Is Batman Broken?

[Warmonger]

Completely agree. I'm worried that even if Suicide Squad sucks, people with still defend it to their last breath just because they can't distinguish between good characters and bad writing.

Yep

I was initially pretty excited when they first announced it (I was a pretty big fan of the Ostrander/McDonnell run from the late 80's/early 90's).

But then I saw Jared Leto's Joker...

Now, I don't know if this is some new Joker inspired by the New 52 or something (I'm pretty much completely ignorant when it comes to the New 52, the only series I followed on a regular basis was Grayson), but this is hands down the lamest, most uncharacteristic portrayal of the Joker that I've seen. At least cosmetically.

A Joker with platinum teeth, face tattoos, and a sparkly purple pimp coat?

He looks like someone dropped Lil Wayne into a vat of baby powder.

It also seems like that Jai Courtney guy single handedly ruins every movie he's in.

Seems like a lot of DC fanboys are defending these movies because they have a "darker tone". Which I think is pretty ridiculous.

At the core of it all, these are still spandex clad superheroes fighting equally goofy and over the top supervillains. Constantly portraying them in a super serious, super dark tone is infinitely sillier to me than embracing their comic roots.

[Lhynn]

Dark movies get tiring fast. You need a contrast or the dark and gritty of a movie simply doesnt have an impact.
The first sin city movie got this right. The 3 stories at its core were about someone caring about someone else. With bright colors and over the top action, so that the really dark stuff that happened there, like child rape, church corruption and violence in general actually had a meaning. A movie needs a heart, otherwise its just a waste of everyones time. And DC movies in general have lacked that.
Only real exception has been nolans batman, where the light was brought by alfred, those movies would not have worked without him.

[blackbolt396]

Batman is not broken , I really think some fans just say things for shock value.

[Warmonger]

Another big problem with the portrayal of Batman in BvS is how they're essentially kicking off the DCEU with an even more cynical, more violent take on Miller's TDKR version of the character.

That's just dumb to me.

But since they've already done it...then run with it.

No cop outs.

Batman has been telling us for decades that he won't kill because he knows there's no coming back from it. He isn't going to kill multiple criminals, and then all of the sudden go back to beating the **** out of them and leaving them in the hands of Gotham's finest. He knows that once he crosses that line, he would essentially transform into a Frank Castle/Rorschach-esque vigilante and slaughter criminals for the rest of his days with no remorse.

So to portray him in that light only to have Superman come back and "reform" him just in time for Justice League would be lame as hell.

[batnbreakfast]

Batman is not Professor X, he's a loner, a driven vigilante.
It's Batman & Robin not Batman & Robin & Robin & Robin & Batgirl & Batgirl & Spoiler & Batwing & Nightwing & Batwoman & Ace & Batcow & Alfred (the cat) & Alfred (the butler) & Alfred's daughter & Jim Gordon

More screentime for Alfred (the butler) and Jim Gordon, please

[Agent Z]

Another big problem with the portrayal of Batman in BvS is how they're essentially kicking off the DCEU with an even more cynical, more violent take on Miller's TDKR version of the character.

That's just dumb to me.

But since they've already done it...then run with it.

No cop outs.

Batman has been telling us for decades that he won't kill because he knows there's no coming back from it. He isn't going to kill multiple criminals, and then all of the sudden go back to beating the **** out of them and leaving them in the hands of Gotham's finest. He knows that once he crosses that line, he would essentially transform into a Frank Castle/Rorschach-esque vigilante and slaughter criminals for the rest of his days with no remorse.

So to portray him in that light only to have Superman come back and "reform" him just in time for Justice League would be lame as hell.

The only reason that was ever said in the comics was to maintain a status quo. If Batman does became like the Punisher it's because that's what the writers wanted.

[Agent Z]

Batman is not Professor X, he's a loner, a driven vigilante.
It's Batman & Robin not Batman & Robin & Robin & Robin & Batgirl & Batgirl & Spoiler & Batwing & Nightwing & Batwoman & Ace & Batcow & Alfred (the cat) & Alfred (the butler) & Alfred's daughter & Jim Gordon

More screentime for Alfred (the butler) and Jim Gordon, please

Yes he's such a loner. That's he had Alfred, Jim Gordon etc. Because he's always alone.

[GigiFusc]

Batman is not Professor X, he's a loner, a driven vigilante.

It's Batman & Robin not Batman & Robin & Robin & Robin & Batgirl & Batgirl & Spoiler & Batwing & Nightwing & Batwoman & Ace & Batcow & Alfred (the cat) & Alfred (the butler) & Alfred's daughter & Jim Gordon

More screentime for Alfred (the butler) and Jim Gordon, please

Had to laugh at that.

[SiegePerilous02]

Yes he's such a loner. That's he had Alfred, Jim Gordon etc. Because he's always alone.

Calling him a complete loner has never been accurate, but I don't think surrounding him with like 20 other vigilantes suits him either.

And when people criticize the Bat-Family, they don't mean Alfred and Gordon. Neither one of them are costumed vigilantes, are not teenagers, and serve a purpose as supporting characters. Pointing at Alfred and Gordon and saying "well, those two have always been around, so clearly it's ok to add as many new characters as possible to Batman" has never made sense.

[Batarang]

No, Batman is not broken. I love Loner, grim and gritty Batman... really. There is noting i like more than that in this earth (Berserk manga is a close sacond) Batman is at his best when he's loner, grim and gritty but i like batfamily too. Nothing is wrong with the brats. I aspecially love Nightwing, Cass and Damian... think all the brats as Batman's students, apprentices. People pass what they know to next generation dude, this is how we all role so Batman does the same, he has apprentices, he teaches what he knows to next generation cause he thinks he won't always be around and Gotham will always need protection. He can still be a loner grim and gritty character cause Gotham is a giant city... there's room there for all of them. They can all protect the diffrent areas of city... they can all be loners when doing that sometimes and they can team up sometimes, or all of them get together probably for a big event. I really like all the options. I really like where they go with Batman and Detective Comics that Detective Comics being a Batfamily book and Batman title will probably be where Batman will act as loner grim and gritty character (i hope) but if the batman title won't turn out like that i'm ok with that.

[gwangung]

Calling him a complete loner has never been accurate, but I don't think surrounding him with like 20 other vigilantes suits him either.

Well, true. Batman and The Outsiders was only about five or six at a time...

That said....I really detested Bat-Jerk ("My city...get out."). It was the thirst for justice taken to a literally insane degree.

I always thought of Batman as the sane man stuck in the maelstorm of insanity; he'd be the person who wouldn't turn down help, and he was always interested in helping fallen characters turn back to the light.

[Agent Z]

Calling him a complete loner has never been accurate, but I don't think surrounding him with like 20 other vigilantes suits him either.

And when people criticize the Bat-Family, they don't mean Alfred and Gordon. Neither one of them are costumed vigilantes, are not teenagers, and serve a purpose as supporting characters. Pointing at Alfred and Gordon and saying "well, those two have always been around, so clearly it's ok to add as many new characters as possible to Batman" has never made sense.

Most of the time he doesn't have more than three or four other Bat family members. Dick is off doing his thing on Titans. Jason is Red Hood and The outlaws. Right now it's just Bruce, Cass, Steph, Tim and Kate.

[SiegePerilous02]

Well, true. Batman and The Outsiders was only about five or six at a time...

That said....I really detested Bat-Jerk ("My city...get out."). It was the thirst for justice taken to a literally insane degree.

I always thought of Batman as the sane man stuck in the maelstorm of insanity; he'd be the person who wouldn't turn down help, and he was always interested in helping fallen characters turn back to the light.

Eh, the Outsiders don't really count. It's not like it's even one of the most popular aspects of Batman's mythology. Aside from Beware the Batman, I can't think of a time when any of those characters made it into an adaptation. That may change if he has a connection to Katana in Suicide Squad though.

[Pohzee]

I always thought of Batman as the sane man stuck in the maelstorm of insanity; he'd be the person who wouldn't turn down help, and he was always interested in helping fallen characters turn back to the light.

Yup, the only sane thing to do is to recruit an army of teenagers to fight psychopaths like the Joker. God forbid he recruits a capable adult!

[Batarang]

Yup, the only sane thing to do is to recruit an army of teenagers to fight psychopaths like the Joker. God forbid he recruits a capable adult!

He doesn't recruit them, they come on their own and beg to join in the fight. lol Batman is like a teenager magnet, teenagers just can't resist him... i guess teenagers love tall dark and broding.