Batman may be forever, but he's also old enough now to be a great-grandfather… or Tina Turner. And while Turner won't hit 75 until this fall, Batman marks his diamond anniversary on Sunday.

It was on March 30, 1939, that "Detective Comics" No. 27 went on sale, and the pointy-eared Caped Crusader, the creation of Bob Kane and Bill Finger, swooped into action for the first time.

Here's a look back at the crimefighter's milestone birthdays on the road to 75, from his wonder years to his preeminence as Ben Affleck blockbuster fodder:

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1940: Batman turns 1, and gets gifted with his own title, costarring his new sidekick, Robin. The first issue of the Batman monthly has been noted as one of the "10 most valuable comic books in the world," with the issue, originally sold for 10 cents, valued at nearly $400,000. Among its key selling points: It features the first appearances of Batman foes the Joker and Catwoman (then known as The Cat).

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1952: Batman is a teenager, and he's now fully caught up to his comic-book big brother, Superman (born 1938). "Superman" No. 76, released in this year, features the first formal team-up of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. (The pair had been fronting World's Best Comics, later to become better known as World's Finest Comics, since 1941, but did not previously fight crime together.)

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