Holy transmedia! - the many faces of Batman in 1960s Finland

Abstract

Superheroes exist in multiple narratives and storyworlds at the same time. Some of the stories and iterations are part of the character’s canon, while different adaptations and alternative versions inhabit other timelines and fictional worlds. Using the concept of transmedia universe, this article explores how fan-made and corporate-made adaptations of the character of Batman occupied the same universe and expanded the world inhabited by the character. Approaching the historical phenomenon of the 1960s Batmania from the point of view of adaptation studies, the article sheds light on local adaptations in a transmedia context.