The Black Capes are Coming

Article by: Joey Barrios

The first time I saw the Batman with my own eyes was when I was watching my first episode of 1996’s Batman the Animated Series..  This episode, “The Laughing Fish”, involved the Joker releasing a toxin in Gotham City Harbor that only affected fish resulting in ...  [Jokers’s plan was that since all the fish in Gotham harbor now bear an uncanny likeness, he is entitled to royalties].   explaining the premise of the first iteration I’ve seen of Batman.  This episode ends with a shark seemingly devouring the Joker.  Jim Gordon, commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, asks Batman if he believes the Joker is gone for good.  Batman looks out to the sea, and bluntly responds that as much as he wishes it were true, he doubts it deep inside.

Looking back on that episode, it was such a ridiculous set up, but it made me reflect on how the world of Batman has played a part in my imagination as a child.  That was the start of the dynamic relationship that Batman and Joker would share for me, as two forces in a never ending war.  Batman has always been my favorite as a kid— he has grown up with me all these years.  As Batman gone through trials and errors he has demonstrated that through hard work and determination, dreams and goals can be accomplished.  Taking this simple advice to heart I have been endeavoring in my academic learning, illustration skills, and broadening my horizons during my youth to my adolescence.  I loved him in the Animated Series, where his world is occupied by compelling characters such as Robin, Joker, Alfred, Batgirl, and Jim Gordon.  A few years later, I loved the gothic and theatrical atmosphere of Tim Burton’s The Batman Returns.  As I grew up, I enjoyed the light hearted series, Justice League, and the gritty but edgy world of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.  Then the dark yet magnificent world of the Batman was brought to life in Rocksteady’s Arkham videogame series.  The animated series was really the first iteration of Batman that I have witnessed and I highly praise the show based on its animation quality, thought-out stories, and influences on the Batman mythos.  It was not until when Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008) was released that my adoration for Batman was cemented, watching that film captivated me by utilizing what is to love about the Batman mythos and adapting it to the big screen.  Only recently have I gotten into comics, and reading Frank Miller’s early work on the caped crusader was the epitome of Batman’s lore.  Writers such as Scott Snyder and Grant Morrison have made conclusive iterations of Bruce Wayne and have never been more appealing.  The point is, as I grew up, Batman has always been there for me to fall back on, a story that spoke to me, and one that makes me want to illustrate his world.  It’s still happening to this day with the recent films, video games, and comics.  I hold a lot of value in Batman because he’s a character with ideals and morals I hold close, a resourceful archetype that fans love, and when he is written well it makes for amazing literature.

            Batman has been my favorite character in fiction since I first discovered the character.  He is a character that simply inspires us to be the very best we can, given our human limitations.  Scott Snyder, current writer of the solo-titled Batman comic book series says,

“He represents the hero in all of us – the hero we can all be, if we commit ourselves to a cause we believe in.  He has no superpowers; he’s just a man – a man on an unshakable mission to do what he thinks is right, despite the odds, despite the punishment, the sacrifices, the pain… And yet through sheer act of will, through his own dedication to justice – he has transformed himself into the most formidable hero of all time” (Wallace).

 Snyder illustrates why so many fans look up to the Dark Knight.  Bruce is a character with an undying sense of willpower  to construct himself as the solution to every problem with a plan for every scenario (which can be regarded as a superpower on its own merit).   He’s always prepared and keeps his guard up, always several steps ahead of others.  Bruce is an average guy besides the amount of wealth he has, extensive physical combat training, and knowledge in detective work, an average guy nonetheless.  Yet, he wages a war on the crime world that has lasted for almost his entire career and has fought alongside with DC’s most powerful characters against invasions, calamity, and gods.  For example, during Final Crisis (a DC universal event) Darkseid the evil god finally acquires the anti-life equation that allows him to take control of all sentient beings.  Escaping from confinement, Batman fires a radiation bullet mortally wounding Darkseid before the dark god seemingly kills off the Batman with his omega beams.  

            He also has demonstrated that family is not restricted only to blood but to the bonds you share with others.  Bruce is accompanied by people who care for him unconditionally and loves all those he takes under his wing like a son or daughter  Bruce’s long standing butler; Alfred Pennyworth has been with Bruce through the thin and thick of it all.  Alfred has supported Bruce on his endeavor of a campaign despite the hardships Bruce has to face and many times has cured his illnesses and mended his broken body back to fighting shape. We all are simply human, but when we put all that behind us, when you strip all that down, we strive to be better. It’s what makes  Batman an enduring character.  That simple trait of what it means to be human – that inner voice that tells us to never give in, to never stop trying no matter what given the impossible odds, to do what it is we think is right – is what makes us a force to reckon with.  Batman is respected and feared in the superhero community by being the best of the best when it comes to humans, which elevates him to an almost god-like status.  Bruce lives in a world where the impossible is possible so when the superheroes of the DC universe have exhausted all other options they turn to the world’s greatest detective.

            Secondly, another reason why fans adore Batman is because they understand his archetype.  A typical mythos contains a limited set of models or ideal characters called “archetypes” that are told by storytellers throughout various settings and situations.  This limited set of ideal characters which are known as a “pantheon”,  is the staple for which new characters are based off of.  The concept of the pantheon has been around as long as humans have told stories to describe the forces around us, much like Greek mythology.  That doesn’t mean Batman is society’s god or that he holds any religious significance.  For some of us, he seems like a god, so we invest our hopes and fears into the character, and we ask a lot out of Batman.

Not just anyone can wear the cowl.  Timothy Callahan, a comic book reviewer has said, “The Dark Knight detective aspect is something that comes out of Batman’s roots; he’s more like the god of problem solving.  Batman is a ‘trickster’ hero, one that can certainly use brute force, but relies on his intelligence and wit to get him out of scrapes and save the day.  He plays the ‘god of retribution’ role because it implies the human need for justice in an unjust universe – and for hope in an otherwise hopeless place” (Comic Book Resources).  Humans fight in the madness that spawns darkness within us; we struggle to make our own light.  Heroes fight for justice, a sense of hope.  Bruce will never stop his crusade; he holds hope and confidence in his own decisions and actions.  He holds no faith in a savior up above because he himself has the power to change things.

            People could argue that there are better superheroes than Batman and are capable of greater abilities.  Take Superman for example, he has super-strength, the ability of flight, superhuman-endurance; speed, reflexes, invulnerability, breath, x-ray and heat vision, solar energy absorption.  Superman is everything Batman is not; an overpowered superhero.  Bruce is aware of his allies’ strengths and weaknesses so he always has a plan for every scenario if things take a turn for the worse.  Batman has admitted, “If Clark wanted to, he could use his superspeed and squish me into the cement.  But I know how he thinks.  Even more than the kryptonite, he’s got one big weakness.  Deep down, Clark’s essentially a good person… and deep down, I’m not” (Loeb).  Superman is practically a god amongst men, and Batman is just that, a mere mortal.  Superman’s archetype is a character that can solve any problem almost instantly, he does not have any problems but he manufactures his own.  While Batman deals with problems head on, Superman creates for himself to become human.  Batman’s preparations and contingency plans can only work to an extent when the tremendous odds are against him.  He is only human, and humans experience fatigue, pain, trauma, and finally death.  However, this reason is why Batman is the most favored comic book character over all others. Explaining why batman is adored because he’s relatable as opposed to superman.  superman is a god whereas batman is mortal like all of us.  it’s in that relatable weakness that people can find purpose and a drive to push them, superman has no limits in the first place. Superman is the dream that people aspire to be, the righteous boy-scout that uses his powers only for good.  Superman above all things is lawful, kind, courteous, helpful, friendly, brave, a true believer.  He will verbally question Batman's methods of apprehending criminals, Superman is just that square.  Although when superman will put himself at risk to save innocents his boy-scout actions are commendable.  Batman represents the reality of the best and worst that people can become a monument to all of their sins, a real formidable product of commitment and determination.  In the future, Batman’s archetype will be a staple in the comic book mythos new characters will be modeled after.

            Moreover, Batman is only as great as a writer can make him out to be.  Given an incredible writer, Batman’s stories read like epic literature, rather than a typical comic book story.  Joey Esposito, an article writer for IGN explains,

“The sentiment boils down to that he’s just a man – the optimum man as Grant Morrison has pointed out again and again in his epic six-year run with the character – with the resources to do what’s necessary to dish out justice.  He doesn’t have superpowers simply the motivation to construct himself as the solution to every problem with a plan for every scenario, no matter how dire”. 

This is the idea for Morrison’s run starts with the DC event Final Crisis up until Batman Incorporated when after being stranded in the past Bruce is back in the present day and franchises a global team of heroes that will answer to Batman. The vision that Morrison holds is what is central to our love for the dark knight.  He subjects Batman in the supernatural which is most suited for him.  Morrison’s best work, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, depicts the idea of Bruce Wayne’s sanity, showing the fine line between him and the villains he has put away.  For example, Ra’s al Ghul strives to purge the world of its corruption which places him in conflict with Batman many times.  Ra’s believes to have the purest intentions to save the Earth but only a madman would think genocide is at one’s own best interest.   The theme of contrast between Batman and his rogues is often explored throughout much iteration.  This is one of the complex reasons why Batman is so interesting.  Batman is able to unlock his fullest potential and has done his best feats and accomplishments under Morrison’s guide.  Batman has the best lines and is smarter and tougher than he usually is; he has all the epicenes of Frank Miller’s Batman but none of the mental problems.  For a while, the definite stories of Batman were Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, where Batman is much older and battle-worn; and Batman: Year One explains the dark knight’s origins.  Now, Scott Snyder’s current run on the Batman mythos is the most definitive take on the character.

            Currently, Batman is written by Scott Snyder with a five-year run under his belt.  Snyder’s approach to Batman takes a mythological and almost poetic perspective to where it is hauntingly true.  When he writes, he capitalizes and reinforces the aspects of Batman and his world.  Gotham City itself is written like a living breathing thing that challenges Batman, always giving him something worse like a tragedy.  He can choose to escape and live another way but instead he chooses to die like everyone else.  That is his flaw but also his greatest strength, and the very thing that makes him immortal.  He says that we all are in this together, to live bravely in the time there is and stare into the abyss without it staring into you.  This is the most important reason why Batman has been relevant throughout his 75 years of history.

             Batman had a legacy to follow since Superman started the golden age of superheroes.  Despite Superman being one the most recognizable symbols behind the crucifix, Batman is the most popular in the superhero community.  Beyond the realm of comics, he makes for the most appealing fictional character in multi-media franchises and literature.  Recently, comic fans have celebrated the Dark Knight’s 75^th birthday and will continue to appraise his presence.  His impact on many people will stand the test of time, continuing to influence for generations of comic book readers to follow.  It has never been a perfect time to be a Batman fan.