Bat-wuss

Recently, DC announced that they were rebooting their continuity. Every series is starting over from number one. That means that there are new origin stories and hopefully a more coherent storyline. It's interesting to see where they go with this, the younger Superman is an interesting development. This reboot is also a smart time to change the story of one famous character. I've come to a rather controversial conclusion.

Batman is a wuss.

Now, let me be clear, the Batman we all know and love is hardcore. He's the dark knight, skulking through Gotham, beating down the villains, and instilling fear in the criminal underworld. Batman as a hero is pretty sick, but his origin is so pathetic. He doesn't have that real heroic beginning.

Let's look at this real fast. When Bruce was a kid, his parent's were murdered. Simple start right? Bruce trains and gets strong and agile, then dawns the famous cowl and becomes Batman. This seems pretty solid, but what about some other superheroes? Hal Jordan becomes the Green Lantern because of a sense of duty. Aquaman is out to protect his kingdom. Spider-man wants to honor his uncle's memory and atone for his selfish mistakes. Captain America is dedicated to his country. And Batman is a kid with some serious issues.

Batman is running off a messed up childhood and a desire for revenge. There is little that is noble about him. Most people probably would have moved on had they had some counseling. But here Batman is, bringing a crusade against crime to the streets of Gotham. Here's something to think about, Batman's parent's were killed and he swore revenge, Superman's entire planet was destroyed, and he's done his best to adapt and protect earth. Batman is the dark, brooding, anti-social, and Superman is a man of the people. Could you imagine what it would be like if Superman was that dark and brooding, scouring the galaxy for revenge? I don't think anyone would go for that.

I like Batman, I just think that they could do more with him. One of the main reasons I like Batman is because of the colorful cast of villains that he has. Villains like the Joker, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy add a nice contrast to Batman that make both characters seem more in depth. But alone, Batman is very one sided, and compared to the other characters in the DC multiverse (had to get that word in somewhere) he's pretty boring. This reboot is a chance for Batman to be more than just a dark monolith of the night, he can have a depth and personality that is compelling and unique. Batman will never die in our minds, but this new age can bring him to amazing new heights.

On a related note, let's ditch the grown man in a rubber suit and little boy sidekick dynamic, that opens some serious questions that no one wants to get into.

Just something to chew on.