Ambition and ability

eople are so attracted to the story of Batman. In the DC movies, Batman can come off as slightly “cringeworthy” due to the intense gritty portrayal of the film. It could be just Ben Alffleck’s performance but I believe that there is something more. It is like how Captain America’s Bucky can come off as awkwardly serious due to his inability to emote naturally. Usually his seriousness is made fun off and turned into parodies in pop culture, like how the LEGO movie approached his character. But why is the same grittiness better translated in the Dark Knight returns comic? Was it because he has aged? Or is there something more? 

As much as it has to do with the writing, I think ability to insert ourselves into Batman’s narration is key to taking him seriously. I think Batman fulfilled our desire to leap from the victim’s place to someone who is strong enough to stand for a city’s justice.Batman’s tragic backstory is quite ordinary, which grounds him on the same level with us. His parents are killed by a robber one night and from that time on he decided to dedicate his life to fighting crime. Granted he is rich and has a personal Butler, but that is just Batman embodying more that one of most people’s fantasy: to be rich and edgy. Especially in this comic where Batman struggles with his aging body, people root for him more because he has to overcome this flaw every time he fights. We root for his personal struggle when we are given the chance to relate to him. Additionally, the narration of his thoughts also let us appreciate the every little decision he makes.

Personally, I think the most attractive aspect of Batman is not his secret lair and the double life, but how the author justifies his actions and morals. In the Dark Knight returns, Batman’s violent actions are justified by his lack of options and that his justice ascend beyond political media play. There is a constant struggle between everyone in Gotham because each has their own interpretation of what true justice is. The old commissioners justice is about the end rather than the means, the new commissioners’ justice is about the means rather than the end. Everyone is competing for the soul of Gotham and Batman just doesn’t care about what the soul of Gotham should look like, but how to rescue it. I think the film the Dark Knight returns took this motive and boiled it down to his rivalry with the Joker for s clearer story line. I think the best storyline that could have come out from the adaptation is putting Ledger’s joker against the aging Batman. They are both aged, torn and bitter but both have such different views on Gotham. I wish I could have seen that film.