50 SHADES OF WAYNE

"There is a difference between you and me. We both looked into the abyss, but when it looked back at us...you blinked."
                                                      - Batman

All of us have had a favorite super hero from an early age. In my case it is undoubtedly Batman. Initially because it was the show which was being aired at the time I came back from school. But as I grew older, my favoritism towards Batman only grew stronger. I confess that I outgrew my interest in comics a long time ago. But Batman is the last hero who still intrigues and interests my 'Grown-up' mind. 

In most superhero comics, the villain or the anti-hero (as I prefer calling them) is a much more interesting character than the hero. Maybe it is the same logic which makes me sympathize more with Tom (and hope that he finally catches Jerry) which is at work here. In fact I would go so far as to say that the day when my allegiance shifted from Jerry to Tom after realizing what a little prick Jerry really is, was the day I stopped being a child and started being an adult. I am guessing there are at least a few amongst you who agree with me on this. However even with phenomenal villains like the Joker or the Riddler, Batman has always remained the most impressive character in almost all renditions of the series. 

Now, I am only aware of the mainstream superheroes of the Marvel and DC universe. So I am sure at least some of you are going to say that the USPs of Batman I am about to get into are not unique to him. But the very fact that there are no million dollar franchisees or widespread knowledge of the other characters would be proof enough to agree that, all in all, Batman is superior to them.  

Superman is a kryptonian. Spiderman owes his powers to a mutation. Captain America is a science experiment gone right. The Hulk is a science experiment gone wrong. Green lantern's powers are alien. Thor is a god. And then there is Batman. Among all these heroes who have supernatural, accidental or improbable origin stories,Batman stands out for being a normal civilian, albeit a very rich one. Batman's decision to be a savior of his city is solely because he really, really wanted to help people. Don't get me wrong, I do not mean that the other heroes are in it for the fame. But the fact is that they have their superpowers. So, by default, their choice is between being a hero or a villain, while Batman's choice was between being a hero or a civilian. In my opinion that is an infinitely harder call to take.

The sly ones among you would have noticed how I've left out Ironman in the preceding list. Yes I agree that of all the heroes, Ironman has many things common with Batman. But if you think about it, Tony Stark is not really Ironman. The suit is Ironman. Anyone can be in the suit and drive it. Essentially, Ironman is equivalent to the batmobile. Not Batman.

We all remember the moment in the Avengers movie, when Captain America comments "Big man, in a suit of armor… take that away, what are you?", to which Tony replied (now regarded as one of the best come-backs in Hollywood history) : "Uh… A genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist". We all laughed because everyone's least favorite Avenger just got schooled by everyone's most favorite. But the truth remains that Ironman is not a person, it is a really sleek and colorful tool. And another point is that the "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" tag goes for Bruce Wayne too, just that he is much more than all that.

Gadgetry at his disposal is never the star in any of Bruce's midnight ventures. They only assist him in tight situations. This focus on the character more than his tools is what really makes us love Batman and makes us want to see a lot more of him. Anyone can (and have) worn the Ironman suit to save the day. But only Bruce Wayne can wear the cape and become Batman. In fact in the comic series, there was an episode were Batman was beaten by Bane and couldn't fight anymore after breaking his back. A new character, Jean Paul-Valley, donned the cape of batman and eventually defeated Bane. However the character went rogue with his power and Bruce had to literally rise up from his medical retirement to take down Jean Paul-Valley and reclaim his rightful burden of being the Dark Knight.

"If Clarke wanted to, he could squish me in an instant into the cement. But I know how he thinks. Even more than the Kryptonite, he's got one big weakness. Deep down, Clarke's essentially a good person....and deep down, I am not."

                                                          -Batman

There is a very human vulnerability to Batman. And he is more than aware of it. He is at the top of his game only by being the smartest person in the room. Physically Batman has been beaten, broken and left-for-dead, but he always came back. There are also demons which he fights in his head. He is not perfect. There are strict codes which he follows when he deals with even the most brutal villains. There is no other superhero who treads so deep into the grey area between being a hero or a villain. Bruce's refusal to kill under any circumstance shows that he is aware of the fact that he is only one step away from turning into the evil he so sincerely battles against. However when push comes to shove, Bruce is not reluctant to unleash the chained demons within him. This gives the whole story line a very dark tinge which goes beyond the scope of just a children's comic.

Now with all this, who would be a worthy adversary for Batman? Among the heroes I am sure almost everyone can physically defeat him. However undoubtedly batman is smarter than them all and his power lies in the anonymity of his personality and the brilliant strategist/manipulative mind he has. Even the batman villains are usually portrayed as intellectual challengers rather than superhuman creatures. All things considered, Batman is a thinking man's super hero. 

As for Batman's greatest weakness, it is definitely his chin. This is the one point which I do not like about the series. I mean, what the hell Bruce! Mike Tyson could finish you off with his vicious right upper cut! Batman really shouldn't be exposing his face so much. Luckily for us and the people in Gotham city, I've never really heard of an episode where Batman's exposed chin lead to his downfall.

I want to end this by thanking Christopher Nolan. The dark knight trilogy remains one of the best comic book adaptations in Hollywood. More than anything, Nolan had a character centric approach to the series which is a rare thing in any superhero movie. In fact, this whole post was inspired by Nolan's portrayal of the dark knight. We can only hope the new crew who has taken over the franchise doesn't degrade Gotham and her watchful protector....