I was surprised to discover that this Batman is much
different compared to the Batman that I’m more familiar with. Granted, I’ve
never read any Batman comic books, but it still appears that the current
character has progressed significantly since the time of Batman Chronicles 1.
It was mostly Batman’s stance on violence that struck me. Contrary to his
current role as “ethical vigilante,” he was cruel and vicious in these comics.
The awesome neck-breaking panel was surprisingly morbid, and there are countless
scenes where Batman puts villains into chokeholds or headlocks, kicks them,
punches them, or throws tables at them. On page 109, Batman straddles a villain
and starts beating the life out of him. His tactics seem more gangster-esque
than they are in the current Batman films. If Batman were still this way, I
could imagine Quentin Tarantino making an incredible film about this character
– the type of movie that my mom would walk out on.
I had no idea Batman used to be this way, and wonder at
point he transformed into the virtuous, no-killing hero he is today. Clearly, I
wish he hadn’t changed. Other parts of the comic, such as the outlandish plot
lines, felt dated and monotonous. I’m glad they progressed. As well as the Film
Noir type of art, which is definitely not my aesthetic. But I think everyone
needs some catharsis in their life, and an updated version of this Batman would
serve us all well.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThough I was more conflicted in my feelings toward this thuggish version of Bat-Man, we definitely made note of similar qualities. I wonder if Batman's origin story was introduced as a way of justifying the hyper-violence of his crime fighting. Though all the iterations of Batman that I'm familiar with avoid killing, I wouldn't go so far as to call him 'virtuous.' One of the aspects of his character that I find troubling in the recent films and video games is that, though he doesn't kill, he has no qualms with doling out ruinous injuries. Watching The Dark Knight, one is almost tempted to agree with the Joker's assessment of Batman as a hero with a totally fractured moral compass. Given the historical significance of The Dark Knight Returns, I assume that Frank Miller was the first (or at least the most notable) artist to bring this more brutal Batman back to life.
DeleteI was also really shocked by how casually Batman killed people with no remorse. For me, though it is usually inconvenient for him later, Batman's dedication to not kill people is something I have admired about him (for obvious reasons). Yet, there is always the dilemma he faces when he keeps someone like the Joker alive that the Joker will probably go on to kill innocent lives. But, Batman recognizes that killing the Joker would make Batman just as morally complicit. In many ways being a superhero or vigilante is like playing both judge and jury, but in the first comics executioner is also on the table. This added role of executioner takes a much darker look at justice.
ReplyDelete