Given that Batman was first published 75 years ago this May, and stuff like Bat-Mite exists, it's probably a safe bet there have been stories featuring Bruce Wayne retiring. Or in a retirement home. Possibly in drag (Bat-Granny!).But aren't there several batman stories that have Bruce Wayne going into retirement?
As for the Nolan films, yes, some longtime fans didn't like them. Given the success of the series, I'm pretty sure many more did. That's just... math.
I think the real phenomenon here is how nerd audiences often like to express their affection for a given work through feelings of ownership, authority, and exclusion. "The definitive version is the one I like best", "I know the character/setting better than the writers", "I'm a real fan", etc.
This is part of the reason why nerd criticism is sometimes indistinguishable from fan-fiction.
Personally, I found Batman Begins to be competent, but largely forgettable (though I liked Cillian Murphy). The Dark Knight was mostly excellent, a one-note film (existential urban dread) that hit it's note perfectly. And the The Dark Knight Rises was something a mess, but also the most comic book-y of the three. I kinda the loved how operatic is was; the exaggerated length of Batman's sidelining, Bane's hijacking of Gotham City, Bats being cast down into the Pit of Metaphor. Of course, the happy ending was totally un-operatic.
I'll echo the sentiment that Nolan's films gave as a good Batman for their time. But I'm glad he's done.
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