Hey guys. Going through a rough patch right now, so I need to make this post to calm me down. Today’s topic: The Batman! “Batman Day” was recently, anyway. And I did some DC stuff early on in the blog, so this is a nice way to return to that.
Do I need to talk about his origin story? Because with how many times it’s been retold, everyone should know the drill by now. I mean; I guess their are some variants of the story, but they all hit the same points: boy goes to movies with parents. Family walks down an ally. Mugger comes. Parents shot. Boy vows revenge. Boy becomes Batman. DONE! Some times it’s a complete stranger, sometimes a hit man, sometimes the Joker, sometimes a man named “Joe Chilled.” But end results the same.
Batman made his first appearance in “Detective Comics issue #27” in May of 1939. It was around this time that Superman(his counterpart we’ll talk about later) was blowing up. So the then “National Comic Publication(the foundation of DC comics)” asked for more heroes to be invented. So the legendary Bob Kane created a hero by the name of “Batman.” He collaborated with Bill Finger, who recounted that “Kane had an idea for a character called ‘Batman,’ and he’d like me to see the drawings. I went over to Kane’s, and he had drawn a character who looked very much like Superman with kind of … reddish tights, I believe, with boots … no gloves, no gauntlets … with a small domino mask, swinging on a rope. He had two stiff wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign … BATMAN(information found here).” Fun fact: the cape was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s ornithopter sketch.
But the part about a “domino mask…….” Where’d THAT come from?! Fortunately; Finger changed it to a cowl. As for the origins of the name “Bruce Wayne;” “Bruce” came from Robert Bruce, a Scottish Patriot. And Wayne come from “Mad” Anthony Wayne. Finger thought it would suggest “colonialism.”
Now that we got the publication and origin story out of the way; let me talk about what I love about him. Starting with my favorite part: the VILLAINS! So many unforgettable ones such as Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, Black Mask, Clayface, Manbat, Ra’s Al Ghul, the Court of Owls, Killer Croc, Bane, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and of course……The Joker! They’re also interesting that I can’t really pic a favorite! I like how smart the Riddler is, how crazy Joker can get, how blood thirsty Killer Croc can be, and more! I think what I like most about Batman’s rogues gallery is that they’re all just crazy! Even Batman himself! And the fact that they all recognize how insane they are just makes the interactions between them funnier.
WORST DESCRIPTION OF BATMAN IN 3…..2……1: A rich kid who saw his parents shot to death dresses up as a giant bat with ninja weapons and goes out beating up criminals. His biggest enemies: a clown, a flightless bird, a nerd, a farmer, a crazy cat lady, a circus freak, a bodybuilder on steroids, and an activist. Bruce Wayne, at the end of the day, is just someone with PTSD and has resources to get him the help he needs, but uses it instead to be a vigilante that breaks peoples bones and knock their teeth out. YEAH…………
And the fact that all of them became the way they are due to past experiences makes Joker the one that tells the truth: “It only takes 1 bad day.” Bruce had his parents shot in front of him and……here we are! Pamela Isley had a lab accident gone wrong and now she talks to plants. Bane was RAISED in prison. Killer Croc was born a mutant and tried to eat a kid. They all just had really bad experiences that turned them into decent functioning members of society to………what they are now.
And some writers even make it a point of questioning: “Did the bat bring out the villains, or did the villains bring out the bat?” It’s a “chicken or the egg” situation; is the Batman the product of villains, or the cause? I like that. Because the MCU also tried to answer this question in Captain America: Civil War. Visions statement in that movie made me question heroes in general:
In all actuality; it’s a never ending cycle. Batman wouldn’t have come to life had the shooter not killed his parents. But Batman’s strength invited more and more dangerous individuals to challenge him. And some people get caught in the catastrophe that is the big battle. Which ended up in the Robin’s and the Batgirl’s and the Batwomen. And so on and so forth. It goes back to what we talked about in one of the My Hero Academia reviews: “For all the good you do; something bad will always happen. And you can’t stop it.” I like the psychological aspects of the Batman mythos.
I also like how he and Superman compare and contrast each other. Look at Superman in the same way he’s been portrayed in recent movies and even some comics: A “god like” being. One of the most powerful beings in the Universe. He was quite literally made to overcome any and all challenges he came up against. And then you have Batman; just a man. But one with resources. Superman has none; he had to work for what he has, but was gifted with natural talent(his powers). Batman had an ample supply of money, but he had to train and work hard for years to get to where he is. They both had things come naturally(be it powers or riches), but had to work hard to get certain things(skills to fight crime, and a building a life).
How they are different is in how they took their experiences: they both had parents die. Superman is still able to smile, knowing that. Batman does not. In that way, they balance each other out. Superman knows he can’t change what happened, and just tries to move forward. Thus “The Man of Tomorrow.” Batman is stuck dwelling in the past. And let’s not forget how often they fight. It seems like it happens at the first possible convenience. Superman wins some; Batman wins others. It always come down to Batman’s prep time. And he’s been preparing since Superman first debuted. So he’s always ready to throw hands. It’s kind of meta because of what they represent.
Superman’s message is about their being “no limit” to what one can do. Batman is just that; a “man.” He, unlike Superman, has a limit. Which makes him more relatable than the big blue boy scout. He can’t do anything he puts his mind to. If he could; wouldn’t crime be completely gone by now? Batman knows his own mortality, but he still fights. But not because he knows the world will be safe, but because it’s better than giving up. FINALLY; someone GETS that not everything in the world is possible through hard work. But it’s not like giving up is any better! It’s what I don’t like about stories these day; they’re all about “trying and never giving up and eventually achieving.” That’s unrealistic. Even for an anime. What the message should be is “keep trying and don’t give up. You may not succeed EVER, but at least you tried.” That’s something else I like about Batman.
I really like the various members of the Bat Family. Particularly Jason Todd. But that’s more due to the amazing Batman: Under The Red Hood animated feature.
I really liked Jason Todd’s origin in the comics the most. Yes; he may have been a carbon copy of Dick Grayson, but he ended up becoming SO MUCH MORE. I liked that he was naturally atuned to acrobatics and fighting. It may not have been relatable, but it was fun to see. And his origin; being capable of stripping the Batmobile of its wheels and not make a sound?! Not only that; but he was a street rat with connections to Penguin(one of his henchmen was Jason’s biological father). It is also revealed that Joker had planned for Jason to become Robin so he could kill him later. Great big middle finger to you, Bats!!
Dick Grayson holds a special place in my heart because he was the very first Robin I saw in the 2000s Teen Titans cartoon on Cartoon Network. Which is where my love of DC(and really; my exposure to these characters in general) began. I knew Batman’s sidekick was Robin because of the Batman: The Animated Series show. And I watched both shows, seeing the differences between the Robins. Plus……..Nightwing. You also have Tim Drake…….meh. I DID adore what they did with him in Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker. You know what I mean. If you don’t; leave. Watch the movie. Come back. Tell me how much you loved it.
The twist with that movie(as well as just the animated series as a whole) is where I think a lot of people began to love the Joker. Either that or the Chris Nolan movies.
I also enjoyed The Batman cartoon on Kids WB back in the day. I know; weird reference. But If not for Kids WB; I would never have seen One Piece. I’ll explain later after that happens, but just know that this is where I got my start with a lot of shows. I’m actually in the middle of rewatching said series. I like that series. A little more child friendly compared to the animated series, but it was good in its own way. Batman was a brooding mess all the time; he stepped into the light just a bit. But he’s still standoff-ish when it comes to relationships. Joker, Penguin, and Clayface got new renditions. I particularly like how Clayface’s origin was built throughout a whole season rather than just one episode. Penguin’s connection to Alfred was very interesting; Alfred’s grandfather served the Cobblepot’s back in the day. And it was as awful as one could imagine.
One storyline I always love to see is when Penguin outsmarts Catwoman when she thinks she’s manipulating him. It’s always fun to see him get the upper hand when she thinks her seduction works.
God; what else can I talk about? Uh………….PSH! I guess that’s all! If I were to go full on; we’d be here the rest of our lives. You get the point; I love Batman. He’s great, his villains are great, his mythos is amazing, and every animated series that involves him is amazing. Thank you for letting me share that love. I really appreciate all of your support. Have a magical day, everyone!
Sun God Zero 