Introduction

The multiple "Batmen" of 1989 and the preceding five decades testify both to the institutional maintenance of the character and to the modulation of that character required to keep abreast of perceived market demands, leading to a distinctly identifiable commodity on the one hand and diverse expressions of that commodity. Together the essays provide a multifaceted perspective on one of the longest lived of American popular heroes, revealing the complexities of various aspects of the processes of production and reception in multiple media. The essays also represent many of the paradigms which constitute contemporary cultural studies. The diversity of subject and method makes this volume the first serious academic exploration of the many lives of the Batman. The methodologies of these articles represent two very different approaches to that most vexed of issues in mass communications, audience reception, and begin to chart the diverse responses of various fan communities.