Batman: The Dark Knight Trilogy

The function of a hero is inspiration which encourages lot to be better and work harder. As draw by Abrams, since the beginning of storytelling tales of gods and heroes described mankinds desires, fears and ideas of an ideal future. Every culture has a different symbol and representation that tries to construct the perfect specimen of human power. In the States this desire is described in risible books, the construction of Batman is a prime example.Frank Miller and David Mazzucchellis Batman Year One and Batman dally of the Owl by Scott Snyder converse the altering battles face by Batman and illustrate an almost flawless transition of how the lawsuits progress throughout the years. The evolution of modern vigilantism from when risibles were first introduced during the Great Depression to current times define their ability to adapt to the ever changing periods faced by society that allows for superheroes to stay relevant. The rise of modern superheroes was when America was f acing the threat of a state of fight in Europe and dealing with corruption within its own communities.The heroes depicted in comics allowed for people to race reality during the Great Depression, states Hyde. It gave a sense of false perception to readers that allowed them to hope and ignited a desire to form a superhero as a reaction to the economical hardships as closely as domestic crimes. Commissioner James Gordon plays an important role in Batman Year One, an old version in the Batman series, because he is suspicious of Batmans vigilante evasive action but realizes that he is necessary and a strong ally in rate to serve justice.Gordon is first introduced as Police Lieutenant James Gordon who begins works for the Gotham City Police Department after cosmos transferred from Chicago under Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb and Detective Arnold John Flass. Upon arrival Gordon struggles to deal with corrupt officers, who beat up whomever they please. tonicity Gordons hesitancy and unease, Flass and several other officers decide to give him a beating. Gordon confronts Flass and gives him a baseball bat to defend himself then begins to pummel him as revenge.This describes the degenerate behaviors of authoritative figures that choose to abuse their powers, leading the population to believe that the police force isnt reliable. Thus proving the assumption that superheroes, Batman in this case, were made to understand the loony bin people face in reality of modern day times. The physiological mindset of both heroes and villains takes a more realistic turn that separates itself from fictionological and fairy story references. Modern comic book superheroes tend to follow the same general pattern in which the hero is estranged or secluded from society.Batman, for example, is a change character who witnesses his parents being gunned down which results in him swearing that he would rid Gotham City of evil. Although mythology provides an example of a true hero their v illains change over time. Myths no longer deal with legends from the bible about the devil or beast and serpents described by the Greeks, the new complexity of the villains is by far more intriguing. Abrams explains how Americans fork out become fascinated with gangsters and the criminal cultural that surrounds their nature, representing realistic and current dangers of this new era.In Batman Court of the Owl, which is a new version in the Batman series, the villain is William Cobb who is a Talon, marrow a skilled assassin for the Court of Owls. He boasts having killed several members of the Wayne family. He later attacks his great-grandson, Dick Grayson, because he feels betrayed by him choosing to become a vigilante preferably of a Talon like himself. These serial killer tendencies and disgust expressed towards his own blood describe the unstable mental state of murderers throughout time.The creation of a hero without power or superhuman characteristics like Batman made him mor e relatable during a time period in which the crime rate was high. The familiarity of Batman is attributed to people missing a hero that represents their incapability or lack of being able to confront a problem in society. Batman Year One establishes the legend of Batman, it is the business line story of a hero and how he learns to strike fear into the hearts of villains. When Batman manages to remove Loeb from office his mission in that comic is complete.The ending shows Gordon standing on a rooftop next to a bat signal waiting for him because of a new threat calling himself the Joker. This means that he has gathered the trust of the people of Gotham, namely Gordon who plays an important role as Commissioner. Batman Court of the Owls is a continuation of Batmans legacy but because it is a new version, Synder made it more benevolent by adding another urban legend amongst several surrounding Gotham City. The Court of the Owls is a secret organization with tremendous power embark ed in the history of Gotham City.The myth that surrounds their existence is described in a chilling nursery rhyme Beware the Court of Owls that understandes all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or theyll send the talon for your head (Synder, pg 36) By combining an old urban legend with a more sophisticated version of Batman, the writers tie together the past and the present deeming it more appropriate for this century.The relevance of peoples beliefs in the impossible actions of heroes is due it the recognition and understanding of needing to escape from reality during a time of crisis. Batman is placed in several locations which be almost impossible for him to escape from but at the last second he manages to reach safety. Batman Year One shows one incident in which Batman is trapped in an abandoned edifice and Loeb orders bombs, SWAT teams and th e Gotham City Police Department to attack. However Batman manages to avoid destruction and fools the police by directing a swarm of bats to head in the opposite direction he was going.Modern comic books have dramatic scenes as well but make sense in the fictional world. In Batman Court of the Owls Bruce Wayne is attacked by the Talon during a meeting with Lincoln border, a politician with hopes of becoming mayor. They fall out of a window at the old Wayne Tower and Bruce survives by landing on a guardian that was installed by his great-grandfather. Even though it is unlikely for Bruce to survive a fall out of a window, the existence of guardians makes it seem possible. The chances of him living after being having bombs thrown and blasted near him repeatedly are slim to none.These drastic events allow people to continue to have assurance in the indestructibility of a superhero. The role of women has progressed in comic books expressing the evolution of how the public regards them o ver time. Superheroes functionality is bound in imaginary lines that represent the way of dealing with the practicality of how tone is perceived during the time period it was written in, such as gender roles and sexuality promiscuity. In Batman Year One readers are presented with a fe manly named Selina Kyle who is a young prostitute, taking her chances on the streets amongst the poor district of East End in Gotham City.Ottermann states how during 1980s, when this comic was published, was a time when prostitution was considered part of the norm in most poverty-stricken regions. Inspired by the Caped Crisader himself Selina forms her own costume and becomes Catwoman, but her clothes do not classify as being strong or a leader like Batmans. Her exterior exudes erotic and sexual appeal as well as her persona by not only describing her as a prostitute but also indicating how her role as a vixen in disguise leads her into choosing the demoralized path of robbery instead of being a heroi n.This suggests that female superheroes were practically nonexistent and wouldnt be able to take on the role or performance level of a male because of their gender inferiority at that age. Batman Court of the Owls was written in 2011 and women of this generation would be insulted and rally against such publication of oppression. Therefore Synder didnt mention a female character having no morals because then the appeal and interest of the comic would not apply to females. There was a decline in comic book readers because of what was being published was considered irrelevant by people during this age.The comic book sales dropped increasingly, as the market was glutted with titles based solely on the war effort these titles no longer had an reference and eventually faded away into obscurity (Kelley, pg 11). The general population wanted to move on from the constant reminders of the struggles faced by Americans. They wanted to look forward to a better and stronger future. This lead t o the difference in demand from when comic books were first introduced and the few comics that did remain popular were highly competitive. While the approval of comic books was decreasing another problem was brewing in the pop culture society.Publishers, writers and artists received a public denouncement, claiming that comic books were ruining childrens minds regarding their values, morals and education. Dr. Fredric Wertham released a book called Seduction of the Innocent in 1954 which analyzed the deeper meaning behind some of the most popular superheroes. Wertham argued that the stops and underlying messages found in the comics encouraged the use of narcotics, gang violence and characterized women as shameless and lewd. As a result, publishers formed the Comics Code in order to prevent further embarrassment and persecution from the government.The comic book patience suffered a major loss of readers and thus began their gradual climb to regain their popularity. The target audien ce was older than the previous generations and more educated. Younger writers and artists began publishing comic books that expressed current concerns and social restraints instead of focusing solely on the past war effort. Eventually after decades in Americas cultural gutter, comic books had finally emerged as a respectable and fantastically profitable entertainment industry worthy of a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (Wright pg 280). After revamping the comic book corporation, the business began focusing on producing films based on superheroes in order to make sure that they remained important in American culture. There are no new stories or characters, comic books are not different from any other type of media, they are repetitive. The superhero films retell the same stories with slight modifications and minor differences in art. The first popular Batman movie was made in 1989 and directed by Tim Burton. A few years later in 2005, director Christopher Nolan took a shot at rebooting the characters and placed new ideas with his Batman Begins.Both of the films focused on a particular emotion faced by Batman that was barely addressed in the comics, romance. The portrayal of love in Burtons film revolved round the consanguinity of Bruce and Vicki Vale who was in the process of investigating rumors of a figure dressed as a bat fighting crime. After attending a benefit at Wayne Manor, Vicki is charmed into Bruces bed and remained with him after learning his second role as Batman. Nolan took on a different approach to the acquaintance surrounding Bruce and his childhood best friend Rachel Dawes, who is an assistant district attorney.After revealing his true identity to her, Rachel realizes she cannot love someone who is both Bruce and Batman. The evident loss of this relationship in Nolans film is a direct form of connection with the audience members that states that even superheroes sometimes dont get the girl. The shared heartache of Bruce and the mov iegoers demonstrate why Batman has thrived and remains appreciated because of his ability to bond with the public. Although many details and fine points have been tweaked in the comic books and films, Batmans still a billionaire vigilante out to rid evil in Gotham City.He fights desperately to defend those who are in danger or are in need of aid and it is the code that stops him from crossing over the line and into the dark side. Batmans constant struggle to remain in control of his mentality shows how relatable he is, reminding everyone that he is just in fact a human. The comics describe and play his morality throughout. Batmans one rule is that he is not to kill anyone by his hands, by not stooping to a villains level separates him from them.Batman Begins shows a scene in which Bruce is training with the League of Shadows and Henri Ducard says, Your compassion is a weakness your enemies provide not share, to which Bruce replies Thats why its so important. It separates us from t hem. This type of ethics and philosophy has been inbreeded in the Batman series for decades. Publications have stayed true to this principle of righteousness no discipline what age, and therefore remaining valid to the most essential law that defines Batman as a crime fighting vigilante.The comic book industry has matured into an American form of art that discusses the implications of morality, self expression and ideals. Superheroes are symbolic and remain popular no matter the time period in which they are reintroduced, not because of their powers but of their representation of something greater. The ability of the Batman series to express the apprehension and tension faced by society shows an understanding and flares a beacon of hope that not all humanity is lost. As times have changed and civilization has advanced, superheroes have changed with the growing demands of the population.Sharp explains how comic books have continued to revitalize the one significant detail that allo ws the Batman series to prevail, the different forms of the Caped Crusader. Batman is flexible enough to do what different people of different generations want of him (Sharp, pg 2). Batmans fundamental beliefs in comic books continue to remain the same even as the world changes. However in the movies, directors take the liberty of altering his rigid judgment in order to appeal to a broader audience. Either way, these changes do not affect the overall respect and approval given by Americans towards these figures of everlasting hope.Work Cited Abrams, Joshua, Vigilante Patriotism An Exploration of the Modern American Comic Book (2012). Senior Projects Spring 2012. Paper 10. Web. . Batman. Dir. Tim Burton. By Prince. Perf. Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Billy Dee Williams, and Jack Palance. Warner Bros. , 1989. DVD. Batman Begins. Dir. Christopher Nolan. By Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Prod. Larry J. Franco. Perf. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, and Katie Holmes. Warner Bros. , 2005. DVD. Hyde, Douglas. Superheroes rise in tough tiems.CNN Entertainment. 2009 March 20. Web. . Kelley, Mark. The Golden Age of Comic Books Representations of American Culture from the Great Depression to the Cold War. E-Publications. 2009 April 4. Web. Miller, Frank, and Mazzucchelli, David. Batman Year One. New York DC Comics, 1987. Print. Ottermann, Ralf. Review Essay Qualitative enquiry on Prostitution in the Early 80s Red-light Districts of Vienna. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung. Vol 6. 2005 Nov 2. Web. http//www. qualitative-research. net/index. php/fqs/article/view/488. Sharp, Tyler. Batman redefined Comics expert says success of Dark Knight trilogy tied to character examinations, loyalty to storyline. News and Editorial Services. Kansa State University. 2012 July 16. Web. . Snyder, Scott, Capullo, Greg and Glapion, Jonathan. Batman Volume I The Court of Owls (The New 52). DC Comics, 2011. Print. Wertham, Fredric. Seduction of the Innocent . New York Rinehart, 1954. Print. Wright, Bradford. Comic Book Nation The variation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore John Hopkins UP, 2001. Print.