Many citizens have all marveled at superheroes, beings far more capable than any person on this Earth. One of the many superheroes that has caught our fancy in the past decade is Batman, the Dark Knight. He fights for the city of Gotham under a black mask and outfit. His city needs him to combat the maniacal villains roaming the streets. But what if these villains weren’t all they were made up to be? What if these villains were something much more personal for Batman, much more than a duty he was serving for his city?

There have been many theories around Batman’s nemeses and their real identities; the villains of Gotham City are part of what make the Batman universe so interesting and different. Bruce Wayne has a complicated past. He struggles immensely through his life. What if Batman was not really a tangible figure, but a coping mechanism for Wayne in his time of need? The story of Batman could be the internal struggles of Wayne to combat the evil within him embodied by the Dark Knight’s villains. The nature of this investigation is to explore how this theory came to be and still is relevant in the DC Comics multiverse and, particularly, Gotham City. Batman is adored by generations of dreamers, citizens who strive to be like Batman and/or simply enjoy the story many authors have told through him. This theory that twists the whole idea of Batman is potentially ground-breaking for fans everywhere; it is important that they know what is truly intended. His conflict as Batman goes inside his mind and roots itself among the cleansing of his emotion and evil.

The villains of the Batman storyline define the story. In many ways, they serve as literary foils to Batman. They express personalities Bruce Wayne fears to become. Batman, on the other hand, serves as Bruce Wayne’s escape from a world crushed before him in someone he wants to be. The Batman-Joker literary foil is perhaps the most discussed foil in the entire series. The Joker is a lunatic driven mad at a young age. He is ruthless, imprudent, and impulsive. To counteract that force, Batman serves the night’s justice. He is the savior in the night who makes everything better. The Dark Knight is wise, just, and fair. Batman, for example, refuses to resort to the uses of guns because that is how Wayne’s parents were murdered. The foils between Wayne’s Batman and his villains is vital to understanding the depth of the series. The tie between Batman and Hamlet is apparently evident. Hamlet seeks justice after the death of his father through putting “an antic disposition on” (I, v 172). Hamlet’s direct foil is Claudius, as Batman foils the Joker. Claudius is a much more composed villain in Shakespeare’s masterpiece than the work of Bob Kane. However, the foil is still relevant. Both Wayne and Hamlet seek to escape the cruel reality of what has happened through justifying it in their own regard. Hamlet and Batman both murder with the justice they feel is right.

There are already so many tropes associated with the Batman series (depending on what series one may be referring to as a defining source). For instance, the Batman television show that premiered in the 60s was very much a portrayal of Batman as the one-dimensional character he was known as when he started out on the pages of Sunday comics. The Batman of television is far different than that of the Batman of film to that of the Dark Knight of comics (depending on the decade). The Batman universe, like most things, changes over time with new direction and storylines. Whether that new direction is defined by a new director, or a new author or illustrator for the comics, Batman has changed. Over time, Batman has transformed to be much deeper than we could ever imagine.

In the DC Comics multiverse, villains have brought in the interest of so many people because of their utter practicality and pragmatism. Fans flock to the Batman universe almost instantly for the quality of villain provided by the likes of Bob Kane, Grant Morrison, Dan Slott, Alan Moore, etc. (writers responsible for one or more story arcs within the Batman universe). This is why games and story lines like the Arkham Asylum arc have become so popular. Fans of Batman generally admire his villains for their ruthlessness and backstories. Arkham Asylum, the maximum prison/detention center for villains of Gotham City, has housed all of the villains that will come into question in regards to this theory. Arkham Asylum is very much a parallel to the mind of Bruce Wayne, who deals with an embodiment of each of these villains within his own mind. Each villain haunts him, and that is why he fights.

The question of what makes literature is surely a pursuit of note. Literature is everything that tells a story in words. Comic books simply use the help of illustrations to convey that point more effectively. Here are some great examples in the Joker- Batman literary foil below:

Illustration from Kubert, Andy. Batman 23.1. Vol. 23.1. N.p.: DC Comics, 2013. Print.

This illustration comes from DC Comics’ villain month of last October where popular DC heroes were replaced for that month’s issue with their respective primary villain. In this issue (Batman 23.1), Joker’s origin is unveiled in quite a personal way. These particular four frames always stood out to me because they perfectly illustrate why comics and movies can sometimes have greater narrative value than words. Where Andy Kubert, the author of this issue, cannot find a suitable way to convey the Joker’s feelings at the zoo, he uses an illustration. So many aspects of this artwork make the frames work where words may have failed.

The Joker’s reflection in the first frame introduces his melancholy disposition to two gorillas, perhaps a metaphor/simile to Joker’s behavior and family history. There has never been a clear Joker origin story, therefore we assume, as readers, the Joker has had a tough time with at least one of his parents in his sadness seeing this baby gorilla with his or her father or mother. Then, (this is where the illustration takes on such an intricate reading into) the parallel is apparently made between the baby gorilla and the Joker through the shadowing and lines on their face. The Joker’s reaction and his face of realization in the third frame always hits that level of personal connection for many a man has experienced that same utter, cruel reality he does not want to face. It is a face of fear and sadness. Finally, the baby gorilla looks up at the Joker with such an ominous tone it strikes more fear in him. The Joker is the baby gorilla and has experienced his conflict.

Two illustrations from Aparo, Jim. A Death in the Family. Vol. 428. N.p.: DC Comics, 1982. Print. Batman.

Batman’s loss of sidekick Jason Todd as the second Robin will never be forgotten as some of the most powerful illustrations in the series. Words fail here to convey Batman’s grief and failure. Wayne is transported back to a time of loss in his life of family and friends. Batman operates alone for a long time after that. Wayne avoids any attachments to humanly figures. The second frame is all a background of darkness to heavily emphasize his sadness. It is dark to the point of not even being able to see Batman’s face. This creates an atmosphere of utter despair and loss. Aparo, the illustrator for this issue, perfectly accomplished this in these two frames.

What is essential to the Batman-Joker foil/parallel is their similar upbringing. They come from families of loss. The Joker has this undefined problem with his past as a struggling comedian and a failed family life. Wayne comes from a successful family who lost because of a tragedy. Both characters foil the other and ultimately fail to see their similarities. In both illustrations, the Joker and Batman are instantly transported back to their own time of loss and they become scared and full of grief as they were as children. This theme speaks volumes for the literary value in the Batman series. The Joker’s similarities with Batman make an instant real-life connection to humans. A man may think he is far different from another whom he despises. However, in reality, they may be very much alike, but fail to communicate or educate themselves on the other. It is a human flaw we experience and one that is so elegantly told in the Joker-Batman foil and parallel.

There are more foils in the Batman universe than just the Joker-Batman foil, on the contrary. Batman’s relationship with all his villains define his fears and aspects he does not wish to take ownership of. For instance, the Catwoman-Batman relationship is one severe complication. For some time, there was a lingering of romance in the air between them. However, Batman soon realizes Catwoman’s lack of prudence and willingness to do the right thing. Wayne would never be associated with this, so he pushes her aside. Batman’s foil to Mr. Freeze is also one of the most complex villain-hero relationships in the DC Universe. Mr. Freeze fights initially so that he can save his wife and then avenge her death. This is very similar to the Sandman in the Spiderman universe. The Sandman has a daughter dying of leukemia and a drunkard wife. His past as a convict prevents him from acquiring any work. Does this make him wrong in pursuing crime for his daughter’s aid? Mr. Freeze’s origin story is that of utter tragedy. He was a brilliant molecular biologist who met his wife at the lab. They were very happy together, until his wife contracted a terminal illness. With the hopes of encapsulating her with a freeze ray under his construction, Mr. Freeze undergoes an industrial accident in the process. He tragically kills his wife in the blast instead of saving her. In the accident, he also dooms himself to wear a cryogenic suit because of the temperature at which his body was frozen. The industrial accident was all due to Batman and Robin swinging in to save the day and prevent Mr. Freeze from creating his freeze ray. They were ultimately successful in that mission, but at a tragic cost. Is Mr. Freeze’s moral responsibility to avenge his wife or is he simply driven mad by his hope and its despair? Questions like these show the gravity comics can sometimes not fully explain on the surface. They require some inference and deep thinking to uncover the often sad truths they hold.

To reiterate, comic books can often be more powerful than the normal novel. They help illustrate in art integral human emotion that is often failed to be communicated in the words of meager authors. The great comic book illustrator can successfully communicate more effectively in comics than the average author of novels or noir. Comic books tell a story that often require a significant depth of visual analysis coinciding with literary analysis. A good comic book reader can initially pick up on the themes in a series through illustrations and writing styles. It is wrong to categorically pigeon-hole comic books into some sub-par writing category. Graphic novels in the Batman series such as A Killing Joke and A Death in the Family surely disprove that precept.

In interviewing the owner of the local comic book shop, it was found that Batman’s internal conflict is indeed complex to a great degree. The owner, Mike, is well-versed as a comic book geek and entrepreneur. His credibility was not questioned as he grew up with these stories evolving in the late 70s and early 80s. When asked “What is your stance on Batman’s villains serving as foils and definitions of himself,” he answered “Well, this is nearly a universal truth. Hardcore Batman fans like myself know that Batman’s villains make the series what it is. The blockbuster movies would not have nearly been the same or continued if it weren’t for Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight film.” It was also asked how frequently this theory is made evident in the comics. Mike replied in saying, “Well, early Batman in Detective Comics was not all that deep. It was meant to serve as a weekly installation that readers could casually enjoy. Now, with of hardcore fans who originated in the 70s, Batman comics have chronicled his evolution as a human, Wayne, and not just a superhero. This is very similar to what Marvel Comics had to start doing to appeal to their core audience. When the AIDS crisis was a problem in the 80s, the Marvel made note of it in the Hulk series. Jim Wilson, a friend of the Hulk, actually dies sometime in the early 90s because of AIDS. Batman has taken on a much personal note with longtime readers. With the onset of The New 52, DC Comics’ new line of superheroes, Batman and Robin have taken on adventuring in a very serious manner with villains making key entrances in nearly every issue.”

It was extremely useful to interview a well-versed, longtime reader of Batman. Not only was the interviewee the longtime owner of Cloak & Dagger Comics in Ormond Beach, but someone who was willing to help the credibility of this paper with his knowledge. His love for what he does was made evident to the interviewer through his quick responses and vocabulary. He is no unlearned man, but in fact, a very well-taught scholar who decided to commit his life to the literature he found most fitting and entertaining to him. He always says it is the best feeling going home to his kids and watching their eyes light up as he tells them the next installation of a hero’s story.

Bruce Wayne was just a boy of eight when he saw his parents murdered walking outside with them from an opera performance. Forced to live with his ill found guilt and responsibility for their deaths, Wayne grew up with few friends being raised in the same manor by his butler Alfred Pennyworth. Coming from a background of extreme wealth rooted in Wayne Enterprises, Bruce had no trouble attending the college of his choice. Later in life, he would be confronted by real challenges from the likes of Ra’s al Ghul in taking Wayne on as a mentor and later endangering all Wayne loved in Gotham. It was through al Ghul that Bruce became able to fight under his alias. However, it was also through him that another villain was made.

Gotham is not a particularly bright, happy place to begin with. It is a sincere reflection of what Bob Kane, the creator of Batman alongside Bill Finger, envisioned Wayne’s mind to be in - utter turmoil and chaos. Best pictured in the 2005 film Batman Begins, Gotham City has no independently sustainable police force nor a straight edged political system. The complete lack of what should be right is why Wayne finds solace there. It is a place to which he can relate. After all, his alias is named after the one thing that always struck fear in him as a child. Batman uses that original fear to channel good and to vanquish all evil from Gotham City.

Many moments have defined Batman as a hero. Several story arcs like Arkham Asylum have painted an extremely genuine picture of the Dark Knight. In the 80s storyline Batman: A Death in the Family as aforementioned, sidekick Jason Todd (the Robin who replaced Dick Grayson) is murdered at the hands of the Joker while investigating a crime in the Middle East. Wayne becomes so instantly transported back to the alleyway where his parents were shot (Batman never uses a gun for this reason, as aforementioned) and laments for months following the tragedy. Wayne has also experienced failure time and time again in his work as a vigilante. The death of police commissioner Gordon’s wife by the hands of the Joker was a blow to everything Batman stands for. Wayne’s world becomes complicated time and time again, but Batman takes his fears and makes them his strengths. The film Batman Begins best illustrates this overcoming of fear with a solid twenty-minute focus on young Bruce Wayne and his conquering of the fear of bats. Wayne becomes the matters to which he is afraid. It is what makes Batman such a resilient, callous hero.

The Joker and Batman are two characters who parallel better than any other hero-villain pair of the comic world. Batman embodies his villains in his struggle and his fight. His conflict is man vs. himself, rather than man vs. man. However, to think that the medium through which his story is told should be miscounted is a falsehood. Comic books are often criticized for their lack of literary value, of age-old cliché writing. However, as shown in this essay, stories such as Batman’s can serve on much more integral, literary levels. Wayne undergoes conflict similar to and much more illustrated than many literary greats such as Hamlet. Batman’s internal conflict conveys the depth a medium can have. If anything, comic books make this story of depth that much more powerful. Through illustration and a key narrative of asides and thoughts, comic books should not be misjudged simply for their childlike nature and appeal. Graphic novels such as V for Vendetta, Watchmen, and even A Killing Joke from the Batman series have all shown the gravity and weight of some narratives in comics. It is merely wrong to leave the medium of comic books out of studied literature and is ultimately why the research question posed to the writer and reader is worthy to be classified under the category of English. Batman has equivocated himself among many other famous literary greats. He should not be misjudged. His story is one of great significance with ties to the struggles of everyday life as a human. There is a much more important psychosis in Batman than we may observe on the surface. He is not merely our savior in the night, but a troubled man lost of nearly all desire.