Winner
27% Batman is... Kind of over I guess. He feels like a relic of a bygone era, like The Shadow.
When I was young I loved Batman, growing up with the Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League and the Tim Burton movies. As I got older The Dark Knight Trilogy and any number of Batman related video games and memorabilia were released.
In short Batman was everywhere, how to think like Batman, how to work out like Batman, Batman style, all of these were topics of videos on Batman. And while for me Batman will always have that nostalgia fueled element. I think I agree with the idea Batman's era as the undisputed King of Pop Culture has ended. Much as it did for Superman and The Shadow before him.
Part of this is changing attitudes, The Shadow was mostly based in Radio and Pulp and reigned for decades as a major force in Pop culture though he is nearly forgotten. Superman on the other hand is from a more naive and optimistic time. When America was united and Superman wasn't an allegory for Moses-Jesus. But more akin to Heracles.
These pulp and Superhero works while treated as a single genre are more an immense range of genres from Dark Supernatural Mysteries to Bright Campy Escapades. Batman had it all, in all honesty he is a relic of the archetype of the Benevolent Plutocrat, the American Capitalist Prince who guards his city like a Greek Hero-King of old. Seen in other Comic characters such as Green Arrow and The Shadow.
And while there are still many that place Batman at the top. Recalling the values, adventures and impact he had on them. I do think we are shifting away from Batman.
The only difference is there is nothing to replace him this time, no steadily rising figure to focus our heroic dreams on. To become the Ghost or God of the American heroic myth.
Partly this is due to disillusionment with the old era that we are leaving, partly this is due to the absolute shite writing and disrespect given every established and new character by those who own them.
But I Think to some extent the death of the Batman, Superman, The Shadow and lack of a successor is that America is not united in any way anymore.
Not as a blackpill but one cannot have a central figure for all. When the population of America was made primarily from the European Races there was enough overlap that anyone could find their values and dreams of heroism centered in a singular figure. Not withstanding the immense political division but the sheer lack of values shared by various groups. Africa, The Orient, Arabia, Meso-America and Hyperborea do not share enough ideals of heroism nor a path to the future.
One cannot have a Heroic myth that can be shared and looked towards for all the people of a Country when you are made up of opposed nations.
Who knows when or if, such a heroic figure physical or fiction who will fill the shoes of Dear Old Batman. But I know I am glad to have grown up with his stories, I simply wish there was someone equally as great to replace him.
