Batman: All 10 Bat-Signals ranked from worst to best

9. Batman and Robin (1949)

The 1943 Batman serial was so successful that it got a sequel serial six years later. In 1949, Batman and Robin hit movie theaters, bringing the Dynamic Duo back for another 15-part adventure (albeit with new actors in all of the roles).

The first traditional Bat-Signal appeared in this one but it still wasn’t quite the larger-than-life spotlight we’d come to know. A small television-like device that sat near the window in Commissioner Gordon’s office, this version of the signal could be switched on like a TV and wheeled towards the window so that it would create the iconic bat symbol in the sky,

The special effects at the time were quite limited, so all we saw was the Batman insignia show up against the sky. There wasn’t any spotlight or white/yellow oval around it, nor did it create the long glow from where it originated from. Nevertheless, it did what it needed to do and alerted the Caped Crusaders that they were needed.

The Bat-Signal’s legendary history on the screen started here, and even with their limitations, we’re thankful to both serials for paving the way for the stories (and Signals) that came next.