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Memed — Batman
Published: 2010-06-26 10:17:57 +0000 UTC; Views: 38362; Favourites: 869; Downloads: 487
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heroes & villains seriesRelated content
Comments: 15
I really like this drawing for how it reflects a side of Batman I think often gets overlook, especially these days. In typical art of Batman, we see the “dark” side of the character represented, the side that is intimidating and cloaked in darkness, the “gothic” aspect of the character. This of course is understandable, as being a symbol of shadows and fear (to criminals) is what Batman is all about. There is much more to Batman as a person than that though. Sadly, his iconic association with darkness and fear has contributed to him being mischaracterized by people with only surface knowledge of the character as some stereotypical edgelord or antihero, when fans who have truly read and know Batman know this is hardly the case, not with the classic Batman at least.
The “other” side of Batman, the side that has been overshadowed by his gothic reputation in more recent years (and the misrepresentative likes of media like Batman vs Superman), has been captured in this drawing. It is the “saintly” side of Batman, the side that seeks light in darkness. Batman means many different things to me, but one thing I see him as is a symbol of virtue. Though he has no problem with beating up criminals or scaring them half to death to drag confessions out of them, he still displays a lot of virtues, both as Batman and as Bruce Wayne. These virtues include justice, mercy, charity, humility, perseverance, and self-control. Though he is unconventional in his crime-fighting, he never takes a life and views all life as precious, hardly the attitude of some antihero. Batman pursues these virtues despite having had the traumatic experience of losing his parents as a child and possessing a world-weary, even depressed, psyche. He could have used his vast wealth to withdraw from the world outside his mansion forever, but he instead chose to pursue a difficult life risking his neck every night protecting civilians and bringing down crime, never getting any compensation for his troubles.
In my eyes, that makes him not only heroic, but gives him an almost saint-like quality. Christians of the old days, (and Catholics still in the present) venerated saints because they were regular people who, it was believed, had achieved holiness because of the virtuous and selfless lives they chose to lead (among other factors). They were seen as examples of mortals achieving divinity by rising from their flawed human states to become something better. Or at least that was the premise. To me, Batman is a modern example of the mortal man rising above his circumstances and his humanness to become a virtuous being—a saint. In fact, in one 70s comic, the criminal Batman is trying to track down refers to him as “saintly,” in quotations, as though Batman had earned a reputation with that word among people and the crook was now mocking it.
In the short comic “the Curse of Gotham City,” Batman says, “I know I’ll never be perfect, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stop fighting towards the light.”
I think that quote perfectly captures Batman as he really is: Not some mean-spirited edgelord, but a man who strives for virtue, for light, as he tries to heal a broken world. This picture, with the darkness and bats on the outskirts but the glowing, almost holy-looking light in the center behind Batman, perfectly captures the dichotomy of the darkness he wears on the outside with the desire for goodness he harbors inside that inspires him to act in a saint-like manner. This is the first drawing I’ve ever come across that portrays Batman in this manner, or at least can be interpreted in that way. I find it unique.
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I love all of your work on the characters from Gotham, your Batwoman piece and this one though I love the most.
Thank you for sharing.
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Okay Now we're Talkin!! 
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I would like to say that I love your work! is it done off the computer or painted or something? theyre awesome though!
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<3 this. batman's usually shown in the night, to see him with the sun behind him...it's just awesome. he's all "yeah, i'm batman. and also jesus."
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