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SYFY WIRE DC Comics

Batman Day will flash Bat-Signal, run night races across the world and more

By Ernie Estrella
Batman 80 Main Key Art

Batman's 80th Anniversary began with Detective Comics #1000 and the celebration culminates to Batman Day which is officially September 21. DC Comics is planning on a party that will span across the globe as major cities will project the iconic Bat-Signal onto skyscrapers and world landmarks around 8pm local time. 

Batman Day Logo

Melbourne, Australia will be the first city to celebrate with the Bat-Signal shining at Fed Square facing Flinders Street. As the dark knight falls in the following major cities, look up for the Bat-Signal at these city centers:

  • Tokyo at MAGNET by Shibuya109 at Shibuya Scramble Crossing
  • Berlin at Potzdamer Platz 11
  • Paris at Galeries Lafayette
  • Barcelona at Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
  • London at the Senate House
  • São Paulo at Itaúsa - LMB
  • New York TBA
  • Montreal at Complex Dupuis
  • Mexico City at Torre Reforma

The final Bat-Signal will be shined on City Hall in Los Angeles, creating a cascade of signals across the globe. But the party is just starting in the city of angels where DC Comics and Warner Bros. are staging a Batman 5K night run and fan celebration that is open to everyone. Registration is at DCBatmanRun.com. There will be other Batman runs taking place in the Asian epicenters Shanghai, Manila, Singapore, and Bangkok. Over in Latin America, São Paulo and Mexico City will host a night run as well as Brisbane down under.

London Bat-Signal Rendering

Meanwhile, in the real life Gotham City, the party will be at the Barnes & Noble Union Square, DC Publisher Dan DiDio will be joined by a panel of creators and talent who have contributed to the Batman legacy in recent years including Scott Snyder (Batman Who Laughs, Last Knight on Earth), Peter J. Tomasi (Detective Comics), James Tyinion IV (Batman/TMNT, Batman Eternal), and Brad Walker (Detective Comics), for a signing and panel discussion.  

But it doesn't end there. Batman Day will include fan celebrations, free comic books, signings and can follow all of it through their interactive Batman Bat-Tracker. For example, 2,000 retail comic shops will be offering free Batman Day special editions of The Batman Who Laughs and Batman Nightwalker. In European stores a collected edition of Legend of Batman will be available for free. For a list of the participating retailers, head over to DCComics.com/BatmanDay for updates. 

On the video game front, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will hold an Injustice 2 Mobile Batman arena  marathon from September 13-24 where participants can compete for Batman rewards while DC Universe Online will celebrate Batman's 80th from September 13-30 with two Batman-themed in-game t-shirts. One will be free to claim for all players, and another will be a members-only exclusive. 

Then there's the merch. In Amazon brick and mortars in Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco, limited Batman 80 merchandise will be available.  FAO Schwarz will offer limited edition toys and collectibles for all ages each Saturday throughout September with interactive experiences and photo opportunities. LEGO retail stores in Canada and stateside will have build events, in-store giveaways and Batman taking over LEGO's social media channels. Rooster Teeth is offering an exclusive Detective Comics #27 capsule collection, while Mattel and Funko will have Batman 80 figures and (deep breath) Batman apparel and footwear will be unveiled for Bat, Converse and The Hundreds.

Not to be left out, digital subscription service DC Universe will have exclusive Batman content on their curated videos and comics section, Cartoon Network will celebrate the day and month with Batman-themed stunts and international channels like Warner TV Asia, HBO India, and Warner Channel Latin America will feature Batman content and promotions on their channels. 

It's an exhaustive list of exciting events planned, and is sure to be the biggest anniversary party for a super-hero.