Batman is, in my mind, the best hero ever created. Now the Batman that really sold me on this was the Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams Batman. There version really brought the character to my attention and since then I have tried to examine why he is the greatest hero ever. Also since I recently heard Didio state that Batman is Bruce Wayne forever and I think he is wrong and keeping Bruce as Batman is one thing that needs to change.
I digressed for a moment, but then I do that way too often.
Batman is the best hero because first and foremost he is human. Theoretically if I had the motivation (and had the wealth) I could have dedicated my life to training and become the Batman. Strip away the money and you still have a brilliant detective and one of the best hand to hand fighters in the world. Since he is human I believe that ultimately he needs to age and then pass on his legacy.
Next up is his altruism. Bruce witnessed the death of his parents and took that as a motivation to never let what he lost happen to anyone else ever again. Some writers have made him psychotic because of this, but I see it as a magnificent obsession. Yes, he is obsessed, but in a good way and he is desperately trying to make his part of the world a better place. Bruce Wayne as the philanthropist and Batman as the crime fighter.
Third family is important. While the portrayal of Batman over the years have presented somewhat different views on this I have always seen Batman as someone who values Dick, Jason, Tim, Barbara, Jim, Alfred and others as family and always did what he could to protect them. Dick is his son for all intents and purposes and should be the one to take up the mantle of the Bat. Jason is the son who didn't work out, often despite our best efforts we cannot change someone to be better then they are. Tim is the youngest son and seems to me he would ultimately grow into a role of a leader and perhaps teacher of younger heroes. Tim also would be more of the master strategist.
Fourth, Batman does the right thing. In the Tower of Babel storyline where Batman had contingency plans to take down the JLA, I think he is right. If these heroes are ever compromised, not having a contingency plan to deal with them is foolish. Also he would never tell them about the plan as it would hurt any chance of it succeeding.
Also Batman does not kill. Now while I have almost screamed out loud for him to kill the Joker and I disagree with an absolute rule regarding anything, Batman does not kill and he sticks with his chosen moral. It shows integrity. I personally would like to see a scenario that Batman is forced to kill an evil person to save others and then have him deal with the repercussions, but Batman has always found a way to save the day without killing and that is a really cool thing. Batman remains true to his own internal code of ethics.
There are other reasons, but the above is the heart of the matter and no other hero matches Batman.
To me, Batman is one of the most interesting characters in fiction. I never liked the argument that if you dedicated yourself hard enough you could be like the Bat. It's just not true. Batman might not have any superpowers, but the things he does are beyond human. In the real world, you would not be able to leap from rooftop to rooftop nor would you be able to grapple your way up the face of buildings without dragging yourself up the side suffering much damage. No, the Batman is allowed to get away with unreal feats of strength and defy the laws of physics cuz he's a comic book character. What fascinates me about him is the fact that he has everything that most people dream of having: money, fame, power, good looks, charm, intelligence, charisma. He's got it all and yet he's the most miserable SOB on the face of the planet. Why? Because he lost out on the love of his parents throughout his childhood. That was stolen from him at age eight. Nothing can make up for that loss of family and the love that comes with it. Who knows what the future might have held. A little brother or sister maybe? Perhaps a whole clan of Waynes? So Batman reinforces what I always believed--Family is the most important thing in life. Period. Nothing else really matters. Notice how Batman, a supposed loner, is always having a family thrust upon him. He treats them horribly at times, but they're always there for him in his times of need. That's what family is all about. I also really love the idea that Bruce Wayne died at age 8, the day his parents were murdered in front of him. That was the day Batman was born and from that point on Batman was the real person, Bruce Wayne merely a mask. Gotta love it!
ReplyDeleteTrue Batman does defy the law of physics, but within the context of what he is portrayed us, we could have been Batman or at least he seemed acheivable in ways that Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Superman and most other comic characters did not.
ReplyDeleteI still have a desire to be in some type of chemical, radiation or electrical accident and wake up with powers.
But I also think Batman has the most layers of many heroes and exploring those elements is what keeps Batman interesting.
Still after 60 plus years of exploring that I would be more interested in seeing Bruce as the master planner with DIck or Tim being the Bat.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteExcellent points! I haven't read many comics, but of what I have read (and the cartoons I've watched) Batman has always been my favorite, for reasons much like your own.
Next up is his altruism. Bruce witnessed the death of his parents and took that as a motivation to never let what he lost happen to anyone else ever again.
That right there is why I did not like what I saw of the movie Batman Begins. They made it seem as if his motivation was anger and vengeance, which just didn't ring true to me.
Family? I think that point is not charming or fascinating. The Batman should be a loner. If we take for good - I do - the interpretation of the bat as a new persona born from the ashes of the eight years old Bruce Wayne I think that this dark persona, dedicated to do things that common people can't do, should be characterized with the loss of almost everything normal people think is good and pleasant. So things like family, friends, a woman to love, should be for the bat meaningless, not because he has something againist, just because he is not a normal person and he leave a very weird existence.
ReplyDeleteThat point could create the start for very interesting stories - in fact some of the best Batman comics, like Arkham or DKR deal with this matters - able to show us the icon of a great hero, who is even of a person who desperatly long for love, but is forced to follow a path of solitude by his own counsciousness of how the world is unfair and cruel and by his need to fight this cruelty.
For doing this Bruce is pushed to the limit, both phisically and mentally, so he has to put himself in a condition of everlasting training and control to stand againist his irrational violent side - which belives only in fear - using his rational side, which belives in freedom and - it's strange but I think so - the capacity of man to be good. In this way he creates his moral code wich is devoted to, because things have a meaning only this way.
For a man so driven but even so pure, a living contraddiction, is impossible to create "sane" relationship, so family is always a painful absence, because even if he has butler - father, and adopted sons, he always feel himself a parentless kid - so he can't be an husband or a father. He at his own best could be a good adopted son himself, a friend just for other like him, or an ally to be thrust.
This kind of representation of the Batman made me love this character.
For me he wil be always and only Bruce, and loner he is, better he is.
Family? I think that point is not charming or fascinating. The Batman should be a loner. If we take for good - I do - the interpretation of the bat as a new persona born from the ashes of the eight years old Bruce Wayne I think that this dark persona, dedicated to do things that common people can't do, should be characterized with the loss of almost everything normal people think is good and pleasant. So things like family, friends, a woman to love, should be for the bat meaningless, not because he has something againist, just because he is not a normal person and he leave a very weird existence.
ReplyDeleteThat point could create the start for very interesting stories - in fact some of the best Batman comics, like Arkham or DKR deal with this matters - able to show us the icon of a great hero, who is even of a person who desperatly long for love, but is forced to follow a path of solitude by his own counsciousness of how the world is unfair and cruel and by his need to fight this cruelty.
For doing this Bruce is pushed to the limit, both phisically and mentally, so he has to put himself in a condition of everlasting training and control to stand againist his irrational violent side - which belives only in fear - using his rational side, which belives in freedom and - it's strange but I think so - the capacity of man to be good. In this way he creates his moral code wich is devoted to, because things have a meaning only this way.
For a man so driven but even so pure, a living contraddiction, is impossible to create "sane" relationship, so family is always a painful absence, because even if he has butler - father, and adopted sons, he always feel himself a parentless kid - so he can't be an husband or a father. He at his own best could be a good adopted son himself, a friend just for other like him, or an ally to be thrust.
This kind of representation of the Batman made me love this character.
For me he wil be always and only Bruce, and loner he is, better he is.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYou rule.
Batman is a loner. He is the man.
Cheers to one and all.