DC's scare the living daylights out of criminals and act more as a symbol than as a human crimefighter. But his most famous tactic debuted sooner than DC fans think - in his very first appearance (and even ).
Today, Batman is known for his multiple gadgets, allying with the half-dozen of the Bat-Family, and driving to crime scenes in a high-powered state-of-the-art Batmobile. But in the early days of the superhero, Batman had very few tools at his disposal; he only had a small assortment of gadgets, none of which were outlandish, and his skills at using the dark environment of Gotham City to his advantage.
In Detective Comics #27, the very first appearance of Batman, Bruce Wayne accompanies Commissioner Gordon to the scene of a horrific murder. The crime reveals additional murders and Bruce takes his leave of Gordon. Meanwhile, on a rooftop, two criminal lackeys of the main villain are startled when Batman suddenly appears, the full moon illuminating him from behind. The criminals "...do not notice a third menacing figure standing behind them...it is the Bat-Man!"
It is frankly astounding to see just how many Batman tenants appear in his first issue. Batman's costume is not too far removed from his current appearances, James Gordon and his relationship with Bruce Wayne appear on the very first page, and - perhaps most notably - Batman's ability to use fear and theatricality as an effective way to combat crime. "Fear is a tool," says Bruce Wayne in 2022's The Batman film - but little do audience know that the very thought originated in Detective Comics #27. There are notable departures from Batman's tradition methods, however: the Dark Knight notably kills Alfred Stryker, his very first villain, by punching him into a vat of acid while saying "A fitting end for his kind." This is rather cold for the modern-era Batman, but the Batman of the 30s and 40s had yet to implement his now-famous One Rule against killing.
Batman's ability to vanish has stayed with every iteration of the character on screens large and small, and on paper. Not many are aware that Batman's strategy has remained virtually unchanged since the 30s. Batman's history may be long, but the strategies he used over 80 years ago are still being used today.
