Something to celebrate
When things go south in Gotham City, the police only need to flip on a beacon to ask for help.
The Bat Signal will, of course, bring Batman (and his cadre of gadgets, vehicles and weaponry) there to save the day.
The DC Comics superhero, created in 1939, is the alias of wealthy playboy/philanthropist Bruce Wayne.
While many superheroes came into their powers through otherworldly means, Batman is a self-taught fighter whose origins are steeped in a desire for revenge after he saw his parents murdered as a young boy. Their deaths left him with a sizable inheritance that he used to develop weapons and other technology to fight back against the bad guys.
From the comics, Batman and his brand of justice have leapt onto both the small and big screens in both live action and cartoons, including 2017鈥檚 鈥淭he Lego Batman Movie.鈥�
In recent years, a number of actors have donned the black cape to take on the iconic role, including Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton.
He played the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton鈥檚 1989 鈥淏atman鈥� and 1992鈥檚 鈥淏atman Returns.鈥�
When Burton left the franchise, so did Keaton, ceding the cape to Val Kilmer for 1995鈥檚 鈥淏atman Forever.鈥�
Two years later in 鈥淏atman & Robin,鈥� George Clooney took on the role.
A trilogy of Batman-centered movies followed, with Christian Bale starring as the superhero, followed by Ben Affleck.
According to Variety, Keaton and Affleck will reprise their roles in upcoming movie 鈥淭he Flash.鈥� The actors will offer a glimpse of what Batman would be like in parallel dimensions visited by the speedster Barry Allen.
And yet one more actor has been tapped to don the cape. Robert Pattinson, perhaps best known for the 鈥淭wilight鈥� movies, will take on the title role in 2022鈥檚 鈥淭he Batman.鈥�
The brooding superhero was first honored with his own day on July 23, 2014 to mark the 75th anniversary of his comics debut.
In 2018, Batman Day was permanently moved to the third Saturday in September.
Other occasions to celebrate this week include:
Sept. 16: National Play-Doh Day, National Step Family Day, National Working Parents Day
Sept. 17: National Professional House Cleaners Day, National Hug Your Boss Day, National Tradesmen Day
Sept. 18: National Batman Day, National Gymnastics Day, Responsible Dog Ownership Day
Sept. 19: Talk Like A Pirate Day, Wife Appreciation Day, National Butterscotch Pudding Day
Sept. 20: National Fried Rice Day, National String Cheese Day
Sept. 21: National Chai Day, National IT Professionals Day, National New York Day
Sept. 22: American Business Women鈥檚 Day, Dear Diary Day, Hobbit Day