Cape Crusader, Moral Philosopher: Batman’s Humanity and its Implication in our Times
We all have heroes in our mind. These heroes can either be based from fiction or reality. As children, it is not uncommon for us to encounter heroes through different means such as watching television or reading comics. Because heroes appeal to us, there are even times when we like to imitate them, too. For example, some children would copy their favorite heroes by dressing up just like them, pretending as if they share the same physical attributes. Of all the attributes of heroes, it is the immaterial that makes them quite appealing to us, though. Despite these attributes vary, universal traits of hero are very salient and may include bravery, intelligence, and of course, compassion to others. A hero in our mind is not enough that he or she can slay the dragons with dashing technique—he or she must also do this in the purpose of helping others. Such is apt for the traditional type of hero and we do have a bunch of them. Yet what happens when the hero does not share all of these attributes and deviates much from what is expected?
Vilja Johnson discusses this intriguing issue on this new type of hero. In her article published in The Journal of Popular Culture, she addresses the extraordinary case of Batman in Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of the dark-suited hero we all have known as children. Johnson (2014) dissects the humanity of Batman from this trilogy, although focusing more on Batman as The Dark Knight. For Johnson (2014), Batman is no doubt a hero but not the ordinary or traditional type. The character in The Dark Knight (Nolan, 2008) quickly created a research impetus from the likes of Johnson (2014) who considers Batman as a complex protagonist with morally perplexing implication especially evident in postmodern times. For Johnson (2014), Nolan has succeeded in portraying Batman as a “troubled hero” (p. 953). But what Johnson (2014) probably describes Batman as a hero who is troubled? First of all, we all know the life story of Batman—his gloomy and revenge-seeking character as the cape crusader is the result of a childhood trauma where his wealthy parents have been murdered in front of him. But the troubled past of either avenging Batman or as the billionaire scientist and playboy Bruce Wayne is not revealed by Johnson (2014) as something that makes him a troubled hero. Instead, Johnson (2014) argues that Batman can be a morally flawed hero with human tendency to decide what can be morally ambiguous. Whether this is good or bad, Johnson (2014) shares to us how this type of hero is fitting in the postmodern period. Unlike other superheroes, Batman is mortal just like us. He has no superhuman powers, relying only on clever tactic, sworn revenge, undeniable brilliance, modern gadgets, and vast wealth. His painful childhood is a reminder to us that he is close to us being a mere mortal, with the ability to share human feelings, regardless whether these are pleasant or not. In other words, Johnson (2014) rekindles us the notion that even morally complicated mortals can possibly become heroes because in the end, it’s the valiant acts that make a hero ‘heroic’.
Johnson (2014) is not alone in depicting Batman as a flawed and complicated hero. In the article by a scholar of the same surname—Johnson (2014), Batman is also described as a paragon of good and light but also a model for a Byronic hero, sharing similar qualities of postmodern protagonists as described by Johnson (2014). In the similar fashion, Plencner,Kraľovičová and Stropko (2014) write in their paper that Batman actually fits on the league of contemporary heroes that are seen as transitioning, especially in moral context. According to Plencner, Kraľovičová and Stropko (2014), heroes—especially in mainstream media such as films and comics, have transformed into a postmodern protagonist where the hero retains messianic attributes while they still contain “deeply human personal qualities” (p.79). Unlike the traditional hero who is loved for all his or her full perfection and goodness, the modern hero has been a total reflection of postmodernism: secularity, relativism, and a different set of ethics are evident, which can easily include Batman (Plencner,Kraľovičová&Stropko, 2014).
Just like Johnson (2014), there are some points where it can be agreed. First of all, several traditional heroes that we know have superhuman bloodlines that we can hardly relate. The Greek heroes and the Marvel comics darling, Clark Kent, are just fine examples wherein either they are a lovechild of a god or an offspring of an alien. Batman’s flesh and blood are just like ours. He is mortal just like us; despite he has more developed multiple skills. Second, the transformation of heroes in contemporary time may not only be inevitable but also more of a reflection of our own society. In this period of counter-terrorism and digital information, the likes of Batman are needed to preserve the basic sense of mass security. More interestingly, this is very complementary in our modern problems, such as the case of 9/11 attack in United States, which has only blurred lines between reality and fiction as some scholars notice similarity to the anarchy-loving Joker in the Gotham City (Johnson, 2014). The postmodern hero is faced with a moral dilemma unique to his or her time and situation and this is how Batman fits. Finally, we can highlight the notion of a hero by Johnson (2014) wherein heroes common in postmodern depictions are not perfect creatures and more often than not, the imperfection can be on moral aspect. It must be noticed that, despite Joker is revealed as the enemy of Batman in the film of Nolan (2008), the latter refused to kill the villain, moving away from our typical expectation of a hero where he or she has to finish the enemy in order to keep things in order.
In a summary, I think Johnson (2015) has provided us a very intriguing analysis and discussion that is also as complicated as the caped crusader himself. For most parts, I find myself agreeing with—although it will be difficult at first to love an offbeat hero (e. g. violent, vengeful, and terrifying like Batman). Yet her article provokes us the reality that we have today. Indeed, we are subtly moving in the postmodern phase where a hero does not necessarily have to have superhuman powers. Even more importantly, the hero that we now have does not have to be characteristically perfect—which means even the most morally flawed person can qualify as a hero, if he or she places the interest of the majority over his or her own ulterior motives. This, no doubt, makes Batman very relatable to us. He seeks revenge for deeply personal reason but breaks even the most common laws in order to pursue purer interest, which is to eradicate criminal activities in the Gotham City to save people from experiencing the same loss he had as a child.
References
Johnson, V. (2014). “It's What You Do that Defines You:” Christopher Nolan's Batman as Moral Philosopher. The Journal of Popular Culture, 47(5), 952-967.
Johnson, M. J. (2014). Recapturing the Byronic Hero: Christopher Nolan's Batman Films.
Plencner, A., Kraľovičová, D., &Stropko, M. (2014).Hero transformations in contemporary mainstream film. European Journal of Science and Theology, 10(1), 79-92.
Nolan, C. (2012). The Dark Knight Trilogy.Unites States: Warner Bros. Pictures
