SEEKERS OF THE BAT

Heh Batman appears to have grown out of his costume.  I hope that’s a light beer he’s holding :)

Stunning art by ryanbnjmn @deviantart

With friends like these, who needs enemies, eh?  Batman is notorious for ignoring all tact and congeniality, even when dealing with friends.  Why have an adult sit down conversation when a simple kick to the face would get the point across in a fraction of the time?  To simply know him is to repeatedly have your feelings trampled by pure direct honesty.

As this group of hapless ninjas finds out, Batman is at the top of the food chain. Also we see the phrase ‘the Goddamn Batman’, made infamous by the Frank Miller / Jim Lee super project ‘All Star Batman and Robin’.

Although Batman doesn’t have any natural Bat powers, he has been known to activate a hypersonic tool to attract a swarm of nearby bats, which was recreated in the 2005 film Batman Begins.

Possibly the most significant figure next to Bruce Wayne himself is his adopted son, Richard ‘Dick’ Grayson; aka the first Robin, aka Nightwing, aka Batman. Three heroes, one man.

Having his parents murdered before his eyes, the young circus acrobat was taken in by a sympathetic Bruce Wayne and given the chance to bring the criminals responsible to justice as Robin, Batman’s sidekick. Although Dick and Bruce had similar beginnings, their differing temperaments soon became evident. Batman was grim and brutal, whereas Robin was cheerful and prone to juvenile wordplay.

Philosophical differences would eventually drive a wedge between the two as the grown Robin left the Bat family and Gotham to become Nightwing in the nearby city of Bludhaven. The two men eventually reconciled and even made the bond official as Bruce filed to legally adopt Dick as an adult.

In 2009 comics continuity, Bruce Wayne died/ went missing, and after much thought, Dick stepped into the cape and cowl of Batman, and even took on a new Robin. Although he initially felt unworthy of taking over, he was advised by Alfred to look on the role of the dark, grim Batman as “the performance of his life” and has generally succeeded at convincing the world that the Batman can never be defeated.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it for sale anymore, but this sweet zip up hoodie would be just perfect for dressing up as Batman, although I doubt it would hide your identity at all :)

A fan decorates his walls with this amazing black and white piece. Artist Unknown

Perhaps it is Batman himself, but there is something about Gotham that attracts homicidal psychopaths to it.  Since he has a moral imperative against killing them, his only choice is to rehabilitate them, or at least contain them. Enter the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane;  part hospital, part prison, completely dedicated to keeping Batman’s villains isolated from the general public.

Unfortunately, it is a broken system, as inmates break out with regularity, only to be brought right back once captured. Still, whatever rest the indefatigable Batman is able to enjoy is directly thanks to the staff of the infamous Arkham Asylum.