HOLY sequels! Just when you thought it was safe to don the mantle of a sociopathic supervillain and engage in a spot of havoc-wreaking in Gotham City, those pesky Warner siblings bring out a fourth film depicting the high moral exploits of that too-good do-gooder Batman.
One would imagine he would be just a little weary of pursuing the cause of truth and justice by now. After all, it is 57 years since the then 18-year-old cartoonist, Bob Kane, was asked by his boss, the editor of Detective Comics, to come up with a character as "super-duper" as Action Comics' hugely successful Superman.
Kane went away and, inspired by the films Mark of Zorro and The Bat Whispers, dreamed up The Caped One.
Unfortunately the dubious underwear worn self-consciously over tights was retained but the character that emerged marked a significant departure from the usual superhero. He didn't have any special powers for one thing, relying instead on his keen intellect and detective skills to thwart the evil plots of Got ham City's large community of villains.
Once upon a time, Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne, was an ordinary, well-adjusted little boy with loving parents who also happened to be billionaires. Dr Thomas and Martha Wayne were brutally murdered on their way home from the cinema one night and young Bruce swore to avenge their deaths. He spent five years travelling the globe with his butter (and best friend) Alfred Pennyworth, picking up the skills necessary to implement his plan.
In the Himalayas, he divined the secrets of wise men and became a master in karate. In France, he learned how to use certain pressure points to cause pain or heal himself. He studied books on criminology, assassination techniques and psychosis, where he garnered the handy hint that all criminals were cowardly and superstitious and fear could bring them to their knees.
While he was mulling the whole thing over in Wayne Manor one night, a giant bat crashed through the study window, providing the spooky symbol which would strike that all-important fear into the hearts of the city's criminals. Batman was born.
Batman has appeared in many different media over the years, but ardent Bat fans will tell you that "the real thing" can only be found in the comics. Comic Bat man has also undergone varying incarnations - going through three Robins on the way - but it is generally agreed that things started to get really interesting when Frank Miller wrote The Return of the Dark Knight in 1986.
This dark, broody Batman was in stark contrast to the lighter, camp-as-a-row-of-tents character that was reflected in the 1960s Batman TV series starring Adam West.
Then came the films, introducing Batman to a new audience, many of whom wouldn't be caught dead reading comics. In the first Batman film, director Tim Burton shocked all die-hard films by having their hero kill his arch-nemesis The Joker. "Anyone who knows Batman knows that it is totally against his principles to kill anyone, even his enemies," says Sid Daly, of the Forbidden Planet Comic Shop, in Dublin.
Batman products are among the top five sellers in the store. The Caped Crusader's appeal, says Mr Daly, is that he is human. "Superman was born with powers and Spiderman was bitten by a spider. Batman is self-created," he says.
Crucially, of course, Batman "has some great toys". The Batmobile, Batarang (a sort of Boomerang) and the Utility Belt have all got Batman out of some seemingly inescapable scrapes. The gadgets are largely credited with the success of the films Batman, Batman Returns and Batman Forever, which have earned millions of dollars for Warner Brothers over the past eight years.
In the new film, Batman teams up once more with his irrepressible sidekick Robin, aka Boy Wonder. A whole host of villains are there, including eco-terrorist Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) and Mr Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger). The film is high on female roles, with Alicia Silverstone as Bat Girl and supermodel Elle McPherson as the Bruce Wayne-obsessed Julie Madison. ER's George Clooney is Batman.
The film is bound to be a success, and Bat man will continue his mission to protect the innocent while Bruce Wayne continues to head up Wayne Tech Enterprises. It has often been difficult for Bat/Bruce to reconcile these two personalities. It's hard playing a besuited billionaire playboy one minute and a dark avenger dressed in black rubber the next.
So will Batman ever tire of the schizophrenic drama in which he plays the leading role? Will Robin manage to keep his place in Batman's affections? Will Batman eventually prevail over evil in Gotham City? Stay tuned, Bat fans!