I'm old enough to remember when Batman WASN'T a tragic figure. There was a time when Batman being a driven, potentially mentally unhealthy obsessive was a fresh take, a new look. It isn't that Batman can't be a tortured, tragic figure, IMHO, it's that now it's assumed that it's all he CAN be. That Batman must be a jerk to everyone around him or that he has to be almost as broken as his enemies to be an effective Batman.
I mean, contextually now the argument is...well, you'd have to be crazy to be Batman, right? But that argument is put forth for many other characters, many of whom have similar circumstances. Spiderman is rarely presented as a borderline sociopath or that he must be one to be an effective hero. It's not that you can't do that, but I find the idea that its the only take for Batman anymore to be odd. Spiderman was still Spideman for 10 years while being married...it merely opened up different stories. The same is true for Superman.
I can understand not KEEPING Batman married, but I think a lot of people were really excited for the story possibilities this would have created (not unlike when Dick became Batman, for example). Just deep-sixing the whole thing feels like a massive rug-pull and a waste of time, especially after all the build-up to it. That's their prerogative, just like mine will be to not buy further.
no subject
I mean, contextually now the argument is...well, you'd have to be crazy to be Batman, right? But that argument is put forth for many other characters, many of whom have similar circumstances. Spiderman is rarely presented as a borderline sociopath or that he must be one to be an effective hero. It's not that you can't do that, but I find the idea that its the only take for Batman anymore to be odd. Spiderman was still Spideman for 10 years while being married...it merely opened up different stories. The same is true for Superman.
I can understand not KEEPING Batman married, but I think a lot of people were really excited for the story possibilities this would have created (not unlike when Dick became Batman, for example). Just deep-sixing the whole thing feels like a massive rug-pull and a waste of time, especially after all the build-up to it. That's their prerogative, just like mine will be to not buy further.