Post 9: Screw the Justice League, All You Need is Batman
How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and inexplicably despicable (I honestly just liked the way that sounded, to be honest) Andy Ferguson and tonight this is not the post I need to write but rather the one I deserve to. Why? Because it's about Batman.
Ohhhhhhh yeah buddy, get ready for tonights discussion on how Batman is, in every single sense of the word, a modern epic hero. Let's get started.
For those of you wondering what exactly an epic hero is, examples of epic heroes throughout history and mythology include:
- Hercules (or Heracles if you're greek)
- Achilles
- Gilgamesh
- Beowulf
- Oda Nobunaga (actual historical figure btw)
- Genji
- Maui (after watching Moana with my four-year-old sister, I did some research. He belongs here)
- Arthur
and so on and so on. I think you get the point I'm trying to make here, right? Anyhow, you must be asking: okay, that's cool. but how is Batman like those guys? well, I'll let my friend old Three-Part-Thesis do the talking:
1.) Noble Birth- Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, was born to billionaires extraordinaire Thomas and Martha Wayne, the owner's of Wayne Enterprises located in the nitty gritty Gotham City. After the tragic death of his parents, Bruce inherits his family's fortune and undergoes rigorous training (both mental and physical) in order to find his parents' killer and clean up Gotham in the process. But lets go back to the rich part first: Batman was born into the upper crust of society. the Haves, The Fat Cats. The aristocratic, automatic, most emphatic, upper attic of the proverbial House of Class. That was what the Bat was born into. The various heroes I mentioned on the list were of similar status: most are either the direct offspring of a god or king/emperor. Though, not all got along with their noble parents so swimmingly.
2.) He's Bright and Can Fight- Possibly one of his best known features, Batman is super smart. Like, "holy hell, how'd he know?" kinda smart. Like put him up against Sherlock Holmes in a game of chess and he stands a chance at winning kind of smart. Seriously, the man's tag line before the Dark Knight franchise was "the World's Greatest Detective." But he's not just smart: Batman also kicks ass. Trained in over a hundred different martial arts, the Dark Knight lives up to his name a dangerous adversary in battle. This kind of thing is seen in the other heroes as well, Beowulf and Achilles specifically: Beowulf is known for his ability to speak pointedly as well rip peoples arms from their torsoes (look up Grendel, you will not be dissappointed). Achilles led the Greeks against the city-state of Troy and was famed for being nigh-invincible (damn kankle).
3.) He's Got An Iconic Nemesis- Oh yeah. You knew this was coming. Maybe. Whatever: Batman, in his time of heroing about and saving the day, has always had one big villain with whom he's gone toe-to-toe multiple, multiple times: the Joker. A sadistic and maniacal serial killer/terrorist who dons the visage of a clown, the Joker has been the Batman's very antithesis since the character's creation. Where the Bat was dark and brooding, the Joker was bright and comedic. Where Batman abstained from killing, the Joker delighted in it. Everything Batman is, the Joker represented the opposite thematically. Sound familiar? it should: Heracles was hounded and hunted after Hera, the wife of Zeus. Beowulf, the noble warrior, went up against the dragon. Arthur and Mordred, Achilles and Hector: Do I need to continue?
Anyhow, that's enough fanboy ranting for tonight. As always, thanks for reading and I will see you next time. Peace!
Ohhhhhhh yeah buddy, get ready for tonights discussion on how Batman is, in every single sense of the word, a modern epic hero. Let's get started.
For those of you wondering what exactly an epic hero is, examples of epic heroes throughout history and mythology include:
- Hercules (or Heracles if you're greek)
- Achilles
- Gilgamesh
- Beowulf
- Oda Nobunaga (actual historical figure btw)
- Genji
- Maui (after watching Moana with my four-year-old sister, I did some research. He belongs here)
- Arthur
and so on and so on. I think you get the point I'm trying to make here, right? Anyhow, you must be asking: okay, that's cool. but how is Batman like those guys? well, I'll let my friend old Three-Part-Thesis do the talking:
1.) Noble Birth- Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, was born to billionaires extraordinaire Thomas and Martha Wayne, the owner's of Wayne Enterprises located in the nitty gritty Gotham City. After the tragic death of his parents, Bruce inherits his family's fortune and undergoes rigorous training (both mental and physical) in order to find his parents' killer and clean up Gotham in the process. But lets go back to the rich part first: Batman was born into the upper crust of society. the Haves, The Fat Cats. The aristocratic, automatic, most emphatic, upper attic of the proverbial House of Class. That was what the Bat was born into. The various heroes I mentioned on the list were of similar status: most are either the direct offspring of a god or king/emperor. Though, not all got along with their noble parents so swimmingly.
2.) He's Bright and Can Fight- Possibly one of his best known features, Batman is super smart. Like, "holy hell, how'd he know?" kinda smart. Like put him up against Sherlock Holmes in a game of chess and he stands a chance at winning kind of smart. Seriously, the man's tag line before the Dark Knight franchise was "the World's Greatest Detective." But he's not just smart: Batman also kicks ass. Trained in over a hundred different martial arts, the Dark Knight lives up to his name a dangerous adversary in battle. This kind of thing is seen in the other heroes as well, Beowulf and Achilles specifically: Beowulf is known for his ability to speak pointedly as well rip peoples arms from their torsoes (look up Grendel, you will not be dissappointed). Achilles led the Greeks against the city-state of Troy and was famed for being nigh-invincible (damn kankle).
3.) He's Got An Iconic Nemesis- Oh yeah. You knew this was coming. Maybe. Whatever: Batman, in his time of heroing about and saving the day, has always had one big villain with whom he's gone toe-to-toe multiple, multiple times: the Joker. A sadistic and maniacal serial killer/terrorist who dons the visage of a clown, the Joker has been the Batman's very antithesis since the character's creation. Where the Bat was dark and brooding, the Joker was bright and comedic. Where Batman abstained from killing, the Joker delighted in it. Everything Batman is, the Joker represented the opposite thematically. Sound familiar? it should: Heracles was hounded and hunted after Hera, the wife of Zeus. Beowulf, the noble warrior, went up against the dragon. Arthur and Mordred, Achilles and Hector: Do I need to continue?
Anyhow, that's enough fanboy ranting for tonight. As always, thanks for reading and I will see you next time. Peace!
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