Batman: Xenophobe?

[jang859]

I have seen numerous examples where it seems Batman sticks to his kind and doesn't deal with people, esp. people of other languages. Have you seen the same thing?

 

[XSpyderManBoyX]

I've never seen Batman appear outside of Gotham. Maybe originally it was easier for the creators to keep him in this fictional, NYC lookalike, but in today's society, I would expect to see a more 'internationalized' Batman. I think the fact that Batman remains a strongly American character speaks to racist and xenophobic undertones in the work. Sad in such an age that this still exists. Some may say 'it's just a comic', but really, if Batman is the superhero we know him to be, wouldn't he be helping out all over the globe???

Thanks, guys.

 

[shauner111]

I've never seen Batman appear outside of Gotham. Maybe originally it was easier for the creators to keep him in this fictional, NYC lookalike, but in today's society, I would expect to see a more 'internationalized' Batman. I think the fact that Batman remains a strongly American character speaks to racist and xenophobic undertones in the work. Sad in such an age that this still exists. Some may say 'it's just a comic', but really, if Batman is the superhero we know him to be, wouldn't he be helping out all over the globe???

Thanks, guys.

I dont think so. Because Batman is not about the whole globe. He's obsessed with Gotham, where his parents were murdered, and that's his priority. Once the ball gets rolling, it's hard to be distracted with other countries/cities because Gotham has escalated so much with freaks. He's a selfless and selfish character at the same time.

 

[jang859]

You can't be both. it means he has a certain balance of the two traits which is sorta like anyone else.

Remind me again why he's a special/interesting/unique character? He seems kinda lame now that I think about it.

 

[shauner111]

Yes he can, and that's what makes him a complex character. And not some one dimensional gimmick. He's heroic and he cares about the people of gotham, he doesn't want them to go through what he went through. But at the same time he is seflish and dark and feels comfort in his pain. He wouldn't leave Gotham to set his sights on Detroit or some other country if Gotham was cured in the morning. He would instead probably retire and brood. In TDK Returns, he could have left the entire continent during his 10 year absence and kept things going. He didn't.

That's not even scratching the surface of why he's an interesting character. Eventually, in some versions, he could leave Gotham and set his sights somewhere else. But most of the time he doesn't. He is selfless and selfish, like we all are. Most of us are complex characters, some not so much, but most are. That's what makes a well-written character, is the ability to see the many sides of a person.

 

[jang859]

in that regard, who is the least complex villan u think? riddler? penguin?

 

[shauner111]

Penguin, especially in recent years, is a complex character. There's a lot you can do with him.

Black Mask, Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Deadshot are just a few that come to mind. But i wouldn't say Black Mask is the least complex character, no way. But he's quite one dimensional.

 

[jang859]

I thought the Penguin was just a white collar-trust fund fraudster type. That seems kinda one dimensional to me.

 

[shauner111]

Well then you're ignoring who he is as an actual character, his backstory, his temperament and why he acts that way, his mob ties, how he parallels Bruce Wayne. He was very one dimensional for many decades but that's not the case anymore.

 

[Necrosis Boy]

The OP says odd things. The result of thinking too much. On the Penguin: I love "Pengiun Triumphant" where he is shown day-dreaming about a tall and thin Victorian era gentleman thief:

 

[jang859]

The picture is broken. curious, in the picture, is he wearing white collars or black collars?