Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul. Philosophical paperback.
Quote from the back cover:
"Why doesn't Batman just kill the Joker and end everyone's misery? Can we hold the Joker morally responsible for his actions? Is Batman better than Superman? If everyone followed Batman's example, would Gotham be a better place? What is the Tao of the Bat?
-- Batman is one of the most complex characters ever to appear in comic books, graphic novels, and on the big screen. What philosophical trials does this superhero confront in order to keep Gotham safe? Combing through seventy years of comic books, television shows, and movies, Batman and Philosophy explores how the Dark Knight grapples with ethical conundrums, moral responsibility, his identity crisis, the moral weight he carries to avenge his murdered parents, and much more. How does this caped crusader measure up against the teachings of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Kierkegaard, and Lao Tzu?"
Isn't that just wonderful, Batman mano-a-mano with Kierkegaard. And mentioning Plato and Lao Tzu in the same breath as asking the immortal question "is Batman better than Superman?" Gotta love that.
Don't get me wrong, I've been a Batman fan for nigh 40 years. And there are legit philosophical questions he inspires, some of which were brought up in The Dark Knight Returns, for instance "are the authorities the ones we should follow and obey?" or "will violence and revenge solve anything?" (actually it seems Frank Miller pretty much takes for granted they will, so that one is mine), but this book just seems like it won't really delve into those. I could be wrong, it could be just the back cover text which is silly. It is actually written by professors and not comic book editors.
As much as I liked The Dark Knight Returns the whole idea of anyone putting on a costume and fighting crime is so ridiculous that attempts like Miller's to make it "adult" fail.
ReplyDeleteComic books should by now have gone the way of the pulp novels and radio serials and the penny dreadfuls... But real life Comic Book Guys out there are keeping it alive artificially.
Watchmen should really have been the last word on the subject.
Oh, and btw, Superman is better. At least Superman before they changed him back in the mid 1980s. Back when he could do almost anything.
-Brian H.
Yeah. Alan Moore had some wonderful takes on that one in Supreme and in Tom Strong.
ReplyDeleteI liked Tom Strong, but felt in the end that it was just a pale imitation of Doc Savage only vomit-inducingly PC.
ReplyDeleteWatchmen I would describe as groin-grabbingly transcendent.
My guess is that this is a quick "introduction to philosophy" book that tries to appeal to a larger market by throwing Batman into the mix. I further guess that it will sell better than if they had covered the same material without Batman.
ReplyDeleteBut then, all I know is that I know nothing.
That's probably true. They've done that with other subjects - like The Physics of Star Trek - and I think there was a Simpsons philosophy book.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Dark Knight Returns was the last word on Batman, but it was the last really good and meaningful thing Miller produced, IMHO. Books like this are just bubble gum, a placeholder for real societal dialogue about things that we have allowed to happen. Let's talk about those and have it out, make some real choices.
ReplyDelete