I don't follow the Batman comics, but, yeah, when tons of deaths serve as backdrops to the hero/villain dynamic, those multitudes who die become nothing more than collateral damage, static on the screen, background noise. When one absolute entity versus another is all that matters, and the representatives of each side are so anointed that civilian lives are nothing more than filler, then you create the perception that extra-legal solutions by someone else specially empowered to act are the norm and those solutions are as simple as applying direct force. When every villain is a sadistic psychopath, as so many on television are nowadays, polarization, fear and anger increase, and extreme solutions like killing find more sympathy. But these kinds of stories have been pervasive throughout legend and media, and to some extent, greatly permeate life. I've always thought they serve a purpose in violent and stratified societies.
The non-killing stuff is new to me, though. I thought the current Batman was supposed to be "dark" enough to kill. Guess I got that wrong!
The only comics I've ever followed religiously were Prince Valiant when I was a kid (the one my mother would buy, probably because it was cheap), and Sandman as an adult, which I loved and which had me shadowing the doorstep of the comic shop before every issue. I'm curious: have you ever posted about what appeals to you in the Bat stories?
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Date: 2010-03-20 04:52 am (UTC)The non-killing stuff is new to me, though. I thought the current Batman was supposed to be "dark" enough to kill. Guess I got that wrong!
The only comics I've ever followed religiously were Prince Valiant when I was a kid (the one my mother would buy, probably because it was cheap), and Sandman as an adult, which I loved and which had me shadowing the doorstep of the comic shop before every issue. I'm curious: have you ever posted about what appeals to you in the Bat stories?