While most superheroes are dressed in colorful costumes and depicted in bright settings, Batman has long been associated with darkness. It might come as a surprise, however, that this wasn't always the case. In fact, the idea to depict Batman as a dark character was a last-ditch effort to rejuvenate the franchise.​

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Batman, first appearing in Detective Comics #27 (released in 1939), was indeed introduced as a dark, mysterious character. However, as time progressed, the character shifted to be a much more mass-appealing, kids-friendly version of itself. While this was initially successful, by the late 1960s the comic was dying, in need of rejuvenation.​

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Slowly, Batman re-established its initial aesthetic, growing through the 1970s-1980s. It wasn't until 1992, however, that Batman truly revived what it once was, with the release of "Batman: The Animated Series". To truly capture the essence of Batman, illustrators Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski had to animate in a style never before seen. The result was Dark Deco, a re-imagined form of Art Deco. 

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The illustrating duo captured the maximalist element of Art Deco, featuring exaggerated and extravagant backdrops in their illustrations. More importantly, though, they re-shaped the style to make it notably darker, conveying Batman's spirit. One of the biggest factors in this transformation lay in backgrounds being painted on black paper (rather than white). The result was a dark, gloomy masterpiece. The series ended with four Emmy Awards, and is widely considered to be the revival of Batman, its aesthetic playing a key factor in such.

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The style isn't only limited to Batman, however, as numerous artists have had their own takes on it. Artists like François Schuiten, Robert Hoppe, and Lynd Ward have all created pieces that strongly resonate with the style seen in "Batman: The Animated Series". The pieces are characterized by dramatic, dark skylines with a sense of mystery/horror behind them.