve, and the one we need right now, head to Batman75.com.
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