10 Stupid Arguments About Batman That Don't Make Sense
5. He's Not Insane
On the other hand, it seems somewhat disingenuous to assume there's nothing abnormal at all going on in the Dark Knight's head. After all, he has dedicated his life to eradicating all crime, to the point that he pushes himself to limits mentally, physically and otherwise that no other human being would consider, let alone be capable of. Not every kid who sees their parents killed goes crazy, but they don't become Batman either. So what is going on with old Bruce Wayne? Well, the idea of him suffering a psychotic break, or else the Batman persona being some figment of a multiple personality disorder, are both pretty trite. Much more compelling is the recent characterisation by Scott Snyder which has Bruce Wayne's trials and tribulations in Gotham being symbolic of struggles with depression. In fact, Snyder thinks Gotham as a whole is almost a test of your mental durability, a place where troubled minds can be driven to a breaking point and then, having hit rock bottom, build itself up again. Think about it: guy who had horrible childhood trauma, goes away and reinvents himself, returns stronger but still prone to dark days? Sounds a lot like depression.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
