Batman: Hero or Sociopath?

[Brasil]

Okay, here's the deal. Is Batman able to be classified as a positive role model or a negative role model? Basically, is Batman a Hero or is he a Sociopath?

My take is Sociopath, and here's why.

His first experience with crime is [spoiler]his parents getting gunned down by the Joker[/spoiler], but instead of overcoming it, growing from it, and generally, dealing with it in a mature way, he runs away from the problem, developing Batman, so he can somehow avenge his parents' [spoiler]murder[/spoiler].

But all that happens is he uses that childhood trauma to validate his hunting down common criminals and basic, run-of-the-mill thugs and hooligans.

Batman isn't a Hero; he's an escape mechanism.

[James]

[color=#334366]Well, it depends how you view Batman. I mean, in what context.

In a sense, he is definitely a hero -- he's a hero in the sense that he puts his life on the line to defend the innocent citizens of Gotham. In that regard, he's a selfless human being...he has really devoted himself to the cause of justice, despite the fact that this has a negative impact on his personal life (ie: his relationships and so on).

However, what if Batman were real?

If he were real, then yeah, he'd be a guy with serious problems. I guess he is obviously portrayed as a person with problems in the films/comics/etc, but if he were real, I think it would be a far more serious situation.

The [spoiler]death of his parents[/spoiler] is something that has held him back from really ever having a normal relationship. The idea that he has to constantly sacrifice himself [spoiler]to avenge his parents[/spoiler] just demonstrates that he hasn't gotten over what happened. And obviously, no matter how many bad guys he takes out, he'll never really feel like he's done enough. It's a way of avoiding the issue, I suppose. When you're fighting crime, [spoiler]you're not dealing with the loss of your parents[/spoiler].

So yeah, if Batman were real, he'd need a psychiatrist as soon as possible. lol

But in the context of the fiction, he's a very interesting character, especially when you compare him to the villains that he fights.

I mean, in one way or another, most of the villains he fights are not "born evil", you know? Most of them seem to have suffered an enormous tragedy, just like Batman himself. But rather than avenge the situation through crime fighting, they've decided to lash out at the world instead.[/color]

[Shy]

[size=1]I'm pretty muxh going to play Devil's advocate on both sides here... (and I think this should be in the Anthology forum, btw. Oh well.)

The death of Bruce's parents is the primary catalyst for the creation of Batman, that much is a given. If you look at his life you see that single event changed it forever in a variety of ways. What is one the first thing he does after the passing of his parents? He flees, and doesn't bother to look back. The important years of his adolescent and teenage years were spent abroad, studying, training and conditioning himself to be a better man. Bruce Wayne, millionaire orphan, no longer felt safe in the city he grew up in; it wasn't until nearly a decade of training had passed that he felt comfortable and strong enough to return to Gotham.

I can't blame the guy, either, but when he returns he is not the same person he was when he left. Where before he was weak and frightened of the world around him, the much older Bruce Wayne is now a cold, calculating and driven man. That's the signigicant change here, that all of his emotions and anger have focused themselves into a dangerous force. He's not comfortable admitting his weaknesses or showing his emotions -- perhaps he thinks it was weakness that killed his parents, but it was really just fate.

Let's get one thing straight here: Batman doesn't fight [i]crime[/i], he fights [i]criminals.[/i] No matter how fast he can throw those batarangs the fact of the matter is that his work is reactionary, and [i]feeds[/i] off crime. For the cycle to continue there must always be innocents to protect, and there must always be criminals to fight. Although I imagine that Bruce Wayne pours a good amount of money into charity work and other projects, it's the Batmobiles that take up a good portion of his disposable income, I'd imagine. There is certainly nothing healthy about that, as we've established, and anyone attempting to follow in his example in the "real world" would be deemed unstable and insane.

Also, one could argue that Batman's presence has sparked imitators. There are many, many dangerously driven people who put on costumes and fight for their individual causes since Batman first appeared. I'm not talking about Robin here, either, I'm referring more to the freaks of Arkham Asylum. What makes Batman a hero and Poison Ivy a villain? Like almost everyone in Gotham City, these two have suffered tragic events in their past and rather than deal with real problems they take on an alter-ego.

The key exception here is the Joker, who is the perfect antagonist for Batman. The Joker is unique even among the rogue's gallery in that his actions seem to be motivated by nothing more than madness. His only goal is to cause chaos and disorder. The Joker is eternally the wild card, and will shake the status quo that Batman tries so hard to uphold.

So what exactly is Batman fighting for? Some say 'justice,' but that's really just a bunch of nonsense. In every battle, whether it be against a bank robber or a super-villain, Batman is still trying to save Bruce Wayne's parents from that fateful night. Time passes and although many criminals are put away and good deeds are done for him, he will always be too late.

That's a big flaw in the Bat-family. They understand grief, they understand loss and they understand vengance, but these things alone aren't going to satisfy their hearts. It's the sheltering of their emotions, the unwilingness to forgive that makes them such negative figures.

As much as I love Bats... sociopath, definitely, definitely sociopath.

PS: [spoiler]The Joker only killed Bruce Wayne's parents in the 1989 Batman feature film, and that is not a part of his established comic book lore. It annoys me that the death of his parents is tied into his arch-nemesis like that because it ruins what I feel is an important part of Batman's motivations and mission statement. You shouldn't know who killed his parents, and they should never, ever be brought to justice. Because no matter how hard Bruce Wayne fights to protect his city, the only people he ever cared about in this world are dead.[/spoiler]

-Shy[/size]

[Heaven's Cloud]

**Edit, I am not putting up spoiler tags because anyone that participates in this conversation should at least know the small amount of background I am including in this post***

[color=indigo]If you are familiar with the DC universe then you realize Batman?s heroism is undeniable. Not only does he battle crime in Gotham City but he has saved several worlds from various threats numerous times. So I guess that the real question should be ?Batman is an obvious hero, but is he a sociopath??

Before I focus on that question, though, I would like to touch on something Siren wrote.[/color]

[quote name='Siren'] Batman isn't a Hero; he's an escape mechanism.[/quote]

[COLOR=INDIGO]I am not sure I agree with this, actually I don?t see how anyone familiar with the Batman/DC universe could agree with this. Let?s say that both of my parents died of a similar heart condition when I was young. Because I felt a both a tremendous loss and an incredible amount of guilt because I was powerless to help my parents I decided to devout my life to becoming a great heart surgeon. I study hard and I travel the world learning from the best and brightest doctors in the field.

And finally, after years of education I become a heart surgeon, a great heart surgeon no less. Being a heart surgeon isn?t an outlet that I use to escape reality, it is what I am.

Batman is no different. He felt such a profound sense loss and guilt that he was driven to become a crime fighter. In Kill Bill the character of Bill has a great little diatribe about Clark Kent being Superman?s critique of humanity. While it is a very interesting conversation, I would disagree with Tarentino?s interpretation. Superman is really just Clark Kent, a man instilled with certain beliefs and moral values, that happens to be both an alien and have super powers.

On the other hand, Bruce Wayne is definitely Batman?s critique on the wealthy elite of the world. Bruce Wayne is a lay about playboy that seems to stumble upon prosperous business ventures do to luck, happenstance, and the hard work of Lucius Fox. Only the reader realizes that Bruce Wayne puts the same type of cold, calculating effort into his business that he does in his work as Batman. But he has to, Batman (actually the entire JLA) depends on the success of Wayne Industries.

Now, on to the initial question: ?is Batman a sociopath?? I would say yes he displays sociopathic tendencies (and probably a host of other psychological disorders, not least of which is displaying obsessive compulsive attributes) but he isn?t nearly the sociopath he would like to be. Batman wants to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders, because he never wants another child to have to feel the pain that he went through.

However, despite Batman?s desire to be portrayed as a loner, he has built up quite a little social club. He has surrounded himself with like minded individuals and created a family. Take Alfred and Jim Gordon. Alfred, the doting butler, is definitely Bat?s mother figure, while Jim Gordon, a tough police officer with uncompromising morals, was a definite father figure. He has a little brother in Dick Grayson, the favorite son in Tim Drake, and a host of other children and relatives in the bat family. Along with his immediate ?Bat? universe, Batman has a solid group of friends in the JLA, and, although he would like to consider them colleagues, it is undeniable that he has especially close ties to Wonder Woman and Superman.

This obvious interaction with various social settings tends to negate the idea that Batman is a sociopath. It seems like he is more of a poser sociopath?kind of like Avril Levine is soooo hardcore. [/color]

[Semjaza]

[quote name='Heaven's Cloud][COLOR=INDIGO']I am not sure I agree with this, actually I don?t see how anyone familiar with the Batman/DC universe could agree with this. [/color][/quote]

I think this is a key point here. Like movies based on novels, movies based on comics are changed. I don't know how anyone can come to any sort of remotely final conclusion on a character, yet not be familiar with his/her background beyond what can be used to help sell the film.

If it was simply Joker, I don't really think Batman's purpose would have been the same. It would have been more an idea of pure revenge, most likely, instead of concerning himself with criminals in general. In a sense, I think he has made himself into what he wishes he was (or existed elsewhere) on the night of his parent's death. The issues that are raised from him becoming this "thing" are another story and certainly aren't completely fueled by that one single event, although it is the obvious catalyst and still the prime motivation (although perhaps an unconscious one in many situations). I don't feel it's something he has created to escape from the world and its problems. Batman is more of a reactionary creation than an escape mechanism. Despite his problem, I feel what comes from this reaction is the important factor. A crazy person who does heroic things is still a hero.

By definition, sociopaths are people who exhibit anti-social behavior. Batman and countless other comic characters, deviate from the social norm and do things that violate accepted actions for varying reasons. However, that's a very broad thing to have attibuted to a character with so little explanation in the initial post. Most any character I can think of in a superhero styled comic that isn't two dimensional could fit into this definition in some way, simply because of the way comics in general are approached from a creation standpoint.

Simply describing Batman as a sociopath misses a large portion of his being, character and motivation as far as I'm concerned. It's far too simple of a label to place upon him. Batman doesn't exist in this world, the one he exists in is of a far different variety. The constraints on what is and what isn't a "crazy" attitude, I think, are changed because of this.

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]I suppose my own opinion of Batman would be that he is a hero more than a sociopath, although he does seem to have elements of both in his personality. Although his actions and motives are quite far from the norm, his motives do remain truly heroic, he does after all put his life on the line to try and prevent others from going through the same pain he did. People who may not necessarily have the resources to go on and become vigilantes like Batman, because for better or worse it is his financial standing as Bruce Wayne that allows him to do the things he has done to become Batman [the Batmobile, his gatgets, his cave].

As James said however if Batman were indeed a real person then it would be painfully obvious he would be in need of psychiatric help, however if Batman were real then none of us would know he was Bruce Wayne and the reasons as to why he fights. Although his [spoiler]parents being murdered[/spoiler] may have been the catalyst to Wayne becoming Batman I don't think that he uses his crime-fighting as an escape, as I said before he uses it to prevent others from going through the same pain he did as a boy.

Perhaps I'm wrong, as I've never had the chance to read the Batman comics but that is my take on his situation. Batman is both a hero and a sociopath but the heroic part of his personality is far, far more dominant than the sociopath part. [/SIZE]

[Adahn]

[size=2]Now first, I must admit, my knowledge in the field is quite a bit under par, but something has caught my attention.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]From what I can garner, the word 'sociopath' here is being used with a negative connotation. Common sense here is itching at the back of my head. Batman's batman-ness becomes threatened when he develops close relationships with other people. The more people get to know you, the less you are able to hide. All it takes is one slip and the cat's out of the bag. You all want to brand him as a 'sociopath' and ship him off to the psych ward, but do you ask yourselves the one question that's really important?[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]Could batman, [i]be[/i] batman, and not be a sociopath? Could any hero with a secret identity develop numerous close relationships without threatening his essential heroicness, not to mention the lives of those he gets close to? Batman may or may not be aware of it, but the anti-social character that he's developed in himself is vital to his existence.[/size]

[Semjaza]

Not all the posts are saying Batman is insane. I certainly don't think so.

Batman has a secret to protect, certainly, but he still does have a social life. He and Bruce Wayne are the same person, yet different ones at the same time. Bruce Wayne is fully capable of networking and meeting people, although mostly on a superficial level (I think this ties in with Shy's comment on him being a critique). That much is obvious through his business relations and party endeavors. He doesn't lock himself up in the Batcave until a supervillain appears, only then braving the city and its inhabitants.

As it is, anti-social (and even more so, sociopathic) doesn't simply mean someone doesn't like socializing and getting to know people. Bruce Wayne and Batman protecting the identity of eachother is not much more than anyone else protecting a secret vital to their existance. The defensive nature he exhibits when doing this, I think, is better described as as "avoidant" than "anti-social".

I agree that being avoidant in this sense is completely integral to his and his loved ones' and comrades' existance, but the idea presented of him being a total sociopath, existing only as an escape mechanism, doesn't work for me.

[Doukeshi]

[COLOR=DimGray][SIZE=1]Okay, this isn't going to be a terribly long post becuase I feel that most of my points have been addressed.

Batman is not 'insane', that is to be made clear. As a person Bruce Wayne is far to rational, intelligent and dedicated to be insane. Insanity implies a certain irrationality and irresponsible behaviour that is not present within his mindset. Having said that, there must be a screw loose in there somewhere.

I mean, of course he was damaged emotionally and mentally by the death of his parents and he feels the need to avenge their deaths and to protect the citizens of Gotham and probably the world from having to go through what he, as a child, had to go through. He didn't really need to do this by dressing up as a giant bat to strike fear into the criminal underworld though did he, lets be honest now.

I feel that, as a case study for any psychologist, Bruce Wayne would be a lifetimes worth of work in itself. His obsessive and compulsive nature that drives him to the perfection of his own being and the control of those around him make him a very dangerous man. The fact that he believes that he 'owns' Gotham is an example of his possessive nature and I'm sure that Dick and Tim can tell you how controlling and stubborn he is (of course I know they're fictional characters). These are the factors that make him both an admirable and incomparable [i]hero[/i], but also something of a [i]sociopath[/i] its true.

He is a hairsbreadth away from totally losing it and ending up in Arkham with everyone else, if the authorities could catch him of course, but then knowing him he would probably hand himself in, but I digress. I think that the only thing keeping the Bat from going totally psycho is the grounding influences that his 'family', namely Alfred, Tim, Dick and Selina, have on him. The nature of these relationships have been touched on before in previous comics, most recently I think in the 'Hush' saga.

He has some tough walls to keep him back but I reckon that, pushed far enough, the Bat could be the worst enemy the DCU's ever seen. (what a story that would be) [/SIZE] [/COLOR]

[Manic Webb]

I'd like to think that if Batman were entirely insane, one of his many confidants would've confronted him about it. After all, who's going to keep Batman in check?

Alfred, Dick, Tim, Babs, and Leslie. That's who. Leslie Thompkins was the first person to find Bruce after his parents' deaths, and Alfred was the man who raised him throughout his many years of training. I think that if Alfred didn't have faith in Bruce's ability to be Batman, he would've slapped some sense into him a long time ago-- preferably before Bruce was trained to slap him back. I think Alfred always knew what Bruce wanted to do, and I think he's always agreed. That's why he stood by him. Bruce is like his son, but Tom and Martha Wayne were his family, as well. I think, deep down, Alfred would've done the same thing had he the chance. But the other reason Alfred stands by Bruce is to help him keep sight of his (unreachable) goals. If Bruce should go off track and let the night take him over, Alfred is there to put a stop to it.

And not just Alfred. Dr. Leslie Thompkins was the first person to find Bruce on the night his parents died. She's been a large moral factor for years. She's a strict pacifist, and that really plays such a large role in what Batman stands for. Batman is not a cold-blooded killer.

Batman is a practical man. Although he trusts other heroes like Superman with his life, he's still willing to kill them if the need should arise. Their intentions are noble, but it'd be very easy for any of them to loose sight. And that's why he keeps Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl/Oracle around. They're the only ones capable of keeping him under control if he loses it. Batman doesn't entirely trust himself.

That's why every alternate version of Bruce Wayne/Batman who has taken things too far has no Alfred present, and the Robins are sometimes different people (if there at all). Bruce is a hero, but he knows he's capable of going too far. A sociopath? Yeah, probably. But he's a sociopath who does what he can to keep himself in check.

[James]

[quote=Shy]Let's get one thing straight here: Batman doesn't fight crime, he fights criminals. No matter how fast he can throw those batarangs the fact of the matter is that his work is reactionary, and feeds off crime. For the cycle to continue there must always be innocents to protect, and there must always be criminals to fight. Although I imagine that Bruce Wayne pours a good amount of money into charity work and other projects, it's the Batmobiles that take up a good portion of his disposable income, I'd imagine. There is certainly nothing healthy about that, as we've established, and anyone attempting to follow in his example in the "real world" would be deemed unstable and insane.
[/quote]

[color=#334366]Yeah, that is what I meant. You hit the nail on the head with that, I think. Batman's ultimate goal doesn't seem to be the overall elimination of crime/criminals, because he obviously needs these things to exist to justify the existence of his own alter-ego.

So yeah, in that sense, crime and criminals facilitate his alter-ego, which is in turn a response to various personal issues (primarily the death of his parents).

I would tend to suggest that Batman would not exist if Bruce Wayne were able to deal with the death of his parents. In that sense I do agree that Batman is a form of escapism -- a symptom and coping mechanism.

[/color]

[quote=Semjaza Azazel]Simply describing Batman as a sociopath misses a large portion of his being, character and motivation as far as I'm concerned. It's far too simple of a label to place upon him. Batman doesn't exist in this world, the one he exists in is of a far different variety. The constraints on what is and what isn't a "crazy" attitude, I think, are changed because of this.
[/quote]

[color=#334366]I agree that there are more nuances to Batman, but fundamentally I think one could probably call him a sociopath. At the very least, his lifestyle does fit the definition (even though there are other factors involved).

As I said earlier, it depends how you analyze Batman -- in what context you look at him.

I think the main thing that defines Bruce Wayne is the fact that he really has no serious relationships with anyone, other than Alfred maybe. More specifically, he seems incapable of having romantic relationships. I suppose a large part of this is due to the fact that he doesn't want his alter-ego to be revealed (as a purely functional matter), but one could also argue that the alter-ego is also an [i]excuse[/i] not to develop these relationships and to continue to try to cope with his parents' death and other issues.

[/color]

[Drix D'Zanth]

Alex re-kindled this idea I had in my head a while ago... this is a tangent.
-------
I have a few different opinions concerning this. I think everyone is naturally drawn to the most badass character in the area (piccolo DBZ, etc). Sure, protagonists may be presented as some sort of epitome. Superman, the epitome of man, etc. Batman isn?t really a high point, a shining example of truth or justice. Batman?s ?justice? is driven by revenge. He wants to eliminate anyone who remotely resembles the people who killed his parents (a superficial criminal figure must be imposed here).

He?s just more badass than his enemies, so we find ourselves associating (or desiring to) with him. It?s obvious that his revenge-driven agenda has developed into full sociopath as he?s arranged this responsibility around himself. Where other superheroes could justify their responsibility by gift alone (i.e. Superman and Spiderman), Batman has chosen this path entirely on his own free will and continues to follow it at his own expense. For what? A decrepit city whose social elite have the same dirty hands as the common criminal? No, he?s just fighting for his own sake. He is the ?hero? because he?s the most ?badass?. Let?s face the facts, history is written by the victor.

Let?s point out a few more issues I have with the man in black. Firstly, what?s with the bat signal? So the law enforcement is alerted to some sort of crime and the commissioner calls for the bat signal to be lit. This spotlight shining directly in the air can call upon a ?hero? who suddenly knows where a crime is happening? Please, the area of a New-York inspired city such as Gotham is surely too wide for a single man to pinpoint a ubiquitous criminal and arrive there, much less, before the police themselves?

My theory: Batman and Gordon are in cahoots to work their way up the ladder. All of these crime scenes are discovered by Batman with sibylline-like prowess. The only instance where the Bat signal doesn?t appear is when a major villain is working on his own personal time. For instance, if there?s some sort of bank robbery; Batman knows. But when Mr. Freeze is going to raid the city; no Bat signal? Batman usually has to figure out or encounter his foe during the villain?s ordeal or after (usually when he first encounters a new villain, he must discover his identity from crime scenes).

This makes sense if you consider Batman?s ?villains? for a moment. They are merely his and Gordon?s competition. All of these ?villains? are just as ambitious as Batman, working their way up the criminal ladder. Batman is cleverer still. While certain criminals may have judges or politicians in their pockets, Batman has the commissioner. He also pursues his goal by living off the wealth accumulated by his family, legitimately, and with Al Capone-esqe clean sheets (I?m not sure how he managed to get ahold of paramilitary technology and advanced aircraft parts, but he seems to cover up well). It could be assumed that Batman can capture whoever he pleases as he never provides any justification of his ?arrests? to the authorities or public. This Minority Report mentality places our dark avenger as the judge-jury-executioner in our society. He completely disregards our own justice system of ?innocent until proven guilty? and works completely out of sync with the Police. Don?t you think they would be great working together? Not Batman, he can?t have the police snooping around in his criminal agenda.

Why would Batman want to be the head of the criminals? This is due to his father?s death. His father was the head of Gotham, as the executive of the most powerful and influential company of the city, the wheel that turned Gotham, Wayne Enterprises. After Bruce?s father?s death, the city?s power shifted from the glittering 1950-esque conglomerate-driven lifestyle, to the criminal underworld. Politicians, police, banks? everyone fell under some crime-boss? wing. Batman, feeling the regret and shame of unsuccessfully protecting his parents is trying to re-establish himself as the head of Gotham, where he believed his father had wished him to be. This end could easily be achieved if he could be witnessed as the ?head? of the criminal underground. What does this mean? Fear and respect. By ?removing? any of the other bosses and establishing himself in a position of near-omnipotence amongst everyone from the mafia godfather to the typical thug, he could assume himself as the de-facto leader. Not really involved in the micromanagement in things, more of a Head Chairman than a CEO.

Let?s face it? he?s capturing mentally disabled people (Arkham Asylum) for the most part. The city has gone insane within its own corruption. It?s only a matter of time before Bruce can re-thread his parent?s pearl necklace, pearl by pearl.

[Brasil]

I'd like to build somewhat on what Drix and Tony have said here, particularly regarding Batman's motivation for serving as Gotham's so-called "Guardian Angel."

Bruce Wayne's parents were killed by common street trash, most likely. From what I gather, that seems to be the case. We're not exactly sure of the reasoning behind the murder, but it's plausible it was robbery. Regardless, however, his parents are murdered, then he decides to "fight crime," but it's not fighting crime at all. It's revenge.

And the revenge isn't even actual revenge, it's just nondiscriminatory violence (in Kill Bill, the Bride didn't kill whomever, only specific targets). Batman is taking the pain and anguish of that one night, in that one alley, and projecting that onto an entire city.

He saves lives, yes, but Superman saves lives out of civic duty--a sense of selfless duty. I don't see that in Batman. I see more of a selfish duty in Batman. He's not exactly doing this to help others; he's really doing this just to help himself.

[Doukeshi]

[COLOR=DimGray][SIZE=1]Okay, sticking up for the guy here. I think you're doing a great disservice not only to Batman but also to Jim Gordon who is nothing like the bumbling fool the movies portray him as.

Sure he may be a littel manic and obsessive but he does have a strict moral code by which he does his job. Do you think that if he just went around beating the **** out of whomever he chose that other heroes such as Superman or Wonder Woman would stand for it? Of course not.

I don't even know if the bat signal is used in the comics any more, I haven't seen it in ages. Batman works with Comissioner Gordon as best he can, Gordon knows that Batman is breaking the law just by doing his whole vigilante schtick but he lets him off anyway. Sure they might help eachother but they both have a strict sense of moral justice.

If given a choice between catching an arsenist or rescuing the victims in a burning building Batman would save the victims, that is what seperates him from the crime he fights. However dark and brooding he may seem, Bruce Wayne actually cares about 'his' city and the people within it. I think the people of Gotham sleep easier at night knowing that the big ol' bat and his family are out there.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Heaven's Cloud]

[color=indigo]Drix, your post is an interesting take on the Batman character. Perhaps if this was a new comic, one with a character a little less fleshed out, it would be valid. Unfortunately Batman?s characteristics have been well established throughout the decades that the comic has been in print.

The simple fact is if Batman wanted to rule Gotham City he easily could do so. Take the ?No Man?s Land? story arc for example where the reader finds Gotham devastated by an Earthquake and is written off as part of the United States by the fat cats in Washington DC. Batman could have easily have taken control of the whole city, shoot Gotham could have been his own country, but instead he fought alongside the community to restore it to the bustling metropolis it once was.

I think one aspect that some of you are forgetting is that Batman is portrayed as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, mind of his time. Not only is he without a doubt the worlds foremost detective, he is also a master strategist, a capable scientist and engineer, well versed in various languages and histories, and the head of multi-billion dollar organization that he is responsible for building. He is aware of his psychological short comings (no finer example of this than in ?Batman: Arkham Asylum?) and trauma and uses it as a positive motivational force. Batman isn?t a dark brooding character; he is a calculating risk taker. No matter how much violence the opposition brings the Dark Knight goes out of his way to figure out a non-lethal way to stop it. [/color]

[Dragonboym2]

[COLOR=Blue]Everyone's got some great points. And everyone is right in some way or another.
If you ask me, here's how it see it. The shock and trauma of his parent's death killed somthing in him. His father was a respected surgeon, and did many things for Gotham, and her citizens. He was brave, generous, and and it didn't matter about who had inshurance, or how many zeroes on his check. What mattered if he made a difference. Bruce really admired him, as did every one else. (Well, except for Tommy Eliot.)

Bruce feels he owes it to his parents. That's what his holy mission is about. He's not just doing it for the world, nor Gotham, nor it's citizens. It's doing it for his parents. His father helped people, and he does too, on his own terms at least.

Batman is obsessed with his war on crime. In Alex Ross's and Paul Dini's "Batman: War on Crime", he admited that this is war he knows he can't entirly win. But he does it anyway, to the brink of obsession, because he wants to make sure that no one suffers the same way he did, at the hands of evil. But he puts up a pycological armor that he lets nearly no one penatrate. No fear, no pain, no emtion, no anger. But this leads to the fustration of his allies at some points. Espeailly Nightwing. He has confronted Batman on his behaviors many times.

Once during "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" it even came to blows. Bruce Wayne at the time was framed for murder, and escaped prison. Batman wasn't interested in solving the crime, and clearing his name. He could still go on as Batman. This angered Dick. Greatly. But in the end, he desided he had to listen to his allies, and agreed to solve the crime. And lo and behold, it worked.

Thank God for his alllies. Tim (Robin), Dick (Nightwing), Batgirl, Jim Gorden, Oracle (Barbra), Selina (Catwoman), Dr. Leslie Tompkins, and of course his serogate father Alfred. They help him from going off the deep end, or worse. They are his family, he needs them more than he thinks, even though he can be cold to them at some points. But never to Alfred. He knew him since he was a child. Alfred's wit and advice keeps everyone together, though. He's there for all of them, the heroes would be lost without him.

[COLOR=Blue]During the story, "Death of the maidens", Batman was given an offer to Help Ras Al Ghul find out who was stealing his lazerous pits. A serum that would let him talk to his parents. He took it, and his folks told him that these things happen, and he need to let go. When he woke, he thought it was all an illusion. Besides, he can't let go. And won't. He's in too deep. If he let go, Gotham or the world would go to Hell without him.[/COLOR]

Batman also plays a very important role in the JLA. He's their master stratagist, and will plan, and device every thing that he can come up with. Most League members are a bit spooked by him. Mostly Kyle (Green Lantern, but Hal is coming back! Huzzah!), and Wally (The Flash.). Everyone else escepts him. Superman, Wonder Woman, J'on J'onz, Aqua Man (Who?), and Plastic Man. (PM has tried many times to make Batman laugh. Still no luck.). Once though, Batman's over prepared nature nearly killed the JLA. He studied all of the members, and came up with weaknesses. Talia daughter of Ras Al Ghul broke into the cave, found these files, and gave them to her father. The JLA was nearly killed.

Batman belives that Gotham is "His" city. He hates it when other heroes show up to help, or a new hero. His reaction is allways "What are you doing in my city?" Kind of like a knight to a kingdom. And like all knights he must protect it from invaders (the inmates of Arkham) and villians alike. He bends and breaks the rules, but never breaks his ethics.

Recently, things changed. (Again.) The was a huge gang war in Gotham that was done accidently by The Spoiler. A girl who has a crush on Robin, and was Robin's replacement when Tim's dad found out the truth and made him quit. Spoiler was fired for going against orders. She found a plan in the cave to untie all of the gangs of Gotham if worse came to worse. She set it up, and waited for the inside man, "Matches" Malone. But Batman never told her HE was Malone. So war broke out. When it ended, Spoiler was killed. Things got worse when Tim's dad was murdered during the "Identity Crisis" mini series. Tim went to Bludhaven, Dick's recovering from a gunshot wound, Oracle's tower was destroyed, putting her out of action, Batgirl left, and Selina...I don't know. So he's alone now. Good luck.

In closing, is he insane? A little. A hero? Oh yeah.


"KAMEHAMEHA!"

Dragonboym2[/COLOR]