Eh, its kind of a mixed bag with batman. Some of the villains are fighting for workers rights or to improve the environment. Others are just absolutely bonkers and somehow get a ton of people to support them. Batman has always been a bit problematic, but that is always the case with anti-heroes.
Anti-heroes shouldn’t be role models, and are supposed to be problematic. The punisher isn’t someone to look up to or base any real solutions on. He is a broken man that was pushed to the extreme and decided extreme measures were needed to fight corruption. Wolverine has lost everything and fights largely for himself (I know there are stories where he grows and learns, but that wasn’t the original basis of the character). Batman is kind of the same. He was a spoiled rich kid that went through trauma and decided to punch his way out of it. Are there better solutions? Maybe, but they wouldn’t make for interesting comic books.
I can see the argument for environmentalism with poison ivy, but who exactly is fighting for workers rights?
That also seems like an excuse to argue that Batman is somehow a bad guy in the situation, which is quite the stretch considering most, if not all, of the villains he faces would see gotham wiped out to see their goals acheived.
It also ignores that in his Bruce persona he does do a lot of charitable work (including environmentalism and worker protections). But, as you say, him sitting in board meetings organizing this stuff wouldnt make for very entertaining stories.
And i was never saying he was a role model, just that the constant mischaracterization is tiresome. Saying that just cause he was born to generational (and fictional) wealth he is automatically a bad guy. That clearly he could be doing better things (that he mostly does do anyway).
Is putting on an animal costume and risking his life to protect others the act of a stable person? Fuck no. But its not like its also inherently harmful either. Especially in the world created around him.
Anarky is anti-state and anti-capitalism. There might be others, but it has been a really long time since I read Batman comics. So my memory is admittedly pretty vague.
Eh, its kind of a mixed bag with batman. Some of the villains are fighting for workers rights or to improve the environment. Others are just absolutely bonkers and somehow get a ton of people to support them. Batman has always been a bit problematic, but that is always the case with anti-heroes.
Anti-heroes shouldn’t be role models, and are supposed to be problematic. The punisher isn’t someone to look up to or base any real solutions on. He is a broken man that was pushed to the extreme and decided extreme measures were needed to fight corruption. Wolverine has lost everything and fights largely for himself (I know there are stories where he grows and learns, but that wasn’t the original basis of the character). Batman is kind of the same. He was a spoiled rich kid that went through trauma and decided to punch his way out of it. Are there better solutions? Maybe, but they wouldn’t make for interesting comic books.
I can see the argument for environmentalism with poison ivy, but who exactly is fighting for workers rights?
That also seems like an excuse to argue that Batman is somehow a bad guy in the situation, which is quite the stretch considering most, if not all, of the villains he faces would see gotham wiped out to see their goals acheived.
It also ignores that in his Bruce persona he does do a lot of charitable work (including environmentalism and worker protections). But, as you say, him sitting in board meetings organizing this stuff wouldnt make for very entertaining stories.
And i was never saying he was a role model, just that the constant mischaracterization is tiresome. Saying that just cause he was born to generational (and fictional) wealth he is automatically a bad guy. That clearly he could be doing better things (that he mostly does do anyway).
Is putting on an animal costume and risking his life to protect others the act of a stable person? Fuck no. But its not like its also inherently harmful either. Especially in the world created around him.
Anarky is anti-state and anti-capitalism. There might be others, but it has been a really long time since I read Batman comics. So my memory is admittedly pretty vague.