Batman And His Background

July 26th, 2009 by Andrew Tyalor, under Movies. No Comments

Batman is possibly one of the most successful comic book characters ever created. He is also possibly one of the darkest.

The origins of Batman are shadowy and unsettling. As a child, Bruce Wayne (Batman’s alter-ego) watched as his parents were murdered. After this terrible experience, Wayne made a conscious decision that he would avenge their deaths by fighting back against crime. After creating the guise of ‘The Bat Man’ he begins his new life of adventure, danger and double identity.

Even in his personal life, there is a degree of brooding and darkness and if he were depicted today, the analysts would have plenty to work with.

These aspects have become more apparent in recent years. The ongoing string of Batman films that began in 1989 have concentrated on the darker facets of his character. In fact they have gradually become ever more sombre. If we think back to the Batman television series of the sixties then the differences are enormous. The Batman of then was light-hearted and funny. Yes, the Batman of today still contains humor but now it leans more toward the dark and the cynical.

The whole concept of Batman is full of shadows. Gotham City (fittingly similar in name to ‘Gothic City’) is a place that is full of darkly styled buildings and myriads of unlit streets. Several of Batman’s foes have a distinctively dark feel about them and The Joker (probably his most famous enemy) is so dark and ominous that he is downright scary. This was most apparent in the latest movie release, ‘The Dark Knight’ where he was played in such a frightening and realistic a way by the late Heath Ledger that there was even talk about whether or not the film was suitable viewing for children.

If Batman were real how would he fit into today’s culture? He would be a loner and most probably an outcast. Interacting with others would prove difficult. Opening up about his inner turmoil surely wouldn’t be easy .

Therefore we have a depressed, Prozac-popping social outcast with an introverted personality. And what of his crime fighting side? With his personal problems would it not be easy to imagine him having vigilante and anti-social tendencies? He could even, ironically, become a criminal.

And so, after thinking it through we have a very different Batman from the one who is so widely known and loved. We are left with a disturbed and depressed individual who is drug dependent and unable to communicate with anyone. He could quite possibly be a dangerous repeat offender with his own ideas of right and wrong (maybe even having sociopathic tendencies). And, to top it all, because of his antisocial thoughts and behaviour he may have been awarded with an ASBO.