Regardless if you love or hate Christopher Nolan‘s take on Batman, let’s admit that he’s done an astounding job modernizing what some consider to be an archaic superhero. He helped a new generation fall in love with the caped crusader, a superhero who is equal parts relevant, (in)humane, accessible, flawed and heroic in today’s cultural context. If you are joining me in the countdown to July 20, or if you don’t even know the significance of the date, we can all appreciate the genius evolution and modernization here. Through science and sheer force of will, a man becomes more than a man in the name of justice… or vengeance, depending on your read of Bruce Wayne’s life choices. And Wayne himself isn’t the only thing evolving. So are the methods being utilized to tell his story. Advertising and storytelling take constant maintenance, especially for a superhero. Case in point, see Rodrigo Rojo’s compilation of the Batman icon’s evolution over the years.

Minute changes sometimes equal huge perceptual differences.

Compare those to the most recent adaptations of the caped crusader.

Tags: batman, Elliot Kort, Evolutions, icons, Storytelling