It’s officially Batman Day, offering the perfect excuse to spend your entire Saturday evening working through Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.
And what better way to celebrate 80 years of Bruce Wayne than to shine the Bat-Signal in the very city which inspired the dark and moody aesthetic of Gotham?
In honour of this auspicious anniversary, the iconic spire of New York’s Empire State Building will be lit up ‘Batman Yellow’, while the Bat-Signal will be projected on the west side face of Brooklyn’s Domino Sugar Refinery. Whether or not the man himself will rock up has yet to be determined.
New York based fans may gather outside at 8pm local time to see the classic signal flash, and to share their love of DC Comics history.
As reported by comicbook, President of Warner Bros. Global Brands and Experiences, Pam Lifford, stated:
The Bat-Signal is easily one of the most recognizable images among all superhero iconography and this is going to be a remarkable sight as we transcend borders, languages and cultures to bring us all together with this single experience,
We are proud to send up the Bat-Signal on Batman Day because it is an important beacon of inspiration that makes us all believe that it’s possible to take hardship and turn it into something good. Batman Day is a global celebration for all the fans.
New Yorkers aren’t the only ones beaming their appreciation for the Caped Crusader. The instantly recognisable signal will also glow in eleven cities worldwide, including Melbourne, Tokyo, Berlin and Barcelona; uniting fans across the globe in their devotion to all things Batman.
In Los Angeles, DC Comic and Warner Bros. will be even be hosting a Batman 5K night run, which reportedly culminates with a very special ‘bat signal lighting ceremony’.
In honor of #BatmanDay, here is my favorite Batman GIF of all time. Enjoy. pic.twitter.com/cRLNxoTgyJ
— Meredith Frost (@MeredithFrost) September 21, 2019
Because apparently it's #BatmanDay.
And reminder to self that I have to get back to painting– pic.twitter.com/c0pIk56sYN— Mike Mignola (@artofmmignola) September 21, 2019
Batman over the years. Which one is your favorite? #BatmanDay pic.twitter.com/irXIvt2HEw
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) September 21, 2019
The Bat-Signal is lighting up across the world–including in @FortniteGame! Stay tuned to see more Bat-Signal coverage throughout #BatmanDay. #Batman80 #LongLiveTheBat #FortniteXBatman pic.twitter.com/GTSXdtk2qn
— Batman (@DCBatman) September 21, 2019
On this very day 80 years ago, the first ever Batman comic was released in New York, with the Bat-Signal making its appearance approximately two years later.
Since then, the story of the Dark Knight has enthralled generations of comic book fans; inspiring live action movies, cartoons and spin offs.
Gritty origin story Joker, which explores the background of Batman’s nemesis, The Joker, is due to soar into cinemas amidst a flurry of critical acclaim; taking the comicbook villain – and of course Gotham – into psychological thriller territory.
Joker will hit UK cinemas as of October 4, 2019.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.