by Christopher Barr
“Adults..struggle
desperately with fiction, demanding constantly that it conforms to the rules of
everyday life. Adults foolishly demand
to know how Superman can possibly
fly, or how Batman can possibly run
a multibillion-dollar business empire during the day and fight crime at night,
when the answer is obvious even to the smallest child: because it’s not real.”
– Grant Morrison
Batman and Daredevil are two of my favorite darker
comic book characters, one from the DC universe and one from the Marvel,
respectively. Both these
men created their symbols as representations of their own fears as well as the
reality of what they were engaging themselves in.
Crime is what they are combating, because the police
from Gotham and New York appear to have their own problems with corruption and
apathy. These men have
taken it upon themselves to fight for those who can’t fight for
themselves. The heroism for
both men I think is in their own sacrifice, they’ve set aside their own
well-being and pursuit for happiness to help people.
“I run blindly through the madhouse… And I cannot even
pray… For I have no God.”
- Grant Morrison,
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered when he was a
child, so he was forced into the realities of the world at a very young
age. Bruce come from a
privileged background which makes it uncertain what kind of man he would have
grown up to be, if he and his parents went left instead of right that fateful
night. Maybe he would have
taken on more of the characteristics of his villainous foe, The Joker, because
when Batman is fighting the Joker, symbolically, Batman is fighting
himself. Comic books are
like therapy sessions without the benefit of the comfortable couch and the
hefty bill. People have
demons and Batman is no exception, so if Batman is a manifestation of a
strength Bruce Wayne only wished he could have, then the Joker conversely is
his Shadow side he must fight on a regular basis to essentially be, Bruce Wayne. I guess that’s why Batman can’t simply
kill the Joker and put an end to his anarchy, because that would be suicide,
he’d be killing a part of himself.
Matt Murdock, if the fictional universes collided,
would have a lot in common with Bruce Wayne. They could have beers and discuss
their childhoods with one another. Matt’s
father was murdered, leaving the little boy understandably devastated. But prior to that murder, Matt was
involved in an accident that separates him from Batman in the colored pages of
comics. Matt received
chemical burns to his face, blinding him, but leaving him with sonar abilities,
where he is able to see via sound waves as well as other heighten senses. He’s also been gifted with super human
strength. Matt grows up and
becomes a lawyer by day and a crime fighter by night. He has the Kingpin and Bullseye to
fight in the dark of night while the majority sleep safely in their beds.
The Dark Knight and The Man without Fear, break the
law to do what is right. They
are both seen as vigilantes but revenge is not their primary motives, it would
take a conversation with Freud for someone to see a little revenge hiding
behind their ‘good deeds’. These
are men after all that are products of their past which informs their present,
they might not have had a choice but never the less they are where they are.
Batman was originally a creation as a result of the
success of Superman but took on his own fan base soon after his debut. He was dark and gritty and less
forgiving than Superman. He
hard to fight harder because he didn’t have super powers, he had to push
himself more than Superman, who has always suffered from the problem of being
too super. Batman could get
hurt, Batman could die and that’s what we love about him, he’s more real and
relatable.
One thing that Batman does have in common with
Superman is the men who created them. Like
Ian Fleming’s James Bond, these fictional characters were created by men that
were not popular and not respected. These
characters reflected that, they were alter-egos for their creators to fantasize
through. This is the ingredient I think
that stands these iconic characters apart from those that don’t resonate, those
that only attempt to replicate.
But that’s what Batman and Daredevil are; they are
these cyphers that represent their creators and our own desires for
justice. Somehow it’s not
just good enough to catch the bad guy and turn him over to the police, like
Spider-man. Batman and
Daredevil both are far more violent with their approach to heroism, certainly
not in a nihilistic or sadistic way but I think they think it’s not just good
enough to catch them. A
lesson must be taught as well as a message must be sent, this type of activity
will not be tolerated. That’s
what my favorite characteristics about these two men are, is that they can be very
unforgiving.
“Fortunately for me, I’m not a cop. So, I can break your face into a jigsaw
puzzle if I want to…”
- Daredevil
Batman has been way more successful in the movies than
Daredevil but I do hope one day that the Devil will appear again on screen, it’s
looking like at this point the small screen will have to do. But they do need to be careful not to
lose what makes these characters so rewarding to watch, in spite of the
violence and the head aches; they have to be more than vigilantes. They have to maintain their humanity
above all, regardless of the villain in their way or in themselves. Society’s only hope is that the good
people stay good in the face of extinction.
“You think you can….turn me into a blubbering wreck….by
preying on my fears…But I’ve already faced them – and come out the other
side! I know what I am…Who I am… And I am not afraid!”
- Matt Murdock
So what does it mean to win a battle knowing you are
losing the war?
What’s
really great and inspiring about Daredevil and Batman is their attitude in
realizing that it doesn’t matter what people think, what the press and media
think. It doesn’t matter what all the
nations politicians or criminals say. It
doesn’t matter what the whole country or even world for that matter think. The idea is these men know that, it is of the
highest principle to stand up for what you believe, no matter what the odds or
the consequences are. These men know
that, morally and constitutionally, they must at all cost plant themselves like
trees, firmly next to the river of truth and shout to the world, ‘Now, you
move!!’
“Don’t talk like one of
them. You’re not! Even if you’d like to be. To them, you’re just a freak, like me! They need you right now, but when they don’t,
they’ll cast you out, like a leper! You
see, their morals, their code, it’s a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of
trouble. They’re only as good as the
world allows them to be. I’ll show
you. When the chips are down, these…. These
civilized people, they’ll eat each other.
So, I’m not a monster. I’m just
ahead of the curve.”
- The Joker
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