Today is Batman Day! A day to celebrate that dark knight, the world's greatest detective you love! Or at least you should love Batman, I hope so! First let me thank Bill Finger and Bob Kane for creating Batman, without you both we'd never have the cultural icon that means so much to all of us this past 76 years and counting!
Now to honor Batman on Batman day, I created a top five reasons why I think Batman is awesome.
Let's begin...
1. He is 100% Human
While most heroes are aliens, or humans who gain magical powers, get some sore of radiation sickness, or are born mutants, Batman is 100% human. He might have lots of money, know a ridiculous amount of hand to hand combat moves, and have lots of toys, but he is human. In most comic book stories when he comes face to face with aliens or even the big old boy in blue, he almost always is shown to be the human side of the conflict, and overcomes the threat and wins. Comics have always recognized that his humanity is almost his super strength. He represents all of us when he faces odds that would be against a normal human from over coming, and he over comes those odds every time!
2. He has the Greatest Villains
I can't think of any other comic book hero that has the most well known villains than Batman does. While it is true that we are living in a Comic Book Golden Age with the movie industry having a comic book movie premiering every 3 months or so, Batman still has the most villains that could be named by the average person. Why is that? He has had countless TV shows, Movies, and other media made about him. But I think one of the major reasons someone on the street could name at least three Batman villains if you asked them is because these villains speak to our culture. Joker that smiling clown of crime is probably one of the most well known of Batman's villains. Many of the rouge's gallery top villains such as Catwoman, Riddler, Two-Face, Joker, and Penguin have been with Batman since almost the beginning. Catwoman was created to be Batman's Irene Adler and as such has always been a romantic interest, with the elephant in the relationship of her being a thief. Batman's first arch nemesis is still well known to comic book individuals but not as mainstream as the rest of the rouge's is Hugo Strange. He is Batman's first villain to make the first re-appearance in the comics. It's interesting how all these villains started out. I could go on and on how each one had interesting origins within the mythos and I could probably write a whole post just about
one of Batman's villains.
The point being is that Batman's villains speak on a whole level of our cultural "mind". Joker represents the evil that a mere man can do, the unspeakable violence anyone could achieve. Catwoman represents thievery and selfish gains. Riddler represents a cultural ego and always wanting to be on top. Penguin represents greed and lust for power. Harley Quinn, a newer villain, represents the many people who just want to be loved and cherished and often suffers abuse for that love and affection. All the major villains represents something within our own culture that speaks to us on a deeper human level. They represent how maybe good intentions could lead to a darker path if left unchecked, and obsessed over. Each one brings out something in Batman, and adds to his mythos and character. Without his many enemies Batman probably would not achieve the level of reception within our culture and popularity.
3. His Story is Tragic, and in Essence a Modern Shakespearean Story
Since his Origin story was printed Batman has always been a story of tragedy. The mindset of Batman was born out of a young boy who lost his parents at too young of an age, and in the most horrific way possible. From there we see a young man obsessed with righting the one wrong he could never fix, by trying to prevent that from ever happening in his current day city. However, after his heroic journey starts and it seems he finally is able to take down the mobs and other criminals within his parent's city, he has to face the problematic effects of his actions. The insane individuals come out of the woodwork to challenge him. Joker might not have existed if it wasn't for Batman. The story evolves into a tragedy of a man who wanted to right wrongs, only to cause greater problems than the ones he fixed. Whether Batman or the reader faces this truth or not, it still is in mythos. A small boy who grew up to be a man in a bat suit fighting evil that is still too great at times to bare.
4. His Allies are Awesome
Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Ace the Bat-Hound, Huntress, Catwoman, and Gordon are just a few well known Batman allies. Each one is special to fans in different ways. Mostly because although Batman is some rich, white, strong guy, he isn't as relatable as say Robin. Robin often is the kid sidekick, someone a kid would want to be if Batman was rule. They often go through real life problems in the comics and you get to watch them grow into other super hero roles as the years go on. Batman is on his 4th Robin, the newest is his biological son. The other Robins have all grown into super hero roles that they forged on their own. Oracle who was Batgirl before the New 52 reboot was a paraplegic after being paralyzed by Joker, was very relatable. She took her weakness and made it a strength, but also faced real life issues of what it is like to lose the ability to walk and run, and how to face it. Every single ally of Batman's has something to admire and appreciate. I haven't kept track but I believe his might be the biggest "family" in the DC universe, and there is a reason for it. They are all very human and face very human issues.
5.The World's Greatest Detective in American Culture
He's our American version of Sherlock Holmes. In the old 1966 TV show, The Animated Series, and even the comics themselves, Batman has often shown to be a detective at heart. He has to solve some criminal case, or some new caper that effected the city of Gotham. In fact Batman started out in a Detective Comics issue, as a showcased Superhero like detective. That's where his origins lie, and he would eventually take over the entire issue as his first starring comic. When I think of the Dark Knight series by Nolan I don't really regard it as a true Batman series, because it always missed this part of Batman. He didn't solve any cases or crimes, or did any detective work in those films. Honestly, Batman does do a lot of detective work when he has to solve crimes by new villains or link Joker Toxin to where Joker might be located as his hide out. Batman always will figure out who is behind the crime because he is the world's greatest detective. Even Ra's Al Ghul calls him that when they first meet in the comics.
Well That's my Top 5 Reasons Batman is awesome for today. It was a quick post, and I feel like I can write more and more why Batman is awesome and about his rouges' gallery and allies. I think I will write more on them at a later date. Anyways, thank you very much for reading. Have a happy Batman day to you, and....
Happy Batman Day to Batman!
-Bordon
