Bat-Mite

{{Infobox comics character

| image = Bat-Mite.png

| caption = Bat-Mite as depicted in World's Finest Comics #113 (November 1960). Art by Curt Swan.

| publisher = DC Comics

| debut = Detective Comics #267 (May 1959)

| creators = Bill Finger (writer)
Sheldon Moldoff (artist)

| species = Fifth Dimensional Imp (Zrfffian)

| homeworld = Fifth Dimension

| alliances = Justice League of Mites

| aliases =

| supports = Batman

| powers =

}}

Bat-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Depicted as a small, childlike man in an ill-fitting copy of Batman's costume, Bat-Mite possesses what appear to be near-infinite magical powers which could be considered nigh-omnipotence, but he actually uses highly advanced technology from the fifth dimension that cannot be understood by humans' limited three-dimensional views. Unlike Mxyzptlk, Bat-Mite idolizes his superhero target and thus he has visited Batman on various occasions, often setting up strange and ridiculous events so that he could see his hero in action. Bat-Mite is more of a nuisance than a supervillain, and often departs of his own accord upon realizing that he has angered his idol.{{Cite book | last = Beatty | first = Scott | author-link = Scott Beatty | contribution = Bat-Mite | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia | page = 39 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | place = London | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-7566-4119-1}}

Bat-Mite has appeared in various media outside comics, primarily in association with Batman. Paul Reubens and Lou Scheimer voice the character in Batman: The Brave and the Bold and The New Adventures of Batman respectively.

Publication history

Bat-Mite made his first appearance in Detective Comics #267 (May 1959) in a story titled "Batman Meets Bat-Mite", and was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Sheldon Moldoff.[http://www.comics.org/issue/15035/ Detective Comics #267 (DC, 1937 Series)] at the Grand Comics Database

Bat-Mite was retired from the comic in 1964, when editor Julius Schwartz instituted a "New Look" Batman that shed some of the sillier elements in the series.{{cite book |last=Wells |first=John |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960-64 |date=2015 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490458 |pages=167–169}}

Bat-Mite appeared in a self-titled six-issue miniseries which lasted from June to November 2015.{{cite press release |title=DC Entertainment Announces New Books, New Creators, Broader Focus for the DC Universe |date=February 6, 2015 |url=http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/02/06/dc-entertainment-announces-new-books-new-creators-broader-focus-for-the-dc-universe |access-date=November 5, 2020 |website=dccomics.com}}

Fictional character history

File:Bat Mite Cover.jpg.]]

=Pre-Crisis=

Bat-Mite regularly appeared in Batman, Detective Comics, and World's Finest Comics for five years. Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk teamed up four times in the pages of World's Finest Comics to plague Superman and Batman together, as well.{{cite book |last1=Fleisher |first1=Michael L. |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco01flei/page/134/mode/2up |title=The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 1: Batman |date=1976 |publisher=Macmillan Publishing Co |isbn=0-02-538700-6 |pages=134–140 |access-date=March 29, 2020}} In 1964, the Batman titles were revamped under editor Julius Schwartz, leading Bat-Mite to stop appearing.{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |author-link=Robert Greenberger |title=The Essential Superman Encyclopedia |last2=Pasko |first2=Martin |author-link2=Martin Pasko |date=2010 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=978-0-345-50108-0 |page=25}}

=Post-Crisis=

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity reboot, Bat-Mite is removed from DC's continuity.{{cite book |display-authors= 3| last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Korte |first3=Steve |last4=Manning |first4=Matt |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |last6= Wilson |first6=Sven |title=The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe |date=2016 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-5357-0 |page=25}} He appears in the Elseworlds special World's Funnest and is restored to the main continuity in Superman/Batman #25 (2006).{{Cite book|title= The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross|last= Ross|first= Alex|author-link=Alex Ross|year= 2003|publisher= Pantheon Books|isbn= 978-0375422409}}Superman/Batman #25 (May 2006) Bat-Mite also appears as a hallucination that Batman suffers after losing his sanity.Batman #672 (February 2008)Batman #674 (April 2008)Batman #680 (October 2008)Superman/Batman #52 (October 2008)

Powers and abilities

Bat-Mite, as a fifth-dimensional Imp, has nigh-omnipotence, which is shown as near-infinite magical power. Bat-Mite has powers and skills identical to that of Mister Mxyzptlk (but not his weaknesses), such as the ability to manipulate spacetime. He has access to various bat-weapons like his hero, Batman.Bat-Mite #1-6 (August 2015 - January 2016)

Publications

=2015 series=

Bat-Mite (2016-02-17): Includes Bat-Mite #1-6 and a sneak peek story from Convergence: Supergirl: Matrix #2.{{Cite web |url=http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/bat-mite |title=BAT-MITE |access-date=2020-11-17 |archive-date=2017-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409024225/http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/bat-mite |url-status=dead }}

In other media

=Television=

File:Batmanbatmite.JPG

Bat-Mite appears in The New Adventures of Batman, voiced by Lou Scheimer.{{cite news |last=Collura |first=Scott |last2=Fickett |first2=Travis |last3=Goldman |first3=Eric |last4=Zoromski |first4=Brian |title=A History of Batman on TV |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/891/891807p5.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327081925/http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/891/891807p5.html |archive-date=March 27, 2012 |access-date=August 16, 2010 |work=IGN}}{{cite news |last=Cornelius |first=David |date=July 5, 2007 |title=The New Adventures of Batman |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/28992/new-adventures-of-batman-the/ |access-date=August 16, 2010 |work=DVD Talk}}
An animatronic of Bat-Mite appears in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Deep Freeze", voiced by Pat Fraley.{{cite web |title=Bat-Mite Voices (Batman) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Batman/Bat-Mite/ |access-date=May 11, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
Bat-Mite appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Paul Reubens.
Bat-Mite appears in Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered, voiced again by Paul Reubens.
A stuffed Bat-Mite toy appears in DC Super Hero Girls.

=Video games=

Bat-Mite appears as an assist character in the Wii version of Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Videogame. Additionally, he can be summoned and controlled using a running copy of the game's Nintendo DS counterpart.{{Cite web |last=Mcelroy |first=Griffin |date=August 14, 2010 |title=Batman: Brave and the Bold features Wii/DS connectivity |url=https://www.engadget.com/2010-08-14-batman-brave-and-the-bold-features-wii-ds-connectivity.html |access-date=April 3, 2021 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}
Bat-Mite appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |date=October 4, 2013 |title=DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |access-date=May 11, 2024 |website=IGN}}
Bat-Mite appears as a playable character and game navigator in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Roger Craig Smith.{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |title=Characters - LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/lego-batman-3-beyond-gotham/Characters |access-date=May 11, 2024 |website=IGN}}

Reception

In Handbook of Comics and Graphic Narratives, Matt Yockey writes, "Bat-Mite pointedly represents the intersection of utopia and trauma in the superhero genre and he signals that the mastery over trauma is an essential step toward realizing a utopian ideal. His home in the 'fifth dimension' and his magical powers locate Bat-Mite in the utopian realm, yet he turns to Batman as his ideal, suggesting that contact with trauma is in fact indispensable to the expression of a utopian desire."{{cite book |last1=Yockey |first1=Matt |title=Handbook of Comics and Graphic Narratives |date=2021 |publisher=De Gruyter |isbn=9783110446968 |page=326 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=epc9EAAAQBAJ&dq=%22bat-mite%22&pg=PA326 |access-date=15 January 2024 |chapter=The Golden Age: Batman}}