No matter which way you cut it,
Batman means blockbuster. The theatrical phenomenon began in 1989 with
Tim Burton's
Batman, which grossed $251 million and spawned three sequels. Then, in 2005,
Christopher Nolan's
Batman Begins grossed $205 million and spawned two sequels,
The Dark Knight ($533 million) and
The Dark Knight Rises, which is at $413 million and climbing.
However, in 1989, the average price of an American movie ...