which batman?

[black as the night]

which style batman do you like best. do you like the stereotypical do-gooder catch the bad guy and tie him up for the police batman, or the frank miller give the man what he has comming style batman? detective batman is included in both.

personaly i have always seen batman as a darker character. even in the cartoons i felt he was falsly portrayed. maybe its the colors of his costume, i dont know, but i have always seen him as a shifty punisher of crime. so naturaly i like the darker style portrayed by miller and a few others that i cant remember right now. just him ripping people through walls and breaking them has always apealed to me.

[DJ Kenobi]

Good question. Can you add a bit more depth to your position to help start the discussion? Perhaps a dissection of a run that you particularly like? In Comics Analysis we're always aiming toward real analysis over questions of taste. Thanks!

[Dawnsknight]

personaly i have always seen batman as a darker character. even in the cartoons i felt he was falsly portrayed.
In an episode of JLU where Batman and GL John Steward travel 40 years into the future and meet up with the JLU of the future. On interrogating a criminal, Old Bruce Wayne chasises his younger self on being 'green' when it comes to dealing with criminals. We aren't privy to what older Bruce says to the crook, but he basically confesses every single thing he'd done wrong in his life as though he were on his deathbed.
I think that the cartoon (the Bruce Timm cartoon versions of Batman) as during his appearance on the various cartoons (The Adventures of Batman, The Adventures of Batman and Robin, The Adventures of Batman and Superman, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Batman Beyond) we've seen a large evolution of the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
In the initial cartoon, we've seen Bruce try to balance himself with Batman, trying to live both lives. Batman was quite a bit... nobler, for lack of a better word, his skills were still a bit lacking but slowly began to refine themselves. By the Superman/Batman show, he was pretty much the master detective, and was becoming more paranoid than previously depicted, until in JLU, we find out he'd already set up a livable spy satellite equipped with weapons strong enough to level a city. All this time we see less of "Bruce Wayne" and more of "Batman", giving the (confirmed) impression that Bruce Wayne slowly dissolved and only the Batman personna remains (this is confirmed in Batman Beyond when Bruce confirms he knew he wasn't crazy while hearing voices, because the voice always called him 'Bruce' and "That's not what I call myself inside my mind" was his confession to McGuinness).
That's the Batman I like... this may not be relevant as it's not in the comics, but at least I have source material :D

[black as the night]

Good question. Can you add a bit more depth to your position to help start the discussion? Perhaps a dissection of a run that you particularly like? In Comics Analysis we're always aiming toward real analysis over questions of taste. Thanks!

oh yea sure.

i liked him in the dark knight returns, the cult, and arkahm assylum. these are the only ones that i can think of right now in which he really gets dirty when it comes to fighting crime. mostly the dark knight returns.

[krazybov]

I've enjoyed the different styles of batman at different stages of my life.

When I was a kid I had a Batman and Robin tshirt. I wore that out man, it got so faded you could hardly see the print. Classic blue, grey and yellow costume, with yellow words "na na na na na na na" in the background from the tv show. I remember wearing that up to my mid teens.

Then Burton did the film and it was good, so was the animated series. But it still didn't tempt me to pick up any Batman titles, until I happened to read a LOTDK arc, I think it was called Venom. Where Bruce can't save a little girl and so gets hooked on some mega steroid pills. It's THE BEST Batman story I've read. From then on it had to be black ... all the way.

Now I feel indifferent towards Batman. He's a hero that uses fear as his main weapon, yet never kills. I find this unrealistic. I would like to see Batman as a killer and everybodys enemy. The crooks obviously wouldn't like him and the heroes would want to put him away because he kills.

[Dawnsknight]

The lack of killing is the 'fine line' that keeps Batman from being just like his enemies.
Let's face it. Batman is nuts. He should be locked away.
He has honed his body and mind to the peak of natural human performance because he can't deal with the death of his parents. He's a paranoid, obsessive compulsive, control freak who refuses to work within the parameters of the law to bring about justice.
But we all know this. Killing is simply the way that the writers keep him from becoming what he fights.

[malachimanson]

Batman isn't the Punisher, Batman isn't Judge Dread. Batman wants justice not to take justice in his own hands. To be honest it is very unrealistic for the Punisher to do what he does. The one thing that helps punisher in his comics is he changes base of operation. In the real world his ass would be hunted down. The same would go for Batman. In reality Batman not killing villains is the best way to go about things. Its better to brake someones arm then it is to kill someone.

[black as the night]

Batman isn't the Punisher, Batman isn't Judge Dread. Batman wants justice not to take justice in his own hands. To be honest it is very unrealistic for the Punisher to do what he does. The one thing that helps punisher in his comics is he changes base of operation. In the real world his ass would be hunted down. The same would go for Batman. In reality Batman not killing villains is the best way to go about things. Its better to brake someones arm then it is to kill someone.

true, but batman is a bad ass.

ok now im not saying he should kill everyone, but i like the batman that breaks people.

[Dawnsknight]

Well it goes with his "MO"
he feels that criminals are cowardly and superstitious.
If you look up top 10 fears people have, death is not number one...

[krazybov]

Fair enough, it is a fine line. One I'd like to see him cross. Maybe having a code like that is what keeps him sane. But I'm bored, can't we see the character change. That's what I hate about most comics, everything has to remain status quo.

Anyway, a couple of points: Even a vigilante that didn't kill people would still be hunted down in reality.
Batman wants justice and could quite easily deal it out, avoiding the legal system that invariably lets the guilty rich walk free.
It would help in keeping his profile low ... "a giant bat tied me up and dropped me off at the cop shop" doesn't come out of dead mens mouths.

Ever read Marshall Law, there was a story parodying batman. I think he was called private eye. He catches a purse thief and cuts off 7 of his fingers. When Law talks to the thief he says something like "You're lucky. He left you three fingers for good behaviour."

Fantastic

[Dawnsknight]

I dig what you are saying, krazybov. I haven't read Marshall Law, but that concept is common concept, an ancient one, even.
I dunno, I like that Batman doesn't completely cross the line. He's able to kick ass, keep a reputation without doing too much damage. He'll break bones if necessary, he'll give someone nightmares for the rest of their lives, but with the whole "dead men tell no tales" thing, I think as a character, he wants people to talk about him, the public, the law and the criminals.
Even now in the comics, you sometimes see people with rumours that Batman isn't human. Those who know him know what he is, but those who don't don't know what to think, which makes him scarier.
Rumours can be scarier than the truth, and I think that's what this character is going on.
I do understand and like the concept of the vigulante who pushes too far, but at some point, someone like that stops being a vigulante and starts being a serial killer (ie Dexter, great show).
I think that's the strength of the Batman, is that he's managed to fight these people, being just a crazy as they are, but not giving in to the impulses they do.

[krazybov]

good points DK

I guess killing everybody means there's no one left to spread the word/fear
must be why I like the punisher so much
you're starting to convince me to accept bats for what he is. after all there are plenty of characters out there that take the premiss of batman and add a slight twist

ps read Marshall Law

[Dawnsknight]

I'll definitely pick it up :)
you also make good points... to see Batman evolve into a more fearsome crimefighter would be a very intriguing story, as long as the right writer handles it (cuz some would turn it to pure s#!%) or even a story where he starts that way, but then slowly regains his self control.
BTW, Tim Drake, the current Robin becomes Batman in the future it seems, and he has no such reservations about dolling out the death. He even carries around the handgun that killed Bruce Wayne's parents.
-Also, there are some older Batman comics and stories where he carried a handgun as well...
He is truly an interesting character, everyone seems him differently, I like the way you think.

[smygba]

I like the one where he seems human. He can fight Darkseid etc when Superman can't? I never got that. THE GUY'S A HUMAN. HE CAN BE HURT!

I also hate the idea he's a dark character because he's surrounded by a posse. a butler, a young boy, all his lady friends, his old rent boy. Batman's a poser if anything. pretends he's a big loner, when he's got more people surounding and loving him than the average person.

I like the stories where he's a detective plain and simple and fights his equally human-power level foes. It makes me feel I'm reading a story of an ordinary man who goes into extra-ordinary situations.

[Dawnsknight]

I think that's part of the whole thing as well, that he has enough people loving him, but he chooses to hold on to his anger over his parents death.

[malachimanson]

Batman has all those people because they are the reason he doesn't cross the line. He hates most of them anyway. Dick is his son, Alfred is his Dad, Tim is his Nephew. The others are there for him to use as he please.

Batman did kill before though it wasn't Bruce who did it. I do recall Jean-Paul killing people while he was batman. Read Knight Fall its actually really good if you get past it was just a rehash of SUpermans Dead with Batman.

[alentrix]

I like my Batman mean, smart, alone, only in Gotham City and slightly paranoid. I like the fact that he is the world's greatest detective and at the same time has no problem breaking someone's fingers to get what information he needs. A slightly lower level from the Punisher in that he doesn't use guns, doesn't kill, and will actually only go so far while appearing he'll go all the way if he needs to.

I don't really like it when Bats leaves Gotham City either. He always seems out of place. I also don't like, as mentioned above, when he takes on a power house like Darkseid. That's just a bit too far. And I normally don't like his involvement with the Justice League, but Tower of Babble was a really good story and shows his paranoia and his mind as to how to take out every one around him, just in case.

Forget Robin, forget Nightwing, forget Oracle and all those others, just Bats, Alfred, and Gordon. Mean, smart, and imposing fear among the dark streets of Gotham.

[krazybov]

I'm pretty sure there was a story where it's revealed that Batman always carries a piece of Kryptonite with him ... just in case

that sums him up in a nutshell and I luv that side to him

the problem is that most writers don't explore him more. they have him running around at night in his scary black costume but acting like when he had his blue, grey and yellow

[malachimanson]

I think the problem Lies with in generations of people. People stick to what they know. When someone comes along and changes something for the better or worst people get upset. Then the next comes and does what he likes rather then evolving the character and we go back to square 1 almost. Its something I noticed in comics.

Sorry If offend any of you old heads out there. I believe that comics should be written and drawn by people under the age of 30. Simple fact is (this does include me and i'm only 24) We will do what WE like. Even if that means bringing it back to an era that shouldn't be touched. Most younger people are eger to really make a change.

[NickRocks]

personally, i like the batman of DK2 and All Star Batman and Robin, where he seems to enjoy his "job"

[krazybov]

I think the problem Lies with in generations of people. People stick to what they know. When someone comes along and changes something for the better or worst people get upset. Then the next comes and does what he likes rather then evolving the character and we go back to square 1 almost. Its something I noticed in comics.

Sorry If offend any of you old heads out there. I believe that comics should be written and drawn by people under the age of 30. Simple fact is (this does include me and i'm only 24) We will do what WE like. Even if that means bringing it back to an era that shouldn't be touched. Most younger people are eger to really make a change.
you're exactly right, look what happened to xforce. Aldred comes along like a breath of fresh air and turned it into my favourite marvel title (or I should say my only marvel title) they even went as far as renaming the team. some of the old fans hated it, so what did they do? scrapped the whole thing and start it over again almost exactly how it was originally.

stagnant

the problem isn't with having old artists or writers, it's with the bigwigs at marvel and dc. they're the ones that decide if robins hair will be parted on the left or right. they will never approve anything radical unless it's a marketing ploy.

I say that mainly because I'm an old head myself, I'm eager to REALLY make a change and do what I like. but it's never going to happen on an established character. creator owned licenses on the other hand ...

[larq2525]

My favorite Batman, both in visual appearance and character, is Paul Pope's Batman. His Batman: Black and White story is one of my favorites, and in my opinion, Batman: Year 100 is one of the best Elseworlds-style bat-comics ever produced.

[hydekomiksink]

I liked the Neal Adams batman the best. A dark knight being dark just to be dark never scored well with me. I liked Batman being undefeatable because he's the best not the darkest.

[black as the night]

frank millar (sp?) anyone. deffinately my favorite. to all in the opinion that he pretends to be a loaner...
all the people around him are only there because they know who he is. without them, batman wouldt exist. other than them he isolates himself because he doesnt want to be discovered. he also knows that after loosing his parents there really anyone who he wants to recieve love from. he knows alfred and all them are close, but he still desires the love of his parents and he knows he cant have it, its depressing really. just my opinion.

[hadesillustrations]

Batman killing people? If you like that then Wolverine is your favorite X-Man. Bats was a lot harsher when the character first came out. Then he was made into more of a hero. The point of Bat Man isn't that he's nuts (he is, but that's not what his story is about), but that he wants to fight crime because no one else will. Bat Man does NOT need a drastic change or overhaul. He needs better writing and fewer titles. Multiple titles can wear a character thin as too many good ideas are used at once.

I'm a little sick of people loving the anti-hero, even though I like writing anti-heroes. It seems comics are swarming with them now. Bats is not an anti-hero - he's a do-gooder with questionable methods. He can't wrap I beams around a group of crooks like Superman, so he beats the snot out them instead. Is it realistic? No! Its a comic book! Since when are comics grounded in realism?

I like a Bat Man that is smart, acts like a detective, can beat up rooms full of goons, makes flashy entrances, has a cool car, and has his best sidekick with him - the city of Gotham. Bat Man's environment is as much a part of the character as the character himself. I don't like a Bat Man that's shown using excessive force on unimportant characters. If he breaks an arm it should the arm of a character that could not be stopped otherwise (Matt Wagner had a wonderful fight scene between Bats and Grendel where Bats breaks Grendels arm - it was awesome and apropriate). This keeps him heroic amidst his wildly violent behavior.

[Walter Kovacs]

i like the darker batman. it has always just seemed that thats how he is suppose to be. lets face it, he wants to fight crime and bring justice, and to a man whose parents were murdered by a mugger, that means kick ass and take names. the batman from the dark knight returns is my favorite.

[frazman]

Batman killing people? If you like that then Wolverine is your favorite X-Man. Bats was a lot harsher when the character first came out. Then he was made into more of a hero. The point of Bat Man isn't that he's nuts (he is, but that's not what his story is about), but that he wants to fight crime because no one else will. Bat Man does NOT need a drastic change or overhaul. He needs better writing and fewer titles. Multiple titles can wear a character thin as too many good ideas are used at once.

I'm a little sick of people loving the anti-hero, even though I like writing anti-heroes. It seems comics are swarming with them now. Bats is not an anti-hero - he's a do-gooder with questionable methods. He can't wrap I beams around a group of crooks like Superman, so he beats the snot out them instead. Is it realistic? No! Its a comic book! Since when are comics grounded in realism?

I like a Bat Man that is smart, acts like a detective, can beat up rooms full of goons, makes flashy entrances, has a cool car, and has his best sidekick with him - the city of Gotham. Bat Man's environment is as much a part of the character as the character himself. I don't like a Bat Man that's shown using excessive force on unimportant characters. If he breaks an arm it should the arm of a character that could not be stopped otherwise (Matt Wagner had a wonderful fight scene between Bats and Grendel where Bats breaks Grendels arm - it was awesome and apropriate). This keeps him heroic amidst his wildly violent behavior.

I really loved the encounter between Batman and Grendle as well for that very reason.

I like the Dark Batman with a strong element of the Detective but also with a touch of restraint.

I would also like to see an educated writer explore all the voices going on in Batman's head and I assure you, there are lots of voices all the time. Bruce Wayne IS insane, even though he operates on a very high level. He is in fact a genius who was permanently, emotionally damaged at a young age. The very way he chooses to attack crime and criminals is proof at his core...Batman is Wayne the child in an adult body with genius intellect doing exactly what he wanted to do the night his parents were killed. With all his money and influence, he could actually have a much bigger impact on crime and punishment as Bruce Wayne the Billionaire adult than as Batman yet he spent his life preparing to meet the emotional needs of Bruce the boy.

Everytime he engages in combat, the angry little boy is raging but right before he loses it, his father's voice chimes in to remind him that killing is wrong. He would have started killing criminals long ago except for those parental voices in his head.

[Co.Inkadink]

I like the classic Batman somewhat. I do enjoy the detective aspects and also the darker "scary" Batman.

[swampy19]

Kelly Jones is my favrotie Batman artitst of all time look up the cover of Batman 520 its fantastic

[AlphaMale73]

Not a fan of Miller's Bats. Especially given the fact that none of his stuff is in DCU continuity. I hate all the alternate-slash-Future-slash-10th world-slash-Ultimate universe stuff. It's all too confusing. There's enough to keep up with without jumbling up my comics with alternate earth sh#t.

[jdmakescomics]

Telling a good story should matter more than continuity. Batman has been around so long that a lot of people have a lot of takes on him, and allowing those people to work outside of the "official" continuity let's them give their vision without the affecting the main universe. Of course batman's personality still changes wildly from writer to writer anyway.

Anyhow...my favorite batman was the one on the Timm series, it condensed everything I like about the character into a cohesive whole. Plus his descent into the paranoid crazy loner batman from JLU to batman beyond was really well handled.

[jennifer8055]

I prefer the darker type of batman which is why i even got myself a dark knight Batman halloween costume at

http://www.batman-costumes.com

[NickRocks]

come on, how can anyone not like the nutty batman who loves his job? lol i think i posted in this thread before, but i like miller's batman, mostly because alot of writers have copied from him, so if you say you like dark batman you are saying you like millers batman indirectly.

[LoganX]

Dark Knight Returns/ Strikes Again Batman is definitely my favorite Version of Bats. He's everything Batman should be in my opinion. I mean Batman was originally intended to be a Pulp Hero like the Shadow, so it really works and makes sense when he's potrayed as a dark character. Plus, as it has been said many times before, Batman has to be a little mentally off to do what he does and I think FM writes a crazy Batman fairly well.

[AlphaMale73]

The Batman of "Zur-En-Arrh" is also the shiat. I like Batmite!

[jackie0109]

I like the original batman and its character where we know him but I guess more modern...

[m0r1arty]

I'm a fan of Miller-time Batz, I like the stoic attitude he has.

I also thought Pope's version from Year 100 was good - balancing theatrical scare tactics with spiritual detection.

I'm a touch annoyed that Grant Morrison has supposedly killed off Bruce Wayne (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/film/article1982939.ece).

I wouldn't have minded so much but the RIP storyline has lacked consistency throughout it's run - it had some good moments and plenty of potential however spreading itself over the many publications it did just weakened the overall plot.

Not quite as poor as Judge Dredd and Johnny Alpha's Judgement Day storyline - but bad nonetheless.

Final Crisis should hopefully fill in the blanks, but I think I'll stick to Dark Horse for my Batman for a while - generally decent grade materials from them.

Oh and Hai!

-m0r

[j3tt]

I like the Loeb/Sale Batman alot as far as detective stories go. I like the Jim Lee Batman for a more action/war oriented story.

[larq2525]

I always prefer Batman when he's done in a somewhat different and quirky way, so I guess I've never been a big fan of the dark Miller-ish Batman. I'll take the Batman from Batman: The Scottish Connection or Batman: Snow over the typical brooding Batman any day.

[Alex810]

I think batman should only be portrayed as the dark "criminal gets what he had comin" batman. That tie 'em up for the cops is more for kids and I think its great for luring children into comics till their older to understand the darker side.

So what Im trying to say is the real batman is the dark knight style, while "the brave & the bold" is just the watered down for the kids

[jsmith0316]

I like dark batman. I think the fluffy do-gooder Batman is a bit uninspired. Dark Batman has far more depth.

[Lonrott]

Batman isn't the Punisher, Batman isn't Judge Dread. Batman wants justice not to take justice in his own hands. To be honest it is very unrealistic for the Punisher to do what he does. The one thing that helps punisher in his comics is he changes base of operation. In the real world his ass would be hunted down. The same would go for Batman. In reality Batman not killing villains is the best way to go about things. Its better to brake someones arm then it is to kill someone.


Very true. And what I find some people who like Batman miss is that it so much harder to do what Batman does than what the Punisher does. The Punisher has killed, maimed and tortured criminals. Batman works with the police and has a special relation with Commissioner Gordon and the detectives. Although depending on who is writing Batman, the relationship can be uneasy or a little senseless when Batman just has free reign in the city. The best Batman comics to me are the Frank Miller and David Mazuchelli Year One Batman. Here Batman is green, he is uncertain and he is in a gray area between a vigilante and a deputy of Gordon. Another excellent Batman was the Batman from Legends of the Dark Knight "Shaman" storyline which had a similar approach but a far more interesting origins on when Bruce Wayne was able to become Batman. The mystical, but still credible, angle of shamanism and the psychological approach taken by DC veteran Denny O'Neil was brilliant.
Batman should not behave as the Punisher for many reasons and one of them being his implied (or explicit, I forget) promise to Gordon. And also because it is so much harder and more interesting, when written well, when Batman resists violence that gets into the Punisher territory. Batman can knock someone out, make them hurt, he may even take some pleasure from all of this, but at no point should he be going "grim and gritty" like the Punisher in that he tries to cripple the bad guys or eliminate them.

The other school of thought, that Batman is insane, makes no sense to me. We are talking about comics and so to apply the insanity argument is a little silly. It was an interesting angle in The Killing Joke and Arkham Asylum, but it was never explicit. It was always a gray area. The argument was that there is a certain amount of insanity in both the villains and heroes to do what they do. That suggestion however has been taken out of hands. Batman has Alfred as the voice of reason almost always. He is in many ways Bruce Wayne's real father. And when he adopted Dick Grayson, he had a son of sorts. Bruce has a family and friends (Superman and adult Grayson). He has of course psychological trauma, but honestly what normal adult doesn't to a degree? This issue was addressed in another great Denny O'Neill story for LOTD Venom story line. Here Bruce Wayne is almost center stage and we get to see a fracture in the relationship between Alfred and Bruce. The plot is simple and brilliant: Batman is unable to save a little girl because he was physically weak. He takes a drug to boost his strength. And afterward he starts to lose his mind. But what makes Batman compelling to me after this episode is that his sense of sanity and moral virtue was tested, but he didn't break. The traumas he encounters leave scars, but they make him stronger.

[Night Robin]

I don't like to think of Batman as insane. I do like to think of him as not all there. He suffered a severe trauma and didn't exactly deal with it in the proper way. But to say he is insane is too miss the point of the character in my opinion. He does't think like a normal person because no longer is a normal person, but he isn't a crazy person.

That's my argument for Robin making sense. Wayne had a sense of Catharsis in seeing Dick go through what he went through. Instead of letting the boy wallow around confused and hurt like he did, he took him under his wing and essentially cut to the chase and made Dick a vigilante as well. A morally questionable act obviously. This is my interpretation at least and I could be wrong.

To touch on the OP though, I like darker Batman, but within reason. Pnsiher level brutality should be completely avoided. I liked The Animated Series approach but I think a style similar to the Batman Begins and The Dark Knight is a good place to be.

[frazman]

Very true. And what I find some people who like Batman miss is that it so much harder to do what Batman does than what the Punisher does. The Punisher has killed, maimed and tortured criminals. Batman works with the police and has a special relation with Commissioner Gordon and the detectives. Although depending on who is writing Batman, the relationship can be uneasy or a little senseless when Batman just has free reign in the city. The best Batman comics to me are the Frank Miller and David Mazuchelli Year One Batman. Here Batman is green, he is uncertain and he is in a gray area between a vigilante and a deputy of Gordon. Another excellent Batman was the Batman from Legends of the Dark Knight "Shaman" storyline which had a similar approach but a far more interesting origins on when Bruce Wayne was able to become Batman. The mystical, but still credible, angle of shamanism and the psychological approach taken by DC veteran Denny O'Neil was brilliant.
Batman should not behave as the Punisher for many reasons and one of them being his implied (or explicit, I forget) promise to Gordon. And also because it is so much harder and more interesting, when written well, when Batman resists violence that gets into the Punisher territory. Batman can knock someone out, make them hurt, he may even take some pleasure from all of this, but at no point should he be going "grim and gritty" like the Punisher in that he tries to cripple the bad guys or eliminate them.

The other school of thought, that Batman is insane, makes no sense to me. We are talking about comics and so to apply the insanity argument is a little silly. It was an interesting angle in The Killing Joke and Arkham Asylum, but it was never explicit. It was always a gray area. The argument was that there is a certain amount of insanity in both the villains and heroes to do what they do. That suggestion however has been taken out of hands. Batman has Alfred as the voice of reason almost always. He is in many ways Bruce Wayne's real father. And when he adopted Dick Grayson, he had a son of sorts. Bruce has a family and friends (Superman and adult Grayson). He has of course psychological trauma, but honestly what normal adult doesn't to a degree? This issue was addressed in another great Denny O'Neill story for LOTD Venom story line. Here Bruce Wayne is almost center stage and we get to see a fracture in the relationship between Alfred and Bruce. The plot is simple and brilliant: Batman is unable to save a little girl because he was physically weak. He takes a drug to boost his strength. And afterward he starts to lose his mind. But what makes Batman compelling to me after this episode is that his sense of sanity and moral virtue was tested, but he didn't break. The traumas he encounters leave scars, but they make him stronger.

Many writers interpret Bruce/Batman many ways but I don't think the (at the very least, "disturbed") angle can be easily argued with.

I say again, consider Batman's stated goal of stopping crime and bringing justice to criminals. He COULD with his resources make a MUCH larger impact toward his goal as Bruce Wayne than as Batman.

Yet he CHOOSES the far less efficient method. He chooses the circus costume. He chooses to take a very physical, personal involvement with criminals on an individual level.

Why?

Obviously I am not dissecting Batman in terms of the comic world. By comic world standards Batman wears the suit because that is what happens in comics.

I am looking at Bruce/Batman in the same way that one might look at the classic James Bond and recognize him for a misogynist.

Bruce Wayne, by his selection of methods and tools, is loco in the cabasa.

[Lonrott]

Many writers interpret Bruce/Batman many ways but I don't think the (at the very least, "disturbed") angle can be easily argued with.

That is certainly true and my point is that it was never explicit by any of the writers--Denny O'Neill, Alan Moore, Doug Moench, Grant Morrison, Frank Miller-- that he was insane. It was suggested, but it was always debatable. But these days I notice some fans casually suggest the Batman is insane as if that makes sense.


I say again, consider Batman's stated goal of stopping crime and bringing justice to criminals. He COULD with his resources make a MUCH larger impact toward his goal as Bruce Wayne than as Batman.

I would say that is hardly true. Lt. Gordon had to go through hell to be commissioner. He faced corruption, bureaucracy, and just a general loss of morale in the city. Of course Bruce Wayne has been shown to contribute money, time and effort to help Gotham. In the "Shaman" storyline it is quite explicit that Bruce Wayne takes an interest in people. In Batman:Year Two he was almost in love (for the 1000th time). In fact in Year Two we see what he avoids on being: The Reaper, a violent vigilante who has had enough.



Yet he CHOOSES the far less efficient method. He chooses the circus costume. He chooses to take a very physical, personal involvement with criminals on an individual level.

I don't think so. The villains Batman fights are both gangsters and super villains. They operate so far outside of the norm that he is sometimes the only one who can do a thing.


Why?

Obviously I am not dissecting Batman in terms of the comic world. By comic world standards Batman wears the suit because that is what happens in comics.


I am looking at Bruce/Batman in the same way that one might look at the classic James Bond and recognize him for a misogynist.

Bruce Wayne, by his selection of methods and tools, is loco in the cabasa.

James Bond can be viewed as a misogynist no doubt, but that is to miss who he is, a spy who will do anything to protect the Crown. Now that does not mean he has not fallen in love, it just means he has no use for women who get in his way. But that is another matter.
To analyze Batman you have to consider that he is far more grounded than what is commonly viewed by some fans. I just mentioned a few of the stories. There was an excellent Batman story in LOTD where Hugo Strange tried to break down Batman psychologically. He even guessed Bruce Wayne was Batman, but he himself was going insane as the story progressed. Was he qualified to judge insanity? Again, this is debatable, but I am offering a more nuanced picture of the Batman I like.

[Random Hero 7]

Batman is complicated, but i can give u some ideas of what he shouldnt be!
Chris Noland hit him right on the dot! He can be scary and caring at the same
time. He made it that i could believe that someone could go put and do that.

Now heres wat he SHOULDNT be...The show Batman:brave and the bold
is too kind and witty, yeah great for kids and all but its not who batman
should be.But that isnt the only one, Frank Miller kinda went over board
with him. He was a compleat DICK, it was hard to not wanna kill him.
He was too rough, and too talkitive, and like a complete psychopathy!
He made criminals be in pain thier whole life, Batman takes them down
and puts them away, not cripple them. He talked waaaaaay too much,
half of wat he said dumb and crazy. He laughed like a psycho!!! HE
LAUGHED IN GENERAL, THE BATMAN DONT LAUGH!!!!!!!

So thiers my idea of wat he shouldnt be. So i guess my perfect batman
would have to be a bad ass with a heart i guess, but not a puss.