Changes in Society: the Evolution of Batman

I'm not a big superhero or comic book fan, but growing I was always fascinated by the caped crusader. Many hours of my childhood were spent watching the 1960s Batman TV series. As I have aged, I maintained my appreciation of the campy classics, while enjoying the new darker version of the dark knight.

Batman's awesomeness stems from his lack of super powers. He is not impervious to bullets or pain. He cannot shoot webs from his hand, or sprout metal claws from his hands. He is not super strong or super fast. He is just a brilliant a guy who uses his wit and resourcefulness to defeat human enemies that do not have any super powers either. It is this realism that makes him great. He is just a rich man who wanted to end crime in a dangerous community.

While all of the above characteristics have remained true throughout the legend of Batman, his portrayal has changed from the dark comics, to the humorous 60s classic, to the dark Tim Burton 90s, to the heroic, high grossing current version. All of these versions have been incredibly popular and it raises the question, why has the image of Batman needed to change in order to maintain his popularity.

We begin by looking at the culture when the 60s Batman was introduced to audiences. The year is 1965. The United States is involved in a war it probably should have avoided. The hippie movement conquered the country. Women and African Americans battled vigorously for more rights. Batman became one of the top 10 shows in the country. The show featured an enjoyable half hour of entertainment for the entire family and dead pan comedic delivery from Adam West, as Batman.

I theorize that this comedic campy version was created for two reasons. The first reason to design a show like this is to appeal to more viewers. By bridging the generational gap, this show attracted more viewers. It also faced much less competition in the market since there were far fewer stations than today.The other reason this version appealed to 60s audiences was that provided a comedic and entertaining distraction from the problems in daily life.

The Tim Burton Batman is the darkest portrayal of the Dark Knight. He is shut away from the world, angry, and alone. Demons and past traumas haunted the Batman of the 90s making him a tortured soul, fighting criminals for vengeance in the name of his parents. This Batman ended the Caped Crusader's 20 year absence from mainstream media. The 1989 movie made $250 million in America and revived Batman's presence as the most popular super hero in the country. However, each subsequent sequel was less appreciated. This darkest Knight succeeded mainly due to great cast, but comparatively less enjoyable plots than other screen adaptations.

Now to the current Batman. This Batman was troubled youth who changed his life and is now ready to face his parents death and save a city in turmoil. The Dark Knight's popularity was unprecedented especially in the sequel with the same name. In this one Batman enjoys his billionaire lifestyle by day and beats up the bad guys by night. He is clearly the hero like West in the 60s and a seemingly cool guy who is forced to battle the most diabolical version of the Joker.

It is important to examine some of the similarities in the world occurring now and in the 60s. Once again we are in war that we probably should have avoided. The country is an economic struggle that causes the need for distraction. The question arises: Is society ready for a campy Batman. The money the Dark Knight made says no. However, societies problems and this loyal fan say yes.