Get Ready For Batman Day!

This Saturday, September 17^th is Batman Day, celebrating what is arguably the most popular super hero in the world. Which is pretty neat trick for a guy with no super powers.

He can’t bend steel in his bare hands like Superman. He can’t do whatever a spider can like Spiderman.

He doesn’t have a cool weapon like Iron Man’s armor or Green Lantern’s power ring.

Heck, he doesn’t even have a signature talent that he has honed to almost being a super power like Green Arrow’s ability to fire off pointed sticks. 

No mutations, magic, radiation or science gone wrong for this guy. Batman is just this guy, you know. Batman is just like you, only better. He’s no stronger than the average human but he’s turned his body into a living weapon. His brain is no bigger than yours but training and study lets Batman do more with his brain than you’ll ever do with yours. 

Yes, Batman is impossibly good at what he does. No one in the real world has the combination of wealth, stamina and drive that makes Batman exceptional. Yet, Batman can be stopped, he can be hurt. He may have pushed his limits farther than we can ever image pressing our own but nonetheless, he still has limits. And so as impossible as it might be for someone to be as good as Batman is in the comics and elsewhere, there is still that little spark inside of us that says, “I could be Batman.”  

But who is Batman? Well, the short answer is he’s Bruce Wayne who as a child watched his parents gunned by a common criminal. Dedicating his life and his wealth to the cause of seeking his parents killer and protecting others from criminals, Bruce was inspired by a bat to adopt a disguise that would strike fear in the hearts of criminals. And thus Batman and how he came to be. 

But the bigger question is who is Batman to you? The answer to that is more malleable than the details of his origin. In many ways, Batman is who you think he is. 

He’s the Caped Crusader, fighting outrageous villains and their over the top evil plans. 

He’s the Gotham Guardian, a grim avenger of the night who preys on the lowly criminals who terrorize Gotham City’s innocent citizens.

He’s the Dark Knight Detective, a razor sharp mind at war with massive worldwide criminal activity. 

He’s a loner, shielded by darkness as shadows follow him in the folds of his dark cloak.

He’s a father figure to a virtual family of costumed heroes who help the Batman in his mission, his war against crime.

 He’s a member of the Justice League where no less than Superman is his best friend. 

He’s driven in his quest, focused like a laser on the evils that afflict his city and his world.

He’s compassionate to the lone victim of a crime, keenly aware of the pain that can crack a human heart. 

He’s a straight arrow, earnest and honest to a fault.

He’s obsessed, driven and quite possibly insane.

He’s the sanest man in the world. 

Who is Batman to you? Maybe the Batman from the 1960s TV show is Batman to you. 

Or it could be Michael Keaton from the 1989 Batman movie that catapulted Batman's popularity into the stratosphere. Or perhaps it was Christian Bale's turn as Batman in the 21st century. Maybe one of those is your Batman.

 

Or is the Batman from Bruce Timm’s animation team your Batman?

Is your Batman from the comics? Even from just that one medium, there have been so many takes on the Batman. Batman vs. gangsters! Batman vs. aliens! Batman vs. a maniacal clown who torments Gotham with his capers OR a maniacal clown who slaughters innocents for his amusement! (It’s the SAME clown!) Batman vs. a woman with a  thing for cats! Batman vs. ghosts, monsters, super powered villains, costumed bad guys with weird gimmicks! 

Batman in a back alley! Batman on the top of city spires! Batman jetting across the world! Batman in outer space! 

Each one can be Batman to you. And no matter what you choose, you will be right. 

That’s all for today. I’ll be back with another post tomorrow. Until next time, remember to be good to one another.

And also remember that Saturday, September 17^th is Batman Day! Thanks, Batman!