By Christopher Bahn
MSNBC contributorDirector Christopher Nolan is taking the Batman film franchise back to its roots with the new Batman Begins, which (probably wisely) ignores the four previous films about the caped, crime-fighting superhero and spins a new tale about the Dark Knight’s early days in Gotham City. Batman’s built up a lot of history since he first debuted in 1939. How much do you know? Take our quiz and find out.
1. Tommy Lee Jones played district attorney Harvey Dent, better known as the acid-scarred villain Two-Face, in the film "Batman Forever." But who played the character in the first Batman film?
A. Billy Dee Williams
B. Jim Carrey
C. Michael Keaton
D. Nobody — the character wasn’t in the film
2. What exactly are Batman’s superpowers?
A. He has the heightened senses and reflexes of a bat
B. He can communicate with bats and command them to do his bidding
C. He doesn’t actually have any superpowers
D. He can disappear into shadows and otherwise cloak his presence from those he doesn’t want to see him
3. Batman has led a very tumultuous life. He’s witnessed the murder of his parents, dealt with the death of one of his Robins, shepherded his city through a devastating earthquake and plague, and much more. But what pivotal event in Batman’s life occurred in the story "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate"?
A. He had his first meeting with the The Joker, the villain who would become his worst nemesis
B. He hired Alfred Pennyworth, his butler and lifelong friend
C. He made his first appearance in comic books
D. He ate at an Indian restaurant for the first time, leading to a lifelong interest in curries
4. Dr. Jonathan Crane, who also poses a threat to Gotham City in "Batman Begins" in his identity as the villainous Scarecrow, is a psychiatrist at Gotham’s infamous Arkham Asylum. Which horror writer’s works are homaged in Arkham’s name?
A. Clive Barker
B. Stephen King
C. Dan Brown
D. H.P. Lovecraft
5. Although she does not appear in the film, "Batman Begins" villain Ra’s Al Ghul has a daughter whose attraction to Batman often wars with her loyalty to her father. What is her name?
A. Talia
B. Tania
C. Natalia
D. Ghulette
6. Commissioner Gordon has just released an all-points bulletin to the entire Gotham City police force: Oswald Cobblepot, Jarvis Tetch, Kirk Langstrom, Waylon Jones, and Preston Payne have escaped! These recurrent foes of Batman must be caught and brought back to justice — but first, you have to figure out who they are. By what nicknames are these men better known?
A. Bane, Deathstroke, The Joker, The Riddler and The Crime Doctor
B. Weather Wizard, The Ventriloquist, Suture, Violator and Hush
C. Penguin, Mad Hatter, Man-Bat, Killer Croc and Clayface
D. Cluemaster, Mr. Freeze, Corrosive Man, Calendar Man, and Abbatoir
7. What do Jean Paul Valley and Terry McGinnis have in common?
A. They both died while seeking revenge against The Joker
B. They were the first two Gotham City policemen who saw Batman in the early days of his crimefighting career
C. They are among the very few criminals who have defeated Batman
D. They are both Batman
8. In the comic books, on the night that Bruce Wayne’s parents are killed by a mugger, the family goes to see a film. Which one?
A. "Blade Runner"
B. "The Mark Of Zorro"
C. "Metropolis"
D. "King Kong"
9. Batman and many of the most popular characters in the DC Comics stable were teamed together in a string of 1970s children’s cartoon series. In "The Challenge Of The Super Friends," the heroes regularly faced off against an evil society consisting of their most prominent adversaries. What was that evil society called?
A. The Legion Of Doom
B. The League Of Extraordinarily Ungentle Men
C. The Really Rottens
D. The Axis Of Exil
10. Batman is well-known for his sidekick, the “boy wonder” assistant crimefighter known as Robin. Over the years, the role has been held by three different people. The current Robin, Tim Drake, took over after Jason Todd, the second Robin, was killed by the Joker. (Or was he? In recent comics, Jason has returned as a reborn Batman villain — but we digress.) What happened to the first Robin, Dick Grayson?
A. He became rich by managing the Backstreet Boys
B. Distraught at the idea that he’d never be able to be promoted to Batman, he took a job with the New York Yankees as batboy
C. He grew up, moved to a new town, and fights crime as Nightwing
D. He was given a power ring and became Green Lantern
11. "Batman Begins" director Christopher Nolan’s first big hit was the crime thriller "Memento," which was told in a unique way in order to simulate the disoriented mental state of the main character, Leonard Shelby. What was it?
A. Every line of dialogue was shouted through bullhorns
B. All the other characters were played by the same actor
C. It was told backwards, from the end to the beginning
D. Every five minutes, the film would abruptly switch languages, from English to Swedish to Russian to French
12. Gotham City is notable for features such as Miller Harbor, Kane Memorial Bridge and the Aparo Expressway. Who are these named for?
A. Explorers
B. Politicians
C. Professional athletes
D. Writers and artists