Batman is a fictional superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, as well as in a number of movie, television, and videogame adaptations. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Originally named "the Bat-Man", the character is also referred to by such epithets as "the Caped Crusader",[5] "the Dark Knight",[5] and "the World's Greatest Detective".[5]