Comic book superheroes have been a part of the media landscape for decades now, from Depression-era comics to brightly colored television shows of the 1960s to the brooding graphic novels of the 1980s. Walking a fine line between escapist fun and serious social commentary, superheroes have captured the minds of readers young and old, none more so than the Dark Knight of Gotham City - the Batman. Batman has been at the backbone of the genre from its outset and continues to be as superhero movies become more important to Hollywood, in terms of content, characterization and capital gain. This paper traces the history of Batman's crossover from page to screen to see how his character has changed over time, what themes have remained central to his story and how each filmmaker has told the same story time and again while still making it fresh and "original." First, this research studies the different research methods that have been used to analyze superheroes and comic books in the past. Next, this study compares and contrasts some of the most important Batman comics and films to find what elements make the character so appealing to a mass audience. This research includes analysis and comparisons of the films Batman, Batman Begins , and The Dark Knight, as well as several well-known graphic novels like The Long Halloween, The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. Finally, this paper shows how Batman has affected other works in the comic book movie genre, particularly the adaptation of the seminal graphic novel Watchmen.