A Little Bit Unhinged

But also — to go back to the punch — if Bruce hadn't layed him out then Dinah would have done it at some point and I would have cheered just the same because the funny part is the catharsis of the jerk finally getting their comeuppens and having a (literal) attitude adjustment afterwards.

Having a traumatic brain injury doesn't actually excuse you from being a creep towards women or making everyone you work with uncomfortable. Sorry not sorry.

Isn't that... just... great?!

The Zatanna fan in me is crying, throwing up, and thrashing in despair whilst the Batman fan is dancing the cha-cha-cha with a party hat, confetti and champagne in one hand. A very odd duality of feelings to have.

Source:

He would nearly have gotten through with it too, had Helena not come along and kick his feet from under him.

There is also something to be said about his sense of grandeur as he refers to himself as Devil, “an agent of god”, as if he isn't just a miserable little man that enjoys it when other's are miserable with him, and fears when other's can do what he can not, which is to be brave and to be courageous enough to forgive.

Some things before hand, though, that could possibly important! First, I wrote the first ask in a state of close to 48h of no sleep which is probably why I got a bit caty at the end about reading comics, I apologize for that, it should not happen again here (and my gripe against people not reading the comics usually is only, privately, directed at the ones that talk about the stories in them, without ever having read them, and then twist them into stories they are just not. “A Death in the Family” is the favorite victim of this practice). However the bad news for you guys is that I am now put together enough to form a fully stable thorough and with my untreated ADHD this also means I will jump around like hell and just in general be very long winded. Sorry.

Continuing on, English is not my first language and I am dyslexic, so any mistakes to be found in my grammar is actually a 100% intentional! /s Also I am talking about the generalized Batman mythos, not a specific run or continuity (though I will link to some of the stories that underline my point, wherever they are Elseworld or not).

Starting with the main body of this message (finally!!!):

Let me first go a bit more indepth about the Batman is the sun metaphor. For one because I didn't like how I worded it originally, secondly because it helps solidify my other statements later on.

In literature the sun usually gets used as a short hand metaphor for “the light in an otherwise bleak reality” (e.i. “[he/she/they/it] is the sun of my life!”. In our case Robin is put often together with the sun because he brings light, and therefore leavity, into Batman's life), but if we combine this metaphor with our knowledge of astronomy we know that the sun is doing a lot more than that in reality (gravitational pull and warmth [though this is out in the same context as light here] to name the most important [for this... whatever this is]: it's the whole reason the earth can thrive as it does). Which is why I often find it a bit of a shame when the metaphor gets only used for another short hand of: “light”.

That being said, Bruce actually does (in a bit of an paradox, considering his generally agreed upon mission statement of: “I am Vengeance, I am the Night, I am Batman.” or “I want to be the shadow the criminal underbelly of Gotham is afraid off”) bringing the light of hope into Gotham in form of his actions. Which gets canonised by the people of Gotham in form of the Bat-Signal, in a sense. The Bat-Signal is, quite literally, a big bridge light which pierces through the darkness, smog, and general hopelessness of the city to project Batman's symbol into the sky and call for him (I am sorry the sun metaphor just writes itself). He might not have eracted the light himself (in most conduits) but in the end it still, or maybe even more so, symbolizes the view Gotham has on Batman.

That isn't even considering the fact that, over the years, Bruce's mantra as Batman seems to have actually changed from: “I want to scare the ciminal underbelly of Gotham to be to scared of me to do crime.” into “I want to make it to scary for the criminals of Gotham to be criminals whilst simultaneously providing and being basically the single social services backbone of the city with all the rehabilitation programs I am funding, as well as healthcare, foodbanks, charities, etc.” but I guess that is not as quite as catchy as the first one. Also public opinion on Batman (and Bruce Wayne) more often than not seems positive (at least a few years into the hero life).

(Fun fact: in recent comics it appears that public opinion on him [as Bruce Wayne] is much harsher than I have it in my memory. Like usual it was Batman that got more flag, and whilst that still is the case over all, Bruce seems to receive a lot more “you can do better, if only you tried” than he received before. Or as Chip Zdarsky writes in truly undying words [god did I hate his run on the main batman, sorry not sorry] in issue #157: “Billionaire playboy, constantly in the news, and almost never for anything good. A waste of a life and a waste of an inheritance. It's great your doing more now. You seem to have grown up.” which is just... sure a quiet insane sentence to put in anyone's mouth to say to Bruce fucking Wayne [who is the fantasy of what would happen when a Billionaire actually would ethically care]... but whatever, I am cheery picking and probably not very fair to the Chip Zdarsky considering that after “Gotham War” he has found himself on my personal shit list of Batman writers [despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed “Batman: The Knight”]. He's found himself right up there with Frank Miller and whatever kind of bad fever hallucinations “All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder” was. I am getting off topic, I apologize... again...)

Continuing on from that I think the story that brought this whole idea in the forefront of my mind (“Batman: The Brave and The Bold” (2023) #4 the story within the issue is called: “Enter The Abyss”) captures wonderfully how I think Bruce represents the light in a city as dark as Gotham.

Anyways, what is to be taken out of that ramble is that Bruce/Batman, by trying to represent “the night” paradoxically becomes the light of hope (the sun) to the citizens of Gotham. The sun in a city that is barely if ever touched by her—bringing comfort, light, and warmth to the shadows, the downtrodden, and the neglected—in a seemingly endless night.

As I said, however, the sun does more than that! It is the star in the endless space that has pulled earth (and a lot of other celestial bodies) into its orbit. That brings us life, and endables us to thrive into a more fertile (positive) future.

There are multiple instances in the comics that speak about Bruce's and Batman's “animal magnetism” (brought to you by absolutely not homo-erotic /s musings of Lex Luther in “Lex Luther: Man of Steal” #3) to the multiple instances in which Dick describes how he can not stop moving “to be in front of others” (like in “Gotham Knights” Vol. 1 issue #14). In the end what is really important here is that Bruce/Batmam has a a gravitational pull over others. From his (or other peoples; Lex) villains—who, more often than not, want to be close to him/see something in him that just makes 'em go: “I want him (carnally, as my son-in-law, his identity), to poses him, to win over him, etc.”—to the people (his family; other heroes) who he somewhat inspires (or at least tries too) to become the best of themselves (and a “better version” of what he sees himself as). He makes people want to be in his orbit even if it sometimes hurts (him or other), or comes at the cost of his or their own well being.

This potential destructivness is especially to see in villains like the Joker (who more often than not has a unhealthy obsession, a twisted love, for Batman. Like a moth to light he willingly flies into the sun. He does everything to get a little more light, a little more attention of Batman's on himself. The only difference here is that the moth [Joker] can and will also hurt the sun [Bruce/Batman] if given half the chance.), Hugo Strange and Eliott want to become or possess at least aspects of him (two different sides of Bruce's identity), the Mat Hatter sees Batman as his Alice (in Arkham Knight, not a comic but still comes in handy nicely to underscore my point). In one way shape or form they are showing a kind of obsession that I can often only describe like life is “obsessed” with the sun. (Which isn't to say that Batman “makes his villains”, he does not! However, his villains often do start to develop a possessive/obsessive mindset with Batman. To tie them into this metaphor: they are basically celestial objects flying rough through the space until they are pulled into Bruce's/Batman's orbit and start circling him as well.)

His family—like Dick, Cassandra, Tim, Damian, so many more—are directly influenced by his actions and the influence (the gravitational pull) that he exudes over them. They crave his attention (the light) even if he doesn't always know how to give it too them, because—just like the sun doesn't always shine directly on earth (clouds, the earth's rotation, etc.)—Bruce's emotional constipation prevent him from always showing his family how much he cares about them like he wants too.

Despite that; Bruce nurtures and helps all of them to grow into heroes of their own (even if they not always look eye to eye with each other), often his mere presence simply shows and influences them into taking up the mantle at all (Barbara, in many continues, takes up the mantle as Batgirl because Batman shows her she can fight for a better future, Helena in “Cry for Blood” describes how he influenced her to become Hunteress, The Question directly proposes that, in a sense, Batman is the Father of Huntresses because of that).

Other heroes are influenced and pulled into his charismatic orbit as well: Plastic Man is, in recent canon, directly influenced by Batman to become a hero, because Bruce gives him a chance (“Batman: Urban Legends” issue #15). In fact Bruce seems to regularly take chances on heroes/people other heroes would not! In the JLI Batman is the guy that takes a chance on Booster Gold (which is a bit very funny considering that Superman—you know the other guy people in DC [for good reasons, mind you] associate with the sun?—has beef with that guy), in Grand Morrison's run on the JLA Batman is the guy that brings in and recommends Plastic Man as a part of the league despite his checkered past (that gets put into question by people like Wally West when he finds out about it [to be fair, that was after “The Tower of Babylon” where everyone was questioning everyone, because of Bruce, but I personally decide that my point still stands. Considering that Bruce continue to show that trait of his]). Superman has multiple stories where he holds Bruce in high regard (sometimes to the point that he [Bruce] becomes the most important person in his life... despite wife and children! And get's shot because of that), Kyle Rayner seeks him out to “teach him about being a hero” when he first star's out.

In “Batman the Last Knight on Earth” Bruce once again simultaneously is the dark (his older insane self) and the thriving (“light”) force (the younger more idealistic Bruce) pulling people like Wonder Woman back into a fight they already believed lost. Whilst Bruce himself might not represent the light of hope in this story (that honour goes to a very distributed looking baby Clark/Superman) he is the ferryman that nurtures this light (or the idea of it) into a better future.

There are so many more things but honestly... this section getting a bit to long.

In conclusion (of this section): Batman/Bruce, has a gravitational pull that brings people in and is the thriving light behind and warmth that nurtures a lot of positive influence in their lives (that doesn't always mean his light is, “warm and nurturing”, but looking at the over all tendencies Bruce shows those tendencies more than the “over barring, burning” light, or the “cold, barely peaking through the clouds” light... if that makes sense?). In short, the Sun is a fantastic metaphor for Bruce/Batman.

Now this overly extended explanation of my metaphor in place (oh god I am so so sorry! I really try to keep on topic and be brief but god do I do a terrible job at this). Let's go into why a blackhole is a much better symbolic for Gotham than it is for Batman (I try to be less wordy this time... I swear).

Now people often complain that Bruce doesn't do enough. A flaws statement; after all, a single person—no matter how influential, rich, or smart—can stand against systemic political, social, spiritual, and economic corruption alone. People seem to like to forget that. The problem however is that, within the parameters of the mythos, Gotham is symbolizing all of that and more.

Gotham is the Blackhole that will, has, and is currently sucking everything in it's gready maw that comes to close. Sun's including.

Where Bruce's “gravitational pull” can be hard to get out of, it is still something that can, will, and has been done. Nightwing, Stephanie, Helena, Jason Todd—to call a few—are all people that, whilst profoundly influenced by Bruce, can and have gotten out of his influence to do their own thing. Some (or all) may have chosen to come back once or twice (or stay after), but in the end they have proven one thing: they can leave.

Gotham, on the other hand, makes it basically impossible. Once you are hooked in its event horizon, more often than not, it is simply impossible to actually get away. This city will suck whatever light it can up to never let it go. It takes whatever happiness, love, or life you have in your existence makes it into spaghetti and slurps it up. Your only actual hope is that it looks elsewhere first to give you a warning and make you run away before it comes for you (mind you, I am currently describing a lot of bad characteristics to a blackhole but I want people to know that this is merely a stylistic choice, in reality a blackhole simply is. Just like the sun simply is. They are not bad or good. They are a simple reality of life, they do not think, they are completely neutral natural forces!).

An experience with Gotham, will simply scare you. Easy as that. (By the way a nice representation for Batman that I have seen, that somewhat goes into this direction, can be found in “Batman The Brave and The Bold” (2023) issue #2. It's the last story, black and white, titled scars.)

The dark alleyes bear shelter to the grieving, desperate, and violent that have been left behind by the systems. The top percent takes whatever they can still get from its ground before it all ultimately collapses, by which point it provides more power, once again, to organisations (and individuals) like the Court of Owls (and about ten more corrupt shadow rulers/organisations) who have undermined the city, to take from it. Their claws reach to kill everything and anything that wishes to make the city better. Police and the law is playing labdog to the powerful corporations and people. Super villains are roaming her streets (and more often than not actually the least of her problems).

Over all, perhaps it is more accurately to say that Gotham is a hub for many “blackholes” to meet and greedily take from the city what they can get (whilst screwing over everyone in their way). With one little sun (and his celestial objects) trying valiantly to stand against that outcome. A Sisyphean Task, or in order words; “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

On another note: I don't want to take “Robin as the sun” away from the narrative, because that would be disingenuous! Robin (any Robin) very much takes the place of the metaphorical sun in Bruce's point of view! However in the overall narrative, I think they better fit into the Moon, more often than not.

They reflect Bruce/Batman back at him. His short comings, his strengths, his values, just his being. They reflect that, make it their own, and influence the world in (sometimes unexpected) ways (think about how the moon influences the tides, how it is the brightest thing in the night sky). And they continue to do that, until their become their own people and put the mantle aside (if they wish to do so).

However, if one doesn't subscribe to my moon metaphor: the North Star. The guiding star, especially for seamen, and the brightest star in our night skies, would also be a very great metaphor!

Rapid succession last thoughts on characters and what celestial body could be put into connection with them:

Jason Todd could be counted as Mars. He's the closest (and in a sense Jason, if used well in a story, can be a dark reflection of Bruce) to the sun and the one brunt.

Nightwing is the one that thrived the most under Bruce: Earth. (Cassandra could fit here as well).

Stephanie is Pluton... not only the furthest removed but also the own that got demoted from planet to dwarf planet... and quite frankly I don't know what is a better metaphor for her in the context of most of the stories she's put in (I still love Pluto and Stephanie! The writing team should treat both of them better!)

And with this I have taken this metaphor as far as I could possibly take it, without doing copious amounts of research into astronomy. I hope it is coherent, and understandable, and doesn't actually retreat to much of my former ask (or at least added enough of value to, well... be vulnerable to retreat those things).

Lastly, I don't want to take away “being the sun” from any other hero. In their own rights they are all “the central of their own solar system”. However I have seen many people claim that Batman/Bruce Wayne is the night/a blackhole and I—being pretentious ass—just don't nesseraly agree with that reading, as both of these things often have a negative literary meaning. It's something dark, mysterious, not to be trusted, in the worst cases greedy and destructive, and whilst that is definitely a read on Batman (mainly for Bruce himself) I think over all he has actually a more positive impact (yes, even on himself) that often gets overlooked with descriptions like that.

So yeah, Batman/Bruce is the sun (at least in Gotham).

One last time... just sorry...

Hi... anon here! Some of you guys have probably seen me spam-like your stuff on my main account—reblogs and comments are... iffy with my social anxiety (I feel the nausea as I am writing this, but I've been told to get more out of my shell so this might be actually good!)—but I see the opportunity for actually comic discussions! Considering that all my usual meta, first impressions, and analysis go to my friends who... to say it nicely; have no idea or interest whatsoever in comics (or reading/listening through essays of them) and are just nice enough to let me infodump this is an opportunity I would be a fool not to take. (I have a serious backlog of that type of stuff because of this so I might as well post 'em later... right?!... Also, sorry for.... co-opting my own analysis and this blog... this was originally not planned. I simply thought I would drop this and read through the responses/should ther be any with glee like I usually do... but yeah...)

Also... uhm... YES! YESYESYES!!! YOU GET IT! THIS!!! So much this!

His destructive (to himself) empathy is such a large and great part of his character.

He is absolutely the type of guy that burns his own house (and himself with it) down to keep other's warm. I love him for that so much! I don't think the majority of, in universe, people around him like it... but as a reader? This is the best type of story! The one's where he burns the candle at both ends of the stick and slowly going under. Where he runs himself so ragged and insane that he's close to clawing up the walls as he's still trying to save everyone he can.

And in the end? It will still not be enough because, for Bruce, it will never be enough! I forgot in which comic it was, so take this with a (massive) grain of salt, but Superman once narrated something along the lines of: “Sometimes you forgot you are human and make us forget about that as well.” and this is the type of Bruce I am talking about. The one that is (near) mythical in his efforts of saving everyone but in the end is forced to recon with the consequences to himself, because he's human.

In “Detective Comics” (2016) issue #994-#999 there is this story (massive spoiler alert for said story by the by) about his absolutely insane Birthday ritual. The one in which he puts himself into a virtual reality to live through... the worst case scenarios! To remind him of what he can lose, etc., and in the end it is revealed that he does all this to remember to be just a bit faster everytime. To reduce the murder victims of Gotham every year and like... yes! Yes this is the type of burning he goes through.

Like you said: he himself, will probably never completely feel the warmth he gives to other's, because in the end he is simply burning himself out for their sake.