Why are audiences so obsessed with Batman? Film critics Robert Ebert and Christopher Orr dive deeper into what makes superheroes movies like The Dark Knight and Man of Steel so compelling. Joey Esposito analyzes the reasons behind the fascination of the Dark Knight and how he appeals to our inner desire to use the pain in our lives for good. Audiences often have an easier time relating to Batman while they have difficulty relating to Superman. Batman’s tragic past and human traits make him more relatable to audiences of current superhero films than superman who was born with his godlike abilities.
The caped crusader, guarding Gotham’s streets and citizens, is in reality just a man-the “Optimum Man” as Grant Morrison has pointed out in
…show more content…
Seen in current Batman films are Batman’s fighting techniques and master detective skills which all come from his years of training himself to be the ultimate weapon against crime in Gotham. Bruce Wayne was first driven by revenge against his parents murderer but, denied his revenge, he made a self pledge to restore the broken down city of Gotham.
The past of Bruce Wayne and his desire to fight injustice is one reason that makes the character of Batman so relatable to us. Numerous people come from broken families or tragic childhoods and so they can easily identify with the feeling Bruce Wayne felt after the death of his parents. There are many examples of people who had to deal with tragedy as a children and later in life they raised money or started programs to fight the causes of those tragedies. Lopez Lomong, an olympic athlete in the 2008 olympics, was one of the refugees known as the “lost boys” and was kidnapped from his parents in South Sudan as a six year old child. Using his fame and success, he has now started a found for the the people in South Sudan by providing education, clean water, nutrition, and medicine(Ellis). It is these real life heroes and Batman that allow us to see the hope for the future and provide a common goal of using the pain in our lives for good.
When audiences look at Batman they may see a superstrong, genius, billionaire but the fact still remains that he is only a man.
Batman is a depiction of hope. Batman was the answer to a lot of people’s problems in a place where nobody felt safe like they should in their home. He was like the rain after a long, dry spell for
You probably know the superheroes of our generation. Superman, Flash, Iron Man, Thor, but you know, most people love Batman the best. 71% of people prefer Batman over Superman. This is probably because of his perseverance. Average people like us WISH we could recover from such a tragic background with such an intimidating attitude.
In addition to this, another downfall is the loss of childhood sweetheart, Rachel Dawes by Two-Face. She was the only one outside Bruce Wayne’s inner circle that knew who he truly was, and how he felt about his way and life. As a result of her death, not only does he want revenge on Two-Face, but he tries to compensate for the void that was created by her loss. He does this by starting many failed relationships that turned sour such as those with Poison Ivy and Catwoman, to name a few. These are illustrative of the pessimistic demeanor that Batman has towards the outside because of what he has seen firsthand, and how he reacted to it.
Bruce Wayne’s longtime friend Rachel Dawes says, "It’¬s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you” (Nolan). In Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne’s fictional journey transforming into the Dark Knight begins when his parents are murdered in cold blood outside of a theater in Gotham. The experience Wayne had with Gotham’s crime early in his life traumatized him, and it left him without a sense of purpose. As a result of his parents’ murder, Wayne goes on a journey around the world to discover his purpose; he decides that his calling is back in Gotham. Wayne creates the vigilante Batman because he realizes the city his parents worked hard to build is being destroyed by organized crime.
The artistic representation of the Batman myth is an important cultural artifact of our time because it represents modern society's thirst for heroic ideals in popular entertainment. Since his creation, readers and viewers have admired Batman's unique ability to battle villainy, transcend the law and administer justice. As cultivators of the noir genre in film as well as in literature, Americans have always identified with this enigmatic hero, who exists on the margins of society and yet represents one of the largest corporations in the world. The evolution of Batman in particular and the superhero genre in general (from comic book to television to film and back again) has seen in the latest adaptation from Christopher Nolan's Batman revamp a veritable tilting point for the character once known as the World's Greatest Detective. This paper will analyze why Batman is an important cultural artifact of our day, how he came into being, what he means for society, and how he will be treated in the future.
Many of us have grown up watching cartoons throughout our childhood. Of the many cartoons on television is Batman. This cartoon has been on television for many years. It is a story of a man who is a successful businessman during the day and a mysterious superhero by night. Bruce Wayne is the man who is this mysterious man with the two identities. He is both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Only a selected few know both of his identities. Many of us have grown up thinking that he is a great man and a great superhero. Yet, why is it that we do not question how unusual the whole situation is? If we take a closer look, we can find that he is a disturbed man who may
Everyone knows something about Batman. His costume maybe. Driving the Batmobile. However, what most fail to realize is that Batman has been rapidly changing over the
Batman: The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan is non-stop action thriller that continually did the unexpected. The film is based off of the original Batman comic book but additionally changes the perception of the everyday world as good to naturally bad. Throughout the movie, Batman stands for honesty and goodness while the Joker is a symbolism of chaos and evil. Both sides are forced to make quick-witted decisions in order to stop the opposing vigilante from doing his desired work. The citizens of Gotham are put in the heart of this circumstance and feel obligated to go against their values to stop the chaos. Numerous people habitually pursue their dreams and values but often become blinded from their
Now in these days everyone one likes to read comic books since they became part of our society. What makes them interesting is how entertaining they could get giving us different points of views on different stories of superheroes. Many of us believe that “Classic superheroes stories are wildly fun, suspenseful and exciting” (Tom and Matt Morris) forgetting the idea of what really makes a hero. Different perceptions of superheroes are considered based on their wrong actions and way of thinking. Frank’s Miller Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is one of the comic books that make us “rethink the conception of the superhero and press each of us to reconsider some of the fundamental moral principles
Batman is a well-known superhero of all time, due to his comics, Tv shows, movies and video games. The reason he is so unique is because he is human, he has no superpowers or special abilities. Batman is an ordinary man who does superhuman actions with his ability to outsmart his enemies. What makes him stand out, even more, is Batman’s ability to know the difference between justice and revenge. He brings justice to his city by fighting crime at night and leaving the criminals for the cops, he does not kill them. “Batman is proof you don’t need superpowers to be a superhero…” (DC Comics) Just like the names of the heroes of classical literature, Batman is a name American pop culture has not let fade away, from his symbol in the night sky to
"The Dark Knight" is grimly magisterial. It's a summer blockbuster that contemplates near-total civic disaster: Crowds surge, tractor-trailers flip, and buildings explode, but the pop violence feels heavy, mournful. Light barely escapes the film's gravitational pull.
Though Batman tries to be portrayed as a hero, he is only a vigilante since he helps the law, but is not a part of it. This means that he fights crime, but is not a member of the police force or other civil duties that
British actor Michael Caine was quoted in the edition of Entertainment Weekly as saying “Superman is the way America sees itself, but Batman is the way the world sees America.” Although these two characters are classic comic book heroes they have also become the face of America and how it has evolved over the many years. After analyzing the two articles “Superman’s real identity: America’s everyman” by Gloria Goodale and “Batman’s War on Terror” by Benjamin Kerstein, Michael Caine is declaring that America’s role in the world is subjected to different viewpoints of its people and their values.
Batman is one of the many fictional superheroes which appears in the “American comic books” that is published by the DC comics. The character is a secret identity for Bruce Wayne, the only heir to Wayne Enterprises. Bruce Wayne swore an oath of vengeance when he witnessed the death of his parents;Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne (Diamond, 2015). Bat man combats criminals in Gotham: a fictional city, with assistance from various characters, for example, his butler Alfred and Gordon; Gotham city police commissioner. Unlike many of the superheroes characters, Batman possesses no powers .Bruce Wayne trained himself intellectually and physically .it is from dedication to training he possessed the useful traits of physical prowess, martial arts skills, detective skills and indomitable will to fight for justice. Though his motive is to combat crime and protect people of Gotham city from criminals, the justice system in most of the times views Batman as a villain and vigilante. He can inflict fear to Gotham city criminals thereby bringing calmness to the city. I identify myself with the Batman character through his selfless will for justice, his strong determination to do good
After the tragic event, Bruce swore revenge on criminals and vowed to avenge his parent’s death by protecting innocent people of criminal’s attacks. In the comics, Bruce does this by training himself not only physically, but also intellectually (in the television show “Gotham,”