The Legacy of Batman
When the day sets and dusk arrives, the streets of Gotham city are engulfed by a crime-ridden aura. In dark alleys and shrouded corners crime lurks like a beast anticipating for its prey. A shimmering sliver of light escapes into the long alleyway from the keyhole of a locked door. Behind that door lies evil intent and malevolence serving as a breeding ground for injustice.
Unaware of this, the law is asleep. Or perhaps, put to sleep by the baron men who fear nothing but one. The one whose name makes the blood of criminals run cold, the one who's a thing of nightmares for the murderers, the vigilante who serves justice.
"He's vengeance, he's the night, he's Batman!"
Alright, so that was my inner fan-boy persona talking. Now, let's get down to business.
Even if you're not a hardcore Batman fan, this one question must've crossed your mind "Why is this Character so compelling to such a huge lot of people?" And No it's not because Batman has no superpowers. Or that he's only human and the most realistic superhero. That's a really clichéd and underdeveloped platitude which I've seen a lot of people using whenever they want to prove their point. So why is Batman such an enticing Character? And how did he become a symbol of Justice, an icon? A superhero whose impact is unprecedented not only in the comic book realm but in the entire pop culture landscape.
One of the most rudimentary aspects of any story is the conflict. Without a strong conflict, a story becomes somewhat banal. In the case of Batman, every arc and every scenario he gets in are the most conflicting stories in comic book history. Consider the Dark knight returns part where he literally fights the strongest superhero of all time, the man of steel himself. All odds are stacked against him yet he manages to fight and overpower godly beings who seem far than defeatable by any mortal being.
The reason why Batman's character is so riveting is because of the villains. Again, that conflict keeps us hooked and so invested in the story. Every enemy of Batman challenges one of his core attributes. For instance, Riddler challenges his intellect, Bane overpowers his strength, scarecrow tests his fear, and the most contrasting of them all being, Joker who ridicules Batman's very tenet of existence. Anarchy against Justice, Chaos against Order.
Flaws are more important in a character than strength. this may sound counterintuitive but that's the perfect recipe for the best storylines. We as humans tend to support the underdog and can't help but care for them even if we don't know them personally.
Batman is the ultimate underdog in the entire comic-book world if not the fictional realm. He has been tested more than any superhero. Even when he's dealing with a bunch of street thugs all the cards are stacked against him. After all, It only takes a single bullet to end a human life. So, every situation for Batman is a conundrum where he has to risk his life to get the answers. And every time he fearlessly chooses to sacrifice himself for the greater good no matter what. And that is the genuine trait of a true hero.
Batman Does NOT Kill
The origin of the Batman no-kill rule did not emerge as some symbolic statement. In fact, It was due to censorship issues with the publishers. The writers were forced to make changes when Batman first tried to kill using a machine gun. The editors claimed that it was against his vigilantism and gave a criminalistic message to the children.
Over the years, This rule has been abided by and violated in equal measures in different arcs and volumes. Perhaps, this rule was never meant to be. Perhaps, the writers never intended to explain it. But that restriction became his most significant characteristic over time.
So why does this add up so much to Batman's Character? maybe because it's a win over his trauma. The psychological trauma of a boy who witnessed his parents get murdered in cold blood. Him not killing criminals makes a lot of sense when one foresees the emotional and psychological pain it brings in hindsight. The pain that Bruce Wayne grew up with, the pain of an Orphan.
let's consider the infamous Martha scene from Batman V Superman. Consider that his character was written to abide by the no-kill rule. When Batman's about to put the spear through superman's chest, he's about to break his morale by making his first kill ever. But when he hears the word "Martha", the trauma comes swirling back at him like a sledgehammer. And it is at that moment he realizes that he was about to murder a man, a son. This would have worked so much better as an emotionally rich scene. This is exactly what HiTop Films has explained in his YouTube video.
The Hero in all of us
Now, I'm very much aware of the fact that some people might think why does it matter? Why care so much about a fictional character? All in all, comic books are for children and teenagers. Even if they do deal with mature themes or serious subject matter. At the end of the day, they are targetted for a certain age group. But as Aldous Huxley once said, "The trouble with fiction is that it makes too much sense, whereas reality never makes sense."
The tale of Bruce Wayne is One to be learned from. And you see, Bruce Wayne is Batman. And Batman's stories are the quintessential form of inspiration. Of turning your pain and suffering into something positive. To channel that angst that we all carry within ourselves to make a difference in this chaotic world of ours.
We've all experienced feelings of fear, depression, or angst at some point in our lives. It's the conspicuous truth of the human condition and we all are affected by such conditions. It is what we decide to do with these things that define us as individuals and who we'll become. Batman doesn't choose to run away from it. Instead, he molds and adapts himself every time that he falls flat on his face. Come what may. He brings people hope. Hope that we can fight, and overcome. But above all, hope that anybody can be a hero. Hope that anybody can be Batman.
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