Adam West

Here’s how thoroughly Batman’s influence has permeated the mainstream: he’s claimed tacit ownership of the very notion of shining a light into the sky. The Bat-Signal, introduced in the comics as Gotham City’s method of summoning the Dark Knight, has been endlessly parodied in the annals of pop-culture — just earlier this month, the poster for Captain Underpants paid homage to the iconic (a word I mean here literally, and not in the ‘a photo of the Kardashians’ sense) design of the skyward spotlight. And all too appropriately, the Bat-Signal will now be used to give one former Batman, the dearly departed Adam West, a proper send-off.

We’re still reeling from the loss of Adam West, TV’s original Batman and “Bright Knight” icon of superhero fans. The actor lost a battle with leukemia this weekend, and now Batman co-stars Julie Newmar and Burt Ward weigh in, along with Family Guy producers and many more.

My 18-month-old daughter is suddenly very into superheroes. Every night before bed we do story time; this week she’s become obsessed with a board book called My First Batman Book. Since she likes when I sing the words of her books to her, I naturally began singing the theme to the classic 1960s Batman as part of our nightly ritual. And she liked that so much that this morning, for the very first time, I showed her the old show’s opening credits.

We’ve lost one of comic and TV culture’s most enduring favorites, as original Batman star Adam West has passed away. The smooth-voiced star became iconic for his portrayal of the ‘60s Caped Crusader, earning a place in the pop culture pantheon over the decades.

Nowadays, actors are often straight-up forbidden from doing their own stunts so that they don’t suffer from any lasting injuries. Some, like Tom Cruise, have the star-power needed to convince a director he wants to be strapped to the side of a jetliner while it takes off, but most of the time it’s the stunt-doubles doing all the work. Not so for Burt Ward, who played sidekick Robin in the original 1960’s Batman TV show. He recounts a time during production during which he had to perform a stunt so dangerous he was sent to the emergency room.

Time is a flat circle. When Matthew McConaughey’s character spoke these words in True Detective’s first season, he probably didn’t have the Batman character in mind (although, maybe he did, there’s a lot about that show I didn’t quite understand). And yet, here we are, in the year 2016, and many people are legitimately as or even more excited for an animated Batman movie starring Adam West than they were for the blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. What was once camp is now mainstream, and vice versa

Batman and Robin are back in action with the newest trailer for Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Warner Bros.’ newest animated version of the Dynamic Duo, complete with a vintage Batmobile, day-glo yellow utility belt, “holy insert-noun-here” exclamations, and superfluous labels on things like “GIANT OVEN.”

This is the Batman movie we need right now, but not the one we deserve.