Before superhero movies dominated theaters, Adam West’s Batman turned living rooms into thrill rides. Capes flapped, villains schemed, and every “Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel” felt electric.

In the 21st century, superhero stories are often judged on how realistic they are — how “gritty,” how dark, how “adult.” It’s never been more visible than with Batman. Between Christopher Nolan’s take ...

After spending months building sets, hiring actors and filming their new “Batman” TV series, ABC brought in a test audience to watch the first episode. Each member of the test group sat before a ...