Batman's Point Of View?

[KurtW92]

I have been working on a series of Batman-related origin stories over the last couple of years, and whilst doing so I have been carrying out a lot of research and analysis into the various characters in the stories, mostly on the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman, as a way to help develop the character and write better from his point of view.

In doing so, the one question I keep finding myself coming back to is - What is Bruce Wayne/Batman's point of view/outlook?

The argument I have is that he could be either Optimistic - As he feels that Gotham is worthy (and capable) of being saved, and so is willing to go to extreme lengths to make this happen, or that he is Pessimistic - As he feels that the normal, legal institutions (e.g. Police, FBI, justice system, etc.) are insufficient to tackle the problem of crime in Gotham, and so he feels he has to resort to these extreme actions to rid the city of crime.

Maybe you think he is a little bit of both to some degree, or maybe he is neither? I would love to get some other's input's on this to see what other people think about this topic!

[bat39]

The answer depends on the creator in question, the overall tone of the work, and even what kind of tone DC in general is aiming for at the time.

I'd say that the Nolanverse definitely aims for the Optimistic end of the spectrum, as does perhaps Grant Morrison's version of the character...while something like, say, the DCEU version at least started out Pessimistic (but will move closer to the Optimistic side in future films, I'm guessing). Most versions would be somewhere in between in that he does believe Gotham is worth saving but at the same time realizes that this is an ideal which may never be fulfilled and which the police and legal system are incapable of delivering on.

[KurtW92]

Thanks, that's a great answer - I guess I was trying to think of the character more as a generalisation than in terms of the specific versions of the character, but what you're saying is right, in that each different take has different motivations/outlooks on what he does.

Perhaps it also comes down to what his long-term goals are - i.e. Nolanverse Batman intends it to be a mission with an end (The end of the mission being success and retirement, a la Dark Knight Rises) as compared to a Batman that intends to do this until for the rest of his life and likely die in battle, which would inherently be a much more pessimistic outlook.

[GigiFusc]

I think Batman has always been an optimistic character to me. During his vast length of time, he has gone through periods where he might have lost hope or seemed pessimistic, but for me, that just mirrors real life.

He loves his city and he feels protective towards its citizens, so much so that he puts his life on the line everyday for them - he fights against anyone who threatens them and despises corruption.

The self imposed philosophy of not killing and not using guns is also a strong indicator that he is a positive person - he chooses life over death if possible.

if nothing else, batman represents the hope that we all must have in order to survive - without hope, humans cannot survive. The people of Gotham find that hope in Batman.

[t hedge coke]

If he was really pessimistic about everything, you'd think he'd have stopped trying so hard, by now.

[JBatmanFan05]

The argument I have is that he could be either Optimistic - As he feels that Gotham is worthy (and capable) of being saved, and so is willing to go to extreme lengths to make this happen, or that he is Pessimistic - As he feels that the normal, legal institutions (e.g. Police, FBI, justice system, etc.) are insufficient to tackle the problem of crime in Gotham, and so he feels he has to resort to these extreme actions to rid the city of crime.

These are bad labels for these. Batman feels that the normal, legal institutions (e.g. Police, FBI, justice system, etc.) are insufficient to tackle the problem of crime in Gotham AND feels that Gotham is worthy (and capable) of being saved.

The self imposed philosophy of not killing and not using guns is also a strong indicator that he is a positive person - he chooses life over death if possible.

Yes.


Batman is a Game of Thrones character & a superhero character. He's a cynical realist and yet he's positive and hopeful.

[Kingcrimsonprog]

I think it depends on when in Batman's life.

If someone has recently died he is pessimistic and angry (His parents, Jason, Vesper etc.) and he goes to despair when his status-quo is shook up significantly (ie. Babs getting paralysed, his own back broken, Jim shot, Gotham abandoned by the government) but also when he gets a new child sidekick he gets optimistic and paternal and lighter and he isn't always either angry or despairing.

He's like a recovering alcoholic who gets sober sometimes but falls off the wagon other times... He keeps going dark and having to learn his lesson that he needs family and isn't really a loner.

His point of view changes over time, like real people.

[KurtW92]

Thanks for your replies, it's so good to see some more insight into the character, especially to see others points of views on him - Thanks again!

[SicariiDC]

[QUOTE=Kingcrimsonprog;191653
He's like a recovering alcoholic who gets sober sometimes but falls off the wagon other times... He keeps going dark and having to learn his lesson that he needs family and isn't really a loner.[/QUOTE]

Of everything said, I like this the most. Despair is like an addiction to him