Hello all,
Here is the latest installment the ongoing saga of my master's thesis. Thanks to everyone who has traveled with me to this point. As always comments and criticisms are welcome.
Over the past 7 decades,
comic books and superheroes have been an enduring tribute to the heroic ideal[Mr. K1] . These characters that boldly defended
truth, justice and the ever equivocal American way, have attempted to follow
the same script handed down since the their inception. This ideal that was
spawned in the comic book’s early days of good vs. evil has increased in complexity
with each coming age.
In the early days of the medium referred to by enthusiasts as
the Golden Age[1], the
superhero’s goal was strait forward because it was aligned with the nation’s
aim of defeating fascism. Hero’s
like Captain America, Superman and Wonder Woman donned the colors of the flag
as they pummeled Nazis and other villains who threatened the nation’s security. During this stage in the development of
comics, one-dimensional neatly packaged characterizations of superheroes made
them ideal propaganda against real life enemies abroad. In the 1950’s however, the end of World
War II and the allies’ victory left a void where the need for such heroes once
thrived. Among the survivors were
Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. [Mr. K2]
In the Golden Age, comic
book writers strived to pinpoint the vivid contrast between the superhero and his
nemesis. For example, characters
like Superman were always given socially redeeming characteristics such as
unblemished integrity and a pleasant disposition separating him from his arch
enemy Lex Luthor who often showed disdain for the weak and less fortunate in
his equally transparent agenda of world domination. The S emblazoned on
Superman’s chest served both then and now as a symbol for good and left very
little room for other interpretations because everyone’s goals were
straightforward.
Artist Bob Kane and writer
Bill Finger created Batman as a polar opposite to heroes like Superman.
Although Superman and Batman’s origins depict men who have both suffered great
losses[2],
the latter’s signature scowl and brooding reveal a more complex and conflicted superhero.
Batman is one of the first of this
imperfect breed of champions who view truth, justice and the American way as abstractions
that take a secondary role to more pressing and immediate concerns. Batman from his inception has always
had a more localized agenda. He is
often depicted as a character that is primarily concerned with the immediate
problems of the city. Although
this agenda sometimes takes him to other cities, the lofty ideals that were
such a vital part of the golden age are usually left to the likes of Superman
and others. In contrast, Batman’s
personal agenda of revenge added a more realistic dimension to the battle
against injustice. This personal agenda
drives his character to accomplish super human feats even though he is only
mortal. In the early days of the
comic this was a major appeal of the Batman character. In the 1970’s however, the popularity
of the Batman television show influenced a more child friendly character whose
personal agenda of revenge was replaced with slapstick comedy.
Frank Miller is one pioneer
in this genre who has skillfully reinterpreted Batman as a character who
struggles to balance his own desires with traditional comic book ideals. In his two celebrated graphic novels Batman:
Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, Miller displays the evolution
of the caped crusader as he fights two ongoing battles; the criminal element in
Gotham City and himself. In my analysis of these works, I will explore Batman’s
appeal as a complex superhero and the major character traits that define him as
such via Bob Kane and Bill Finger[3],
Frank Miller and new-comer, Scott Snyder[Mr. K3] . In each of
their works these artists highlight Bruce Wayne’s genesis as a superhero with
particular focus on his ultimate decision to become a symbol of fear. In each telling of the tale these
individuals offer their own commentary and add their own unique contribution to
the widening array of elements that make up the heroic ideal in comics and
graphic novels.
Batman continues to endure in
print and other media because of the foundation laid by Kane and its later
resurgence by Miller. Both have
paved the way for others to continue to skillfully maintain his integrity as a
character that is able to persevere in spite of his stature as a mortal man
operating amongst a pantheon of super beings with godlike powers. Instead of super speed or strength he
uses human qualities, which can either be great assets or liabilities in given
situations. But regardless of
their instability, these qualities are vital to the Batman mythos. His heroic status is often determined
by decisions based on his angst, resourcefulness, will, wealth[4],
vengeance and virtue. Although
these are not the only qualities that make him a hero, the artists mentioned
previously all share the talent of skillfully showcasing these tools, which
have allowed him to win many battles against his enemies under any
circumstances. My analysis of these character traits and their evolution via
the three writers mentioned will illustrate this.
Batman’s Return:
The evolution the caped crusaders 1939 to present
Bob Kane with the help of Bill Finger, a writer is often credited
with co-creating Batman, was able to introduce a character that epitomized the
city where he was spawned. Kane’s
cover art often showed a hero that was spawned out of the grittiness of Gotham
a city where gun related violence was of course the norm. Therefore, it was common to see many of
Batman’s enemies holding guns aimed him as he swung into the crime scene. In this early period, the Batman
character often faced villains who were mortal like him. Mob bosses and street thugs were often
the standard among his enemies.
These villains added to his mystique as a masked vigilante and helped to
solidify his image, as an equalizing force in a city where crime seemed to be
winning. Although it seems a bit
juvenile in comparison to modern versions, Kane’s cover art in the first Batman
issue introduced a comic book with clear intentions of integrating elements of
reality with fantasy (See figure 1).
Figure 1
Later, in the 1950’s Batman’s
battles were fought in more bizarre settings involving extraterrestrials and
even vampires (See figure 2). When
DC comics felt that this was getting out of hand they hired editor Julius
Schwartz to revamp the character’s image. Schwartz with the help writer Dennis
“Denny” O’Neil and artist Neal Adams returned Batman back to its dark roots. This trio would later have a strong influence
on Frank Miller’s work, which provided the impetus for a hero that was
believable in any arena, whether he was fighting mobsters or super villains. And as these stories grew in complexity
so did the cover art. This is
evident in covers that focus solely on him as an individual in the foreground
and the villains he faces either in the background or not feature at all. For example, David Mazuchelli, the
co-author of Frank Miller’s Batman Year One, focuses on a version of the hero
who is shrouded in darkness yet reminiscent of the simplicity of Bob
Kane’s. In this version the darkness
revealed in contrast to its red background suggests that unlike Kane’s version
this character is more foreboding and complex. (See figure 3)
Figure 3
Batman has become a
character whose strong appeal allows him to fight alongside super-humans and
not be overshadowed. This is because as a character he represents the height of
human potential. He is
characterized as an individual having speed and strength that are far beyond
average, but he his often physically mismatched against the super villains he
fights. He is also less endowed
than his fellow heroes in the Justice League[5]. It is this imbalance that drives his
character to always be one step ahead of everyone, allies included[6].
Figure 2
Kane Meets Wayne:
Batman’s Genesis and the 6 qualities that make him a hero.
A major reason why the
Batman comic has endured over time is that since the 1940’s its writers have
created a character that is constantly aware that not only will he never be as
strong or swift as his counterparts, he will also age and eventually die. In essence, his greatest strength as a
character is will to survive. And all of the traits discussed earlier
contribute to his survival. His angst from losing his parents,
resourcefulness in the face of danger fueled by his will and his inherited
wealth, which funds all of the
devices used in his war on crime are all bolstered by a monolithic sense of virtue acquired from the fateful moment of
his parents’ death. All of these
traits have proven to be both allies and enemies of the caped crusader. For example, his angst is often hidden
by his public image as a playboy billionaire and a stoic perfectionist when his
alter ego takes the stage. Many
writers of the comic depict him as a man who is guarded and unable to maintain
relationships. And letting his
guard down always presents the greatest danger.[7]
The genesis of these
characteristics leads back to Batman’s creator, Bob Kane. Although Kane did not suffer the same
tragedies as his creation, the roots of all of Batman’s major characteristics
may be found in Kane’s humble beginnings in the Bronx, NY. Bruce Wayne’s lamentable past is one
that does not come without a sense of irony. On the surface, his wealth creates a gulf between him and
other boys his age until his parents’ death. Although this event does not change his economic status, it
is an equalizing force that changes the course of his life. Wayne’s lens, which was once clouded by
wealth, privilege and naiveté, now reveals a gloomier vision of life that up
until this tragedy was only shared by others outside of his field of
vision. He makes it his duty to
wipe the muck from this lens not just for himself but also for everyone in
Gotham. Hence, he begins to see
that the happiness that he was robbed of is everyone’s right, not just his. To this character, tragedy became a
resource that he would use to not only change his life but other’s lives as
well.
Bob Kane’s life in the Bronx
is a direct correlation to the Batman myth. Like the thief depicted in the
first Batman comic, The Great Depression also took happiness from people’s
lives. But for Kane it replaced his lack of material wealth with
resourcefulness much like his character. Although the effects of his personal
hardships, which may not qualify as tragic, did not carry the grotesque bite of
murder, they were painful enough to spawn a creative energy that was part angst
and part hope. For example, he explains in the following excerpt about his
father’s influence on his decision to become a cartoonist.
My father had to
struggle for most of his relatively short life to earn a living for my family. To supplement his income, he sold
insurance on the side. He rarely took a vacation, and his constant chasing of
the dollar left me with a feeling of insecurity…I realized that watching my
dad’s plight was my strongest motivating force, and this compelled me to use my
talent for cartooning to its fullest. I wanted the better things in life and
poverty did not fit into my plans...had he been wealthy I doubt whether I would
have had the incentive to work as hard as I did to become successful at my
chosen craft (Kane 6).
This short description of
Kane’s life laid the foundation for Miller and others to continue the Batman myth. It addresses the angst and the will to succeed
that poverty created. He responds with a character that has more than enough
money and an iron clad will to survive. There is also the classic desire to
achieve what his father couldn’t.
Kane’s biography is also a pre-cursor to his character’s resourcefulness
in the face of danger. Kane
realized early in his youth when he joined a gang called “The Zorros” that like
his famous character, he too was a loner who in order to survive had to join a neighborhood gang for protection (1). Like
Zorro [they] wore hooded black masks at night to conceal [their] real
identities. The name Kane
chose for this gang is of course an obvious connection to Batman[8]
but it doesn’t stop there. The
following is an account of one of Kane’s most vivid memories as a Zorro. In
this scene, he was spotted by a rival gang and chased into the lumber yard
where he and his fellow Zorro’s often initiated potential members by
challenging them to perform various feats of bravery such as leaping off of 20
feet piles of lumber.
One night while I
was walking home alone from my violin class, I was followed by a group of
seedy-looking roughnecks from the tough Hunts Point district. They wore the sweatshirts of the
Vultures, and they were whistling at me and making snide remarks that only
“goils” played with violins. I
stepped up my pace and so did they.
Finally, I started running and they did likewise, until I reached my
neighborhood. Unfortunately, my
buddies were not hanging around the block at the time… I made a snap decision
to run for the back fence. I got
up and dislodged some lumber, which came rolling down with a crash! Spotting me as I began climbing up a
high pile of lumber, the Vultures started after me. I finally reached the top of the thirty-foot high pile and
looked down breathlessly at my antagonists. As I started pitching shafts of lumber down upon them, some
of the gang ducked and others were knocked out cold by the cascading beams of
timber.
The Vultures (they could not have chosen a more befitting name) had me
surrounded below, as I surveyed the scene from my vantage point fifteen feet
above them. As the frustrated
ringleader ordered his palookas to climb up after me, I spotted a block and
tackle hanging nearby that must have been used as an implement to hoist the
lumber. I leaped for the hanging
tackle, caught it in mid-air and swung down in an arc, bowling over a couple of
Vultures with my feet until I completed my swing high onto another stack of
boards. I heard a Vulture curse
bellow, “That s.o.b has gotta be one of the Zorro Gang, the way he leaps around
like ‘dat Fairbanks guy in ‘da movies!”(8)
Although Kane’s Zorro
adventure may seem a bit far-fetched, it sheds light on two very important
components, which further support the Batman mythos. One, it shows Kane’s belief in impossible feats that can be
accomplished when an individual uses the resources available to him. And Two,
it shows that a hero always needs reminders of his limits. Later in Kane’s tale, he eventually
gets caught and beaten up and in the process sustains an injury that almost
ends his art career. Kane later
reveals that he did not wish to seek revenge despite his gang’s vow to even the
score. Perhaps Kane’s wish was another allusion to his character’s virtuous
brand of revenge, which presents a conflict that runs throughout many Batman
stories.
Bob Kane and Bill Finger
were the first to reveal Bruce Wayne’s decision to become a symbol of fear to
battle both his demons and the crime element in Gotham City. They depict a
character that decides to don the symbol of a bat, a creature of the night,
when a bat flies through his window while he sits brooding in his father’s
study. He views this as a
definitive omen and says the famous words from issue one[9];
‘Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so I must wear a costume that
will strike terror into their hearts! I must be creature of the night, like a…a
…A Bat! (Kane and Finger 139) Although their version may seem a bit corny,
their intent was clear that Bruce Wayne’s decision to become a bat was meant to
establish him as a symbol of fear. Although the darkness and complexity associated with Batman
can directly be attributed to his tragic origin, Kane and Finger presented it
in a two-page comic strip (see figure 4).
In 12 panels they attempted
present to the experience of Bruce Wayne’s most painful memory as he grew from
a defenseless child, to his evolution as an avenging angel of justice. In these 12 panels is where Batman’s 6
heroic qualities were first introduced.
Panels 1-5 reveal the beginnings of his angst as he watches his parents
being murdered. In panel 6 he
pledges his oath of vengeance as prays bedside and swears to the spirits of his
parents that he will stage a war on criminals. In this same panel he
demonstrates his virtue through the act prayer. Although this seems dormant in
the presence of the more dominant plea for vengeance, it is played out often in
later stories when he is faced with the choice of killing his enemies and
simply apprehending them.
In panels 7 and 8 his
resourcefulness is shown as he develops the skills needed to become a great
crime fighter. These panels reveal
a character that develops both physically and mentally. In panel 9 Wayne verbally declares that
although he is wealthy he needs to hide his wealth in order to begin his war on
crime. Finally, in panels 10-12 he decides that his disguise must strike fear
in his enemies. This decision is
evidence that Wayne intends to impose his will on those who would normally
strike fear in others, thus proving that he is a man of strong will and
convictions. In comparison to
other artists and writers who have taken over the Batman mantel, Kane and
Finger’s version seems underdeveloped.
But the qualities revealed in those 12 panels are the catalyst for a
character whose journey began in darkness and can only be sustained in this
absence of light.
Figure 4.
Enter Frank Miller and the Dark Knight
Frank Miller’s status as a
pioneer in the reinvention of the Batman mythos is common among many critics of
the genre. Modern Batman stories continue to reveal him as an individual driven
by a desire for vengeance[Mr. K4] . Miller’s reinvention of the hero in the
late 1980’s depicts him as an individual whose rage is not only directed at the
individual who killed his parents, but also at the ineffective police force
that failed to protect them. In Batman: Year One, Miller sets scene in a
dark alley outside the cinema where Thomas and Martha Wayne, his parents are
happily preoccupied with their 8 year old son’s reenactment of a scene from his
favorite movie “The Mark of Zorro”.
The tender family moment ends abruptly when a robber emerges from the
shadows and kills both of his parents while he watches, powerless to save them. Wayne’s inability to save his parents becomes
a running theme in the character’s adult life. He seeks to eradicate his guilt along with Gotham’s criminal
element as a masked vigilante, and along the way meets foes like the Joker and
others who share similar pathologies but have chosen to wreak havoc on society
instead saving it[10].
One vital element of the
Batman story is the recurrent and pivotal moment of his parent’s death. Many writers both in the comics and on
the screen have revisited this moment with Wayne as he takes his yearly
excursion to Crime Alley, the place where they were killed and lays down two
roses on that very spot. Since
Frank Miller, readers of the comic have consistently been made aware that to
truly understand Batman, this moment in his mythology must remain ever
present. It is here where Bruce Wayne first
becomes aware of Gotham the concrete-clad beast that he must conquer. But as
Frank Miller reveals in Batman: Year One conquering the beast cannot be
accomplished without becoming a part of it. In this story, a 25 year-old Bruce,
the prodigal son of Gotham returns home after traveling the world in search of
training for his monumental task as the caped crusader. But Frank Miller’s Bruce Wayne is still
a novice to crime fighting.
Although he possesses many fighting skills, he is still naïve to the
ways of Gotham. It is a city where
most of the police force and city officials are corrupt and fighting crime is
no easy task. He is not yet aware of the interdependent relationship between
him and the city.[11] He sees only an enemy that he must
conquer.
Part of Miller’s narrative
skill in this tale is in taking the reader down Wayne’s dark journey to
knighthood with his inner monologue[12]
as the only lamplight. It begins on a plane descending down on the
city. Bruce Wayne gazes out of his window as the captain announces the final
descent. He ponders that from
where he is sitting just above its clean
shafts of concrete and snowy rooftops, which are the work of men who died generations ago it looks like an achievement. Here
Miller’s allusion to the crime ridden labyrinth that awaits our hero could
serve both as a wink to those in the know and a foreshadowing invitation to
those who are new to the Batman myth[13]. He gives an even better clue about this
world that awaits Wayne as he continues to ponder during his descent on to the
city and decides that he should have
taken the train, [he] should be
closer…[he] should see the enemy. (2)
Another example comes a few
pages later as he walks through the belly of his adversary on a twenty-block walk to the enemy camp where
along the way he is sized up like a piece
of meat by the leather boys in Robinson Park, waded through pleas and
half-hearted threats from junkies at the Finger Memorial and stepped across a
field of human rubble that lay sleeping in front of the overcrowded Sprang
Mission. (10) Although Miller’s
opinions of city dwellers are of course screaming from these pages,[14]
they do represent a fair view of a character that has experienced trauma at the
hands of one of its inhabitants. In this scene Wayne is portrayed as an
embittered spirit who has declared war on the city and vengeance for the
injustice it has dealt him.
Batman: Year One is a coming of age story
for the Dark Knight. Miller
gives the reader an immature version of Bruce Wayne just before he actually
realizes that the corruption that consumes Gotham is a vital part of his identity,
an identity that feeds on the night.
So he decides to embrace this part of Gotham that awakens at dusk and
form a relationship with it. His
heroic deeds, however, are not without their share of breaking and entries,
assaults, and obstructions of justice.
All of the things that people fear about Gotham, the night and the city must
include The Batman. He
cannot be a symbol of justice unless he is a symbol of fear to his enemies.
Frank Miller’s
update on the origin scene (Figures 5 and 6) carries with it a more resonating
mood of angst, and gloom as he offers readers one possible back-story to
precede the fateful night when he decided to make the bizarre choice of
becoming a bat. It comes after Wayne’s excursion into the Gotham’s underbelly,
a journey he takes without the cape and cowl. In
a confrontation with a pimp who is abusing one of his girls, he gets slashed
across his face, and stabbed by the same girl he was attempting to protect
(Miller 12). As the scuffle begins
to escalate the police arrive and Wayne is arrested but escapes. The illustrations that follow are his
car banged up in his driveway with the door left open in panel one. In panel
two he sits slumped over in a chair in his father’s study bleeding. The panels
that follow take the reader through his flashback of that fateful night…the movie
theater, the alley, the armed man approaching, and the fatal shots. As the scene progresses Bruce laments: Father…I’m afraid I may have to die to
tonight. I’ve tried to be
patient. I’ve tried to wait. But I have to know. How, father? How do I do it?
What do I use? What do I
use to make them afraid? The
next set of illustrations and text show Wayne’s decision to seek help from his
trusted butler Alfred just as the ominous bat flies through his window and he utters
the words “yes father I shall become a bat”. (cite)
Again, Wayne’s six qualities
are revealed in a way that not only introduce him heroically, but conflicted as
well. This is a marked contrast to the Kane and Finger version, which only
gives the reader a more one-dimensional view of the hero’s decision to become a
crime fighter. His angst is
illustrated as he pleads for a sign from his father. He declares his wealth and resources as he decides whether
to use his butler Alfred, who is skilled in combat medicine, to save his
life. This decision of course is
dependent on his will, which is galvanized by a desire for revenge. Finally in this scene he reveals that
although it is a virtue that can often be challenged, patience is what will
help him to persevere.
This scene is
interesting because it depicts a character who on the brink of death decides to
instead defy it for reasons that serve not only his personal desires for
vengeance, but also the needs of the multitude that want to be safe. This decision spawns the genesis of Batman’s
existence as a hero functioning in both darkness and light and the battle of maintaining
that balance. It is this
inner struggle that makes Batman so complex.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Frank Miller’s exploration
of Batman has resulted in a character whose willingness to play by his own
rules makes him larger than life.
In the Dark Knight series Batman evolves into a character that operates
comfortably under a shroud of complexity. Traditionally, The Batman character has had all of the
qualities of a man on the edge that inspires fear in his enemies without
willingly inflicting the ultimate sentence of death. His greatest fear was always that he would fail to carry out
his mission, which is to save others from the fate he suffered. In essence, this character’s life is
one that is filled with fears and the choices that must be made in spite of
them. In his graphic novel The
Dark Knight Returns, Miller shows a character that has lived through a lifetime
of such choices and faced the anguish that they have left behind[Mr. K5] . They result in
an older and bitter individual who has ultimately accepted his role as an
outlaw and makes no apologies for his decisions despite their consequences. Miller’s decision to depict Batman as an
aging hero has a dual effect. The first is reminding the reader of the
character’s mortality. But despite
his physical characteristics, Miller takes care to also impress upon the reader
that the caped crusader is still far from ordinary. What separates him from others in his mythical world is his
continued willingness to do what others can only dream of doing.
In a 1985 interview in The
Comics Journal Miller explains this.
He contends that in order for the
character [Batman] to work he has to be a force that is beyond good and
evil. It can’t be judged by the
terms we would use to describe something a man would do because we can’t think
of him as a man. (TCJ 35) Later in the interview, Miller further clarifies his point
with commentary on what he thought was then the current state of society and
comic book superheroes.
Batman in my series [The Dark Knight Returns] does not apologize for or
question what he does or its effects.
There’s a whole world out there that can argue about that, and they do,
constantly, throughout the series.
And the effects of what he does are tremendous. He changes the quality of life in
Gotham City, the way everyone there thinks and lives. Now presenting a
vigilante as a powerful positive force is bound to draw some flak, but it's the
force I’m concerned with, more as a symbol of the reaction that I hope is
waiting in us, the will to overcome our moral impotence and fight, if only in
our own emotions, the deterioration of society. Not just some guy who puts on a cape and fights crime.
That’s a great thing about superheroes, the substance of what makes them larger
than life. Not that they can fly or eat planets, but that they can, or should
manifest the qualities that make it possible for us to struggle through
day-to-day life…if we can drop our bad habits, our concessions to the 60’s
generation along with the no-longer appropriate view of the world, the view of
the 30’s and 40’s that gave birth to the superhero—If we can redefine the
superhero and make him a response to the insanity of our own times, we will
have something to offer the world. (35)
Miller’s statements clearly
show that his mission was to transform Batman into a figure that would create
catharsis among readers who were suffering from society’s ills. This goal would motivate him to
recreate a hero that would continue to function in direct response to the city
and its continuing evolution.
Miller was intent on making sure the character could relate to modern
times… so that [he] didn’t have to continuously screw with reality and bend it
around [just] to keep him in character.
One thing that had to be done right away was that his [Batman’s] methods
had to become a lot harsher and he had to become a lot smarter…so the
“Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot” line had to go out the window.
(36) In other words, outdated lines like Kane’s would have been counter
productive to making The Dark Knight as scary and potent as possible. This of course resulted in a figure
whose characteristics, as a hero would also have to be translated or modified
to fit the changing times.
[1] The Golden
Age of comics was from 1938 to 1949.
[2] Superman
also lost his parents and entire civilization after his home planet exploded
and he was sent to earth as its only survivor.
[3] Although Bob
Kane the artist is primarily credited with BM’s creation, Bill Finger wrote the
first stories. Finger, is credited
with the writing of the origin story where Bruce Wayne decides to become a
bat. Because of his role in the
creation of BM, Kane is the only artist that
will be mentioned in detail concerning the Batman mythos. Although other artist may be mentioned
to point out their contributions to BM’s dark appeal, My primary focus will be
on writers of the comic.
[4] Although it
stands out as the only external quality on this list, it is vital because
without it, it nearly makes all of BM’s other assets seem obsolete. From its inception, the BM character’s
wealth has always been the engine that made all of his pursuits possible.
[5] The Justice
League is a team of Superheroes consisting of the Superman, Batman, Wonder
Woman, The Flash and a host of others from the DC Comics Universe. Batman joined this team later in his
career, as he grew mature enough to realize that he could not save the world on
his own.
[6] In Mark
Waid’s graphic novel Tower of Babel, Batman is perceived as a traitor because he allegedly
betrays the Justice League by secretly keeping records concerning their
strengths and weaknesses, including plans to neutralize them in a fight.
[7] In a two
part graphic novel series entitled The Widening Gyre and Cacophony written
by famed filmmaker Kevin Smith, Batman actually does this. He finally reaches the happiness and
catharsis of finding a woman that he both loves and trusts. The added bonus is that he does not
have to hide who he is to her.
Further icing on the cake is that he discovers a new hero in Gotham who
is just as talented as he is. In
this story Batman does the unthinkable. He reveals his identity and the
location of the bat cave to his new fiancé and this new hero. The results are
catastrophic thus confirming the point that a Batman without angst would not
only mean the undoing of him, but the entire Batman mythos as well.
[8] In the comic
book, young Bruce Wayne loses his parents after seeing the film “The Mark of
Zorro”.
[9] This issue
first appeared in Spring of 1940 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
[10] There are
various origins of the Joker and they all have a unique perspective on the
character’s motives. For the sake
of continuity I will refer to Alan Moore’s version taken from the story “The
Killing Joke”. In this story he is
depicted as a former engineer who quits his job to become a comedian. After he fails at this endeavor he
becomes desperate to feed his pregnant wife and decides to help a group of
gangsters rob a business next door to his former job at a chemical plant.
During the planning of this robbery he finds out that his wife and child to be
are killed, but he is forced by the gangsters to continue with the job. Batman
foils their plan and in an attempt to escape he falls in to vat, which bleaches
his skin, turns his hair green and his lips ruby red. After this the man known
as the Joker emerges.
[11] This
relationship is expertly illustrated in Batman: Black and White, a
series of vignettes written by various writers about Batman’s experiences in Gotham. (excerpt to be included later)
[12] The
character’s inner thoughts are usually indicated by a yellow square with text,
not to be confused by the dialogue bubbles, which indicate that characters are
talking to each other.
[13] Batman’s
stories have taken many forms over the years. Many of the villains he has faced are considered insane
geniuses that often attack with the aim of mental trauma as well as physical.
The Joker is a perfect example.
Year One could be considered a flashback to a time when Wayne was
completely unaware of the world he was about to embark upon.
[14] Later in
his career Miller was berated by many of his fans for his extreme and allegedly
racist views especially about the Middle East. He has also made many inflammatory statements about the OWS
protestors. Many of these
statements can be found on Miller’s blog.
[Mr. K1]Possible
thesis: How is Batman an update of the heroic ideal? Is the anti-hero more
relevant today than the hero?
[Mr. K4]After
this, talk about Frank Miller. It
is important to talk about the motivations of the writers to give a better
understanding of the thesis. Do this every time a writer is mentioned
especially in new chapters.
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