The humanization of Batman: How bringing faults to the human peak makes it even more of an accomplishment · 3:06pm Feb 9th, 2018
One of the main differences between DC and Marvel, or at least one of the most agreed upon, is the approach they have on heroism and characterization. Marvel is along the lines of the classical anti-hero; someone who, while still fundamentally heroic, has many flaws they need to deal with and overcome on daily basics. The reader is supposed to see Marvel heroes to eye-level and say "yes, I recognize this. I could be this". The best example is Spider-Man. Anyone who is responsible with their faculties knows the struggle of Peter Parker and can immediately relate with him. That's why his costume hides everything; anyone could be under the mask.
On the other side, there's DC comics more Greek approach. A DC hero, while still human, represents an icon above that. For the reader, the DC heroes are ideals that, even if can't be reached, can be looked up to. Say "this is what I can admire. I want to be this". The example here is, of course, Superman. Yes, Clark Kent has struggles, but they are more external in the sense he represents a concept. He represents truth and justice for everyone. Having Superman overcome conflicts usually means that those ideas are the ones winning.
Marvel are faces while DC are icons.
This doesn't mean there can't be oposite approach in each side. Marvel has Captain America to act as an iconic hero, while DC has...
This is the point of conflict. When talking about humanized DC heroes, the first option usually is Batman. However, anyone who has read or seen any piece of Bat-mythos knows Batman is as much of an ideal as Superman is, only in human form. Where Superman is what a man aspires like to reach, Batman represents what man can actually become. This places him well in between the face and the icon. For the former, we have the psychology of someone who deals with loss and fear on a daily basics, while constantly facing the dread of not being enough. On the other hand, we have an genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist, paramedic, forensic doctor, Olympic athlete, black-belt martial artist, strategist, marksman, pilot, astronaut, determinator and, of course, the World's Greatest Detective.
So, is Batman supposed to be a human struggling to be more than he can, or the absolute peak of human perfection?
I think both sides aren't, or shouldn't be mutually exclusive, even if they sound like it. Batman's base is that he's the peak of humanity, yes, but it also implies everything that means being human, including the screw-ups that defines us. For example, if he's the world's greatest detective, that's because he first had to learn how to become that, and then had to fail first. Even when Batman solves the most basic murder mystery, it's still a victim Bruce Wayne couldn't reach on time. And behind that motivation and determination, there's the trauma of losing everything. Because under the Bat-glare, there's still an 8 years-old kid who lost his parents and has been dealing with that for the last 30- something years.
Batman the icon of what man can accomplish, therefore, he's also a human face. That's what makes him so compelling in modern fiction. You can have a Batman who is the classical hero who opposes evil through being better than them (Adam West being the peak of this interpretation), and at the same time you can have a Bruce Wayne who's constantly facing his own limitations and can barely come out on top, sporting a lot of damage at the end (Christian Bale comes to mind). Both are valid interpretations because the character works like that. Batman is the dichotomy of reaching perfection while being imperfect. He struggles to be the icon because he's aware of his own flaws.
With this in mind, I was watching Death Battle yesterday and Wiz made one good point for Bruce to not carry sidearms, despite mounting them on the Bat-Vehicles. That being he's prone to lash out and is self aware of that. Hence why he refuses to have at hand something that enables him to go for an easy kill. In other words, Batman's famous refusal of guns is not out of altruism or some kind of moral superiority. It's self awareness over his own issues with self control and fear of being unable to be responsible about it.
That humanizes Batman on a better level, while still keeping him as the icon of human peak condition. Not only because it introduces human limitation, but it also brings in self-improvement through awareness about it. This adds up more to a person with a problem they're dealing with instead of never having it.
I like that. Same for his no-kill rule coming out of being unable to stomach it. Bruce Wayne had his parents die in front of him, so he fears mortality in any way. So, what Batman represents is a struggle against the chaos of the world, but also against death itself. So, he can't kill, but he also can't let others die. If there's something to be done about it, Batman will prevent a death, even if it's counterproductive on the long run, like saving the Joker. He knows the world would be safer with the Joker dead, and he knows he should do something about it. But again, Bruce Wayne is still an human being under the mask, and as such, he has fears and limitations. In this case, killing. He won't do it, not because it's morally wrong or against his principles, but because he just can't bring himself into it.
But hey, that's just a theory. A comic theor-- Wait...
Well said. The best writers for the man remember this. I will think on the Face - Icon split later as well.
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You know, now someone else said it, I just realized something I missed completely and that actually fit with the article. That being Batman's cowl. It's iconic, yes, but it still keeps the human face visible. In the same anyone could be Spider-Man, or that you can see Superman in the eye because he doesn't cover them, Batman is both, shrouded under a mask, but still recognizable.
And this is why Batman is, was and always will be my favorite Superhero.
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