Batman was born on the pages of 'Detective Comics' 27 in May 1939, written by Bill Finger and drawn by Bob Kane. Early on, Batman was a fully-fledged pulp hero, terrorizing the criminal element in Gotham City to avenge his slain parents. To that end, Kane and Finger used Zorro and The Phantom as influences in drawing their crime-fighter with an unmistakable cape and cowl. Here is where it all began. Credit: Bob Kane

Live-action Batman was off to a rocky start in the 1943 serial 'Batman,' released by Columbia Pictures. Lewis Wilson starred in the title role, setting the stage for the low-budget look that the TV series would adopt years later.

Batman, along with his sidekick Robin, made his way to television in January 1966. Starring Adam West and Burt Ward, the '60s series saw Batman's tone change to be far more campy and light-hearted. With that came brighter colors, zany performances, the Batusi, and even the first ever Batman movie. This aesthetic held sway until the grim-and-gritty 1980s and a certain Frank Miller changed everything.

Following the successes of Frank Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns' and 'Batman: Year One,' audiences were starting to respond more to a darker vision of Gotham. 1989's 'Batman' saw Tim Burton bring the character to the big screen again, only this time Michael Keaton played a brooding, almost otherworldly creature veiled in shadow. That same look carried over into 1992's 'Batman Returns,' which was somehow darker thematically than even the original.

1992 saw the birth of what many fans consider the finest representation of Batman on any screen, and perhaps the best cartoon ever made. 'Batman: The Animated Series' shows the character returning to his pulp roots. Bruce Timm's character design is simple but timeless, and his style along with Paul Dini's writing gave birth to what's now known as the DCAU, or the DC Animated Universe

Then it all went south. After Joel Schumacher took over directing duties for the films, costume design and the movies themselves started to become overwrought and cartoonish. That all culminated in the unabashedly "toyetic" costumes in 'Batman Robin,' complete with ice-colored accents and those famous Bat-nipples.

Yes, those Bat-nipples

While the film franchise was withering, Batman was doing quite well on the small screen. With 1999 came 'Batman Beyond,' which follows the adventures of Terry McGinnis as he takes up the mantle of Gotham's futuristic Batman. Instead of a cape, Terry gets a cybernetic batsuit suit that gives him super strength, agility, and the ability to fly.

Christopher Nolan rebooted the entire Batman franchise with 2005's 'Batman Begins.' Here, the suit Bruce Wayne wears is a great deal more like heavy armor, giving him an incredibly imposing presence when he's onscreen.

With the release of Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' came a leaner, meaner batsuit that was just as imposing as the first. What's notable about this suit, however, is the fact that it, for the first time, allowed the wearer to turn his head.

The latest batsuit looks like more of a return to the form-fitting costumes of yesterday it definitely resembles Frank Miller's take on the costume and even work by such artists as Jim Lee. We have to admit: it looks pretty badass. If only he weren't so sad.