Batman got an unexpected birthday gift as he turned 80 years old Saturday at WonderCon in Anaheim, with the character being announced as the inaugural inductee to the Comic-Con Museum's Character Hall of Fame later this year.


Appearing on the “Happy Birthday, Batman!” panel at the convention alongside David Mazouz (Gotham), Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited), Lee Meriwether (The 1966 Batman television series), Roger Craig Smith (Batman: Arkham Origins), and Grace Randolph (Beyond the Trailer), DC publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee broke the news that Bruce Wayne’s alter ego would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a special ceremony at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.


The ceremony will take place at the Federal Building in San Diego’s Balboa Park, the future site of the Comic-Con Museum, on July 17, the opening night of this year’s Comic-Con. The ceremony will be accompanied by an exhibit of Batman-themed memorabilia and related props, and will feature appearances by celebrities and creators whose careers have interacted with the Dark Knight across the years. Tickets for the event will be made available June 3.


Batman first appeared in Detective Comics No. 27, published March 30, 1939, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. In celebration of his birthday, panelists enjoyed a special Batman-themed cake from digital lifestyle learning platform Bluprint, designed and created by Ashley Holt.