We’ve come a long way since the Batman TV series of my youth: nowadays, children are as likely to know the caped crusader from modern cartoons or even from Lego games.

Batman’s latest reinvention comes in a children’s app: Batman Unlimited: Gotham City’s Most Wanted. Billed as a “storybook adventure app”, it’s the work of developer StoryToys, which teamed up with batbosses DC Entertainment and Warner Bros Consumer Products.

The app is out today for iPhone and iPad, with an Android version to follow soon. It tells the story of a mysterious series of crimes that seem to be committed by Batman’s chief helpers: Nightwing, Batgirl and Red Robin. Unsurprisingly, there’s a villain at work instead.

Most of the story is told through comic strip-style scenes with Batman and his fellow characters. Children tap to load each page, then can read a few lines of plot or dialogue, which are also read out by the suitably-Gothamesque voice narrator.

Every so often, though, there’s an interactive scene where children can tilt and tap the device: from flying through Gotham City dodging fireballs or driving the Batmobile to hacking into a computer to find a secret hideout.

The interactive elements are never complicated or stressful, so even the youngest Batman fans should have fun with them. The story unlocks across 10 chapters, from the initial puzzling crimes through to the final “punchline” (which I won’t spoil for you).

The visuals are faithful to the animated world of its hero, and children can choose to turn off the voice narration if they’d prefer to read the story themselves. You can also turn on word-highlighting for younger children.

There’s also a choice of four languages: English, German, Spanish or French, so children learning one of those as a foreign language could use the app for some extra practice.

Batman Unlimited: Gotham City’s Most Wanted costs £2.99 ($3.99 in the US) for iPhone and iPad.