Batman - the Most Loved Anti Hero - Research Paper Example

?Batman – The Most Loved Anti Hero Batman is the most beloved superhero who does not have any superpowers. The "World’s greatest detective" simply uses his wealth and wits to transform himself into a technically sophisticated anti-hero who fights to save the world. Several people debate as to whether batman is really an antihero or a vigilante. Though there are strong arguments showcasing him as a vigilante, batman is actually an anti-hero who suffers with his own flaws, betrayals and dilemmas. An anti hero is often defined as a protagonist with flaws or character traits not worthy of following. He is a protagonist with enough drawbacks to be worthy enough of a common man. In fact it is this faulty nature that makes him adorable and identifiable with every person who likes the character. Although batman has changed multiple times since his creation, he still manages to maintain his anti-hero status every time. Batman was created way back in 1939 immediately after the success of the Superman. Bob Kane and Bill Finger created the character originally. There are several villains to give him a tough time starting from his arch rival Joker to Penguin, Ra's al Ghul, Scarecrow and Riddler. He is the only superhero to fight a league of women super villains like Poison Ivy, Catwomen, Talia al Ghul etc. Batman lives under the identity of millionaire Bruce Wayne in the fictional Gotham city. He is a playboy millionaire, making several mistakes and wasting one chance after another in his life. His only respite lies in doing something good for the world. Batman’s goodness prevents him from killing the evil people. He rather aims in destroying just the evil in them. This makes him take the blame for several murders, lose his beloved ones and render him helpless when his close friends are in bizarre need. And the worst part is he is forced to change his ways against his will in killing or harming the villains, when it is too late. Each series of Batman which emerged over the past century highlighted his ethical dilemmas, late decisions and faulty personality establishing him strongly as an antihero. Joker and the Batman Joker is a petty thief set up to get shot by his own boss for having an affair with his mistress. Batman tries to save him from death and handover him to the hands of the law. But, he is dropped into a chemical factory by accident which turns him into an ugly psychopath resembling a joker with white skin and green hair. He blames Batman for his ill fate and becomes his main rival. Batman himself has a personal revenge with him, as Joker had murdered his parents in front of his eyes when he was a child. The incident inspired him to take an oath on his parent’s grave stating he will always fight to establish justice in Gotham city. Batman only tries to disarm Joker in several instances in spite of his personal vengeance. But each time, he manages to cause more harm than good. He paralyses batman’s friend, kills Rachel, transforms Dent into a villain and goes on unstoppable. He forces Batman to the verge of killing him each time, but escapes in the end (Robert, 2008). Batman on the other hand fears there will not be any difference between him and Joker if he completely killed him. Batman fears he does not have the right to kill or harm anyone, but can only defend the helpless. Joker character is the complete opposite of Batman. He derives pleasure in harming people. He simply cannot live without inflicting some sort of pain to others. As he himself says in the movie “you won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever”. The relationship between Batman and the Joker is similar to that of day and night. One cannot exist without another. It takes a Joker to keep Batman from getting depressed with helplessness and guilt. It takes a Batman for Joker to keep him in line. Though Joker is considered as the prominent villain of the Batman series he is looked upon as the extreme psychopath reflecting the evil in every human being. Batman on the other side is the weak good side trying to satisfy everybody in vain. But, his courage and valour are necessary for smooth flowing of life. Rationality is important than being smart (Benjamin, 2011). This is what happens in everyday life. Each person succumbs to evil Jokers in the form of temptations, but the world still manages to run because the weak Batman fights bravely to a certain extent to keep Joker in check in the disguise of conscience. The main reason why we need superheroes is to instil this belief of good will win over bad in us (Lesher, 2008). This point should be incorporated into our mind deeply through stories at a subconscious level in a young age to prevent us from becoming Jokers ourselves. A super hero without any superpower Batman’s character is itself a very interesting one, exploring his various traits. He simply does not have any super power by birth like Superman or inherit it in the later years through an accident like Spider man. He struggles through years of training and spends all his money to become what he is (Zehr, 2008). He can very well be considered as the former version of Iron man. DC comics created him as a man with ample brain and capacity to solve crime related problems. He became an inspiration to several kids and adults without any special gifts, looks or talents. He created a sense of security in them, making them believe you can become a superhero if you try hard, even though fate does not choose you. This positive aspect of Batman made him one of the most loved comic heroes ever. Batman was never portrayed as a guy with best looks, great education, loving family etc. He is a simple man, close enough to be a loser in terms of characterization. He is shown to be wealthy person who uses all his money to transform himself into a superhero and buy modern gadgets with the aid of his only trustable butler (Studymode, 2012). Several kids interpreted the wealth part as their determination in the early 40’s and 50’s. They simply believed if Batman could do it then they could do it too. The simplicity and humbleness or rather, the anti- heroic nature of the Bruce Wayne character is largely responsible for the success of the Batman merchandise. The writers Bill Finger and Bob Kane admit to selecting Bat as a symbol because they wanted to create something in stark difference to the Superman character. Since, Superman was already associated with everything bright and right, they chose Bats which often comes out in the dark and associated with gloominess as a symbol for Batman. They guessed right, as the Dark Knight was refreshingly different from Superman. Both the characters went on to become great hits. They did not want to make the Batman a superficially just and capable character like Superman, though he had his own talent sets. Hence, the minor flaws in his character were depicted right from the beginning of the series making him an anti hero, rather than a hero. Batman in the films The Batman cult movies are created at least once in every decade. Each generation gets to see a new version of the story in animation as well as the normal movies. Nearly 8 feature films have been released starting from 1966 till date with Batman as hero. Frank Miller, Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan several names are associated with the Batman films, each unique in its own way. A common man turning himself into a hero who is portrayed as a villain before the public ample times, but succeeds to prove his innocence, triumphing over the bad guy, is the one line of all the stories. The hero will be left with some irrecoverable loss in each film. He will lose the lover, let the villain escape, harm a friend accidentally or take the blame on himself. His helplessness in spite of all the struggle and destroying the massive plots, keeps him as an anti-hero rather than a triumphant hero like his fellow friends in Justice league. Batman’s other Villains Batman has his share fighting men and women alike. His other notable villains other than Joker are, Ra's al Ghul, Bane, Riddler and Dent. Just like Joker, each villain has a close association with Batman in some way or other which ties his hands from murdering them. Batman is responsible for the devilish change in them in some indirect way making him treat them with empathy. Batman is simply an anti-hero who tries to correct things which had gone wrong due to his own mistake. Ra’s al Ghul is Batman’s teacher who trains the young Batman roaming the world in martial arts, technology and various other defence techniques. He is forced to kill the whole League of Shadows team headed by Ra’s al Ghul to save Gotham city. When his beloved master wants revenge, Batman is in a dilemma to choose between his city and his teacher. He simply tries in preventing the atrocities unleashed upon the city by his team rather than kill the head. But, as usual the villain gets killed in a train crash at the end and Batman is blamed to have betrayed the very own hands that fed him. Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter Talia seeks revenge only to die again in a similar manner leaving behind Bane her lover to take revenge. Riddler who turns into a major villain is an employee obsessed with Bruce Wayne. He simply puts in several efforts to impress his boss. He turns into a villain at last, only to become a mentally depressed person who will stay locked up for life in the Arkham Asylum. Dent, is a friend turned foe who Batman considers with high respect. He is used by Joker to torment Batman as he knows for sure Batman will not have the nerve to hurt his beloved friend, no matter how vicious a villain he is. Dent’s lover is dead and his face is blown. He is forced to live in unbearable pain, which transforms him into a cynic filled with vengeance. Again Batman takes the blame for the several murders he committed, making him a hero. His quotes like “Harvey is that hero. He locked up half of the city’s criminals, and he did it without wearing a mask. Gotham needs a hero with a face” became quite famous (Pastemagazine, 2012). His failed attempt to help Dent save his lover causes disaster making Dent a hero and Batman a villain in the eyes of the public. Inspiration for other characters It is said, Spider man and Iron man characters which appeared in the Marvel comics were created with Batman as the inspiration. While Spider man depicts most of the loser traits shown in Batman’s life, the Iron man borrows the rich life style, the usage of sophisticated technology etc. Batman featured as a great merchandise product all over the world. Millions of day to day items starting from T-shirts to pencil boxes featured the black bat on a yellow oval shape all over the world earning great financial profit (Terrill, 2006). Batman was ranked as the next most loved superhero after Superman by several surveys. Joker became an iconic villain, an inspiration for several psychotic thrillers. Every person from Alfred Hitchcock to Antony Hopkins has agreed Joker inspired them to a certain extent in their master creations and performances. Conclusion Batman proved himself as an anti-hero rather than a vigilante in several places, in all his re-incarnations. The initial darker shade of the character was maintained by the many writers and directors who took forward the series. They simply believed it as an inseparable part of the Batman series. Batman always chose to stay a simple citizen of the Gotham city, not their saviour. He himself felt inadequate for the title of superhero, as he was well aware of his faults and flaws, just like any other common conscious man. The younger generation familiar with his character in Justice League and the recent movies see him more of an anti-hero who earns the sympathy of the viewer, rather than a super hero with wonderful powers. Still Batman has a great place in their hearts which he earned through his courage, clever wit and bravery. References 1. Arp, Robert. "Should Batman Kill the Joker?”. Boston.com. 25th July 2008. 8 December 2012. 2. “Batman's Morals vs. the Joker”. StudyMode.com. 8 December 2012 3. Chabot-Hanowell, Benjamin. "Why The Joker and Not Batman is the Savior of Us All". Thisorthat.com. 4th July 2011. 8th December 2012. 4. Lesher, W. "Philosophy of the Superhero. An In-depth Analysis of the Superhero and His Origin". 22 July 2008. 8th December 2012. 5. Loman, W. "Boycott the Batman: Batman Shrugged". 21st July 2012. 8th December 2012. 6. Terrill, E. “Put on a Happy Face: Batman as Schizophrenic Savior.” The Quarterly Journal of Speech. 24 February 2006. 8th December 2012. 7. "The 10 Greatest Anti-Heroes". Pastemagazine.com. 19th March 2012. 8th December 2012.. Read More