This is a 100% fair criticism of my comment tbh. I do have a pretty surface level understanding of Batman, and I let my real life frustration with billionaires inform the points in my comment. I’ll take it easier on Bruce Wayne but fuck all other billionaires.
And then, recidivism. He goes right back to being the bad guy.
The message is that you can’t ever trust the offender. Even though it seems like they’ve gotten their life together, they are a minute away from returning to evil. The message they are sending is that all “rehabilitation” is temporary at best.
There’s nothing to fix, he’s just like that.
Exactly. They are saying that rehabilitation can’t possibly work; the bad guy can never change.
The lesson actually being taught is that the hero’s naivete enables the villain’s future harm. The villain should never be trusted again, because rehabilitation is an impossibility. Trust and compassion are the hero’s true weaknesses.
Batman is not about rehabilitation.
There are plenty of stories available of former bad guys getting their lives together and becoming heroes themselves. Those are stories of rehabilitation. Batman is not.
It’s an easy thing to assume is true because there is no such thing as a moral billionaire in real life which is why I always call it out.
That said, Bruce Wayne is a conflicted individual. He carries opposing beliefs and his actions regularly betray his cause. But I think that’s kind of the point. He’s deeply flawed and still haunted by childhood trauma which he hasn’t healed from
What comic run would you recommend that best illustrates this? My comment was more of a joke about ethical billionaires and capital worship, but I am genuinely interested in this angle if you have suggestions.
The Wayne Family Adventures on Webtoon touches on the Trauma of the entire Bat-Family at various points. Though it’s usually light-hearted and funny, it hits harder than you’d expect here and there.
There’s a couple seasons worth of comics you can binge for free to see if you like it. I may be a little biased, because I’ve always liked Jason Todd and his trauma gets touched on a few times.
I don’t think there is a series that focuses on philanthropy, like I was saying it’s just kind of peppered in there because it’s boring content for a comic lol
This is probably a bad example - Frank Miller has a series where he tries stopping gun violence through outreach and policy. Not really mental health or poverty but that’s where that panel of Batman breaking a gun in half comes from.
This is a 100% fair criticism of my comment tbh. I do have a pretty surface level understanding of Batman, and I let my real life frustration with billionaires inform the points in my comment. I’ll take it easier on Bruce Wayne but fuck all other billionaires.
Its also worth noting that multiple curses on Gotham have been revealed, making it so that no matter what things can’t improve.
Also yeah, the reason batman doesn’t just murder bad guys is because its about rehabilitation, not punishment.
Lots and lots of rehab if the games are canonical.
He’s not dead, he’s just sleeping.
It’s about the appearance of rehab.
If it was actually about rehab, the Joker would have become a hero himself.
The real message is that rehab doesn’t work, and the hero is too naive to realize it.
The joker has become a hero in the past. The joker also is the sole character whos defining characteristics basically is he’s crazy not insane
There’s nothing to fix, he’s just like that.
And then, recidivism. He goes right back to being the bad guy.
The message is that you can’t ever trust the offender. Even though it seems like they’ve gotten their life together, they are a minute away from returning to evil. The message they are sending is that all “rehabilitation” is temporary at best.
Exactly. They are saying that rehabilitation can’t possibly work; the bad guy can never change.
The lesson actually being taught is that the hero’s naivete enables the villain’s future harm. The villain should never be trusted again, because rehabilitation is an impossibility. Trust and compassion are the hero’s true weaknesses.
Batman is not about rehabilitation.
There are plenty of stories available of former bad guys getting their lives together and becoming heroes themselves. Those are stories of rehabilitation. Batman is not.
You might prefer Absolute Batman. He lives lower middle class, works blue collar jobs, and still has his mom.
And drives the coolest batmobile truck/thing. Don’t forget the coolest batmobile truck/thing.
It’s an easy thing to assume is true because there is no such thing as a moral billionaire in real life which is why I always call it out.
That said, Bruce Wayne is a conflicted individual. He carries opposing beliefs and his actions regularly betray his cause. But I think that’s kind of the point. He’s deeply flawed and still haunted by childhood trauma which he hasn’t healed from
What comic run would you recommend that best illustrates this? My comment was more of a joke about ethical billionaires and capital worship, but I am genuinely interested in this angle if you have suggestions.
The Wayne Family Adventures on Webtoon touches on the Trauma of the entire Bat-Family at various points. Though it’s usually light-hearted and funny, it hits harder than you’d expect here and there.
There’s a couple seasons worth of comics you can binge for free to see if you like it. I may be a little biased, because I’ve always liked Jason Todd and his trauma gets touched on a few times.
I don’t think there is a series that focuses on philanthropy, like I was saying it’s just kind of peppered in there because it’s boring content for a comic lol
This is probably a bad example - Frank Miller has a series where he tries stopping gun violence through outreach and policy. Not really mental health or poverty but that’s where that panel of Batman breaking a gun in half comes from.