Bat-Signal
| Bat-Signal | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #60 (February 1942) |
| In story information | |
| Type | Signal |
| Element of stories featuring | Batman |
The Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, as a means to summon the superhero Batman. It is a specially modified searchlight with a stylized emblem of a bat affixed to the light, allowing it to project a large bat symbol onto cloudy night skies over Gotham City.
The signal is used by the Gotham City Police Department as a method of contacting and summoning Batman in the event his help is needed, but also as a weapon of psychological intimidation to the numerous criminals of Gotham City. A civilian organization employs a liaison to the Gotham Police Department to activate the Bat-Signal, owing to a legal precedent in which the police department would have to take responsibility for Batman's investigative tactics, should he be operating as their agent.
The signal doubles as the primary logo for the Batman series of comic books, TV shows, and films. To celebrate Batman's 80th anniversary, DC Comics and Warner Bros. lit a Bat-Signal in thirteen cities on September 21, 2019, starting in Melbourne and ending in Los Angeles.