Batman is perhaps one of the most complex superheroes we can encounter, it is a fact that, if we think of other characters like Spider-Man, we will realize that they share more than the condition of heroes and that they usually have a dark Past. A past that will lead them to become the characters we all know and that will make them “choose the path of good”.
In addition to the characteristic bat costume, one of the features of the Batman universe is the darkness that envelops both the character and the world itself. Gotham City, whose buildings are inspired by New York, is a dark and dreary place, where chaos and crime reign. A clear opposition to Metropolis, the city of Superman, which easily identifies with light, color?Interestingly, both cities are inspired by New York and Metropolis would represent the day, while Gotham would represent the night. By analogy, we can discover that Batman and Superman are very similar to their respective cities.
- Batman has been told his life in countless stories.
- Films (the best known are those of Tim Burton and.
- Most recently.
- Those of Christopher Nolan).
- Animated series.
- Etc.
- Batman is a character easily identifiable by the public as well as by the villains who play in their stories.
- Especially the Joker.
Batman’s origins date back to 1939, when Bob Kane and Bill Finger published what would be the beginning of an era under Label Detective Comics. Is this first Batman far from the present, evolutions, changes, new characters?The Batman brand is certainly very extensive, but we’re not going to address this in this article, but we’re going to try to unmask this dark superhero.
All the heroes of the comic book world have a turning point, a tragic past that will change their lives forever, that will mark them and lead them to choose the path of justice; in the case of Batman, it is the death of his parents. Bruce Wayne is Batman’s true identity. As a child, he grew up in Gotham with his parents, surrounded by luxury because he belonged to a wealthy family.
However, as the saying goes, “Money is not everything,” young Wayne’s life became problematic when, after leaving the theater with his parents, an assailant murdered them in front of little Wayne, who was 8 at the time. This led Batman to inherit the entire fortune and take over the butler Alfred Pennyworth, who would become his father figure. Pennyworth is a man of British descent, in an impeccable way who, in addition to maintaining Batman’s refuge, is a kind of spirituality. Counselor.
The death of his parents is the trigger for Bruce to decide to end evil, to fight injustice alone, so that such situations do not happen again. Maybe we should just call Batman a hero, because unlike traditional superheroes, not supernatural or superhuman abilities. Bruce Wayne is an extremely intelligent man who, to achieve his goal, decides to study at the best universities in the world, with the aim of creating strange weapons and devices to help him in his struggle; In addition, he trains in martial arts to achieve perfect physical condition.
Upon his return to Gotham, he builds what will be his character, his new identity: Batman. The most significant thing about this character is undoubtedly his signature bat attire, but why a bat?The answer may seem obvious when one piensa. de the darkness surrounding the city of Gotham: bats come out at night, are associated with evil and are feared by much of the population, however, Batman did not choose this animal solely because of the darkness it evokes, but is a way to become his own fear and deal with it.
Why be light to fight the darkness? Batman fights the evil of the shadows, from his cave, remaining anonymous: Wayne feared bats, just as he feared criminals, but becoming his own fear he came to?Power was lacking. There is nothing to fear, there is nothing to face, fear was the main obstacle that could be faced and, when it became his personification, he disappears, so Batman fights not only evil, but his own fears.
One of the most controversial points by psychology experts and critics has been the duality of this superhero’s personality, proving that perhaps the fictional character is Bruce Wayne and Batman as the real personality. To avoid suspicion, Bruce Wayne is shown as a wealthy carefree, womanizer, though he collaborates with charities. Meanwhile, Batman is more serious, darker and lonelier, that’s the character’s true personality. In this way, it shows a new contrast to the classic Superman, where the hero is nothing more than a disguise of the real personality.
The word hero comes from ancient Greek and is it a concept we know today through literature, mythology, cinema?The idea of the hero raises the existence of a man with characteristics close to the deity, characteristics that will lead him to fight evil and help him to obtain personal and other benefits. According to some philosophers like Plato, the hero is a species found in the midst of gods and men.
The idea of the hero has changed over time, in ancient times mythology was the one that drew its characteristics and, therefore, we have examples such as Achilles, immortality was sometimes linked to the hero and, therefore, was very close to the deity. tragedies, their characteristics were superior to man, but not to nature; and in the Middle Ages, we talked about war heroes playing epic songs and cavalry books, like Amadis de Gaula.
In the comic book world, we associate it with superhuman features close to the most classic design. One of the common points of heroes is to travel; through universal literature, we observe journeys in which the hero is created, wins battles, overcomes adversity and gains honor.
In the case of Batman, we see an atypical hero for the comic book world for his totally human characteristics, but we attend this journey, this creation of the hero and the acquisition of honor and symbols that identify him.
Behind a superhero there has to be a villain, a character of similar characteristics who tries to ruin his plans, the construction of the villain is usually similar to that of the hero, but he takes a new path, in the case of Batman it is worth mentioning that he believes his villains, even indirectly.
Just as Bruce Wayne decides to fight evil, there are characters who do not conform to Batman’s fight and become enemies. Throughout the comics, we met countless characters who decide to take on Batman. It should be noted that many are also women, such as Catwoman or Poison Ivy, although the best known is the Joker, whose relationship with Batman is deeper than it seems and is called into question in The Killing Joke, a work of great complexity worth knowing.
Batman is an easily identifiable but complex character. A dark character, wrapped in a grim and hypnotic atmosphere that still fascinates us.
“Unhappiness, isolation, abandonment, and poverty are battlegrounds that your heroes have. “- Victor Hugo-