Few crime-fighting superheroes possess the ferocious
physical and financial prowess to live up to the modern-day celebrity status of
Bruce Wayne, known to the citizen world as Batman. And, whether or not we
consider Batman in his animated comic form or within his more recent cinematic
grandeur, we frequently fail to consider him within the realm of the detective
genre. Although he may not match the “cold, logical method of problem solving,
upper-class background, and emphasis on intense reading for clues” of Auguste
Dupin himself, his adventures contain many of the genre’s guidelines detailed
by S.S. Van Dine in 1928 (Gaines). And, though some key components of his
mysterious superhero figure may also violate what we hold to be true about
detective fiction, he still fits the classical mold of one detective seeking to
fight organized crime through intentional investigation. Could Bruce Wayne be
one the most popular modern figures of detective expression, or is his approach
to investigation and crime too far removed from the basis of the genre? Let’s find
out.
In many ways, Bruce Wayne most nearly fits the model of
Harlan Page Halsey’s Spencer Vance. Possibly one of the most distinct
characteristics of recent developments in the detective fiction genre is the
transition between pure intellect and brute force. The classic and
stereotypical detectives of early detective literature oftentimes find
themselves pondering over cases and evidence while heavily influenced by
narcotics, usually the use of cocaine or alcohol. Nowadays, and specifically
concerning Batman, the emphasis seems to be more physical with the additional
incorporation of valuable resources. Let’s take a look at three important
variations that Batman brings to the genre: extreme wealth and how it affects
resources, the supernatural, and motive.
Essentially, what separates Batman
from many other DC and Marvel superheroes is his lack of genuine “superpowers.”
Specifically within the most recent Christopher Nolan films, Bruce Wayne’s
extreme family wealth mixed with state of the art technological resources
provide him with similar abilities, but yet maintain his realist nature as a
normal human being. This transitions into our next topic of discussion: the
supernatural. I would argue that this does not violate Van Dine’s proposal on
the supernatural. His rule states that crimes must not be masked by
supernatural means as not to take away from the reader’s ability to solve the
crime (Van Dine). No such scenarios exist throughout the Christopher Nolan
series. Though such technology may amplify the potential presence of the
supernatural, it does not overtly violate Van Dine’s principles.
Finally, let’s consider motive. Sherlock Holmes states, “Give me
problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most
intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere,” which is more or
less to say that his motive for the work he does is based on a psychological
niche (Thomas). He was born for detection and to exercise his detection
abilities. Batman, however, is quite different. The source of the Batman legacy
comes from a much darker past, a past filled with the haphazard and tragic
murder of his iconic parents. He associates his duty to fight crime with a
darker underlying sense of vengeance that must be upheld. To Batman, justice is
fundamental. This is another characteristic that separates him from the more
classic figures of early detective fiction. Rather than being fed by pure
psychological satisfaction, Batman seeks to redeem the lack of justice that
fills the streets of Gotham.
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“The Caped Crusader” made his first appearance in DC Comics in
November of 1939. Since then, The Batman has been rapidly developing into the
modern-day interpretation we now associate with the Christian Bale films.
Outside of the detective genre, the most recent Batman films fit into the
adventure genre. The combination of state of the art technology, a physical
detective figure, and the role of villain provide plenty of opportunities for
action-packed film sequences. In fact, the first listed genre of The Dark
Knight Rises is action followed by crime
and drama. Though the detection element remains, it has lost precedence to the
recent adventure and action movement.
Really, the existence of the Christopher Nolan films is
evidence enough of the lasting impact of Batman. Not only has Batman made his
way into the film industry, but also he has infiltrated marketing strategies of
all kinds. Action figures, video games dating back to the Sega Genesis era, and
Halloween costumes of all shapes and sizes have filled the entertainment of our
more recent generations. But, what is it about Batman that makes the
Christopher Nolan film series the most popular and best-selling superhero
movies to date? Does Batman possess a unique set of traits specific to the
detective genre that make him more appealing to modern audiences? Has the
modern cinematic version of “The Caped Crusader” enhanced or skewed the
original comic Batman?
Works Cited
Gaines, John. A History of Detective Fiction: Literary Origins.
Fredericksburg, 12 November 2009.
Thomas, Ronald R. Detective Fiction and the Rise of Forensic Science.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Van Dine, S.S. Twenty rules for writing detective stories.
September 1928. 4 December 2012 <http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/vandine.htm>.
(Andrew White's blog, posted by J. Bowers. Pictures forthcoming.)
Great post Andrew. I especially liked your ideas about motive, and how the motives of more modern detectives tend to come from a darker place than in past detective stories. Whereas the classic motivation for a detective is often intellectual satisfaction (and occasionally a cash reward), detectives in the neo noir genre are more often motivation by vengeance. Whether they seek to avenge the victim of a specific crime, as we saw in A Hard Goodbye, or are motivated by a need to seek justice fueled by a dark past like batman, revenge is becoming a much more prevalent motive in the genre. Another interesting trait of the batman series, especially the recent films, is that the villains tend to come from the fringes of society. Van Dine made it clear that in classical detective fiction the villain must come from high standing, but here we see the role reversed: A billionaire playboy detective squaring off against villains far removed from normal society.
ReplyDeleteThat’s an interesting point, Reece. Even after analyzing The Dark Knight as my final project, I didn’t consider the source of the villains. However, one of the quotes I presented highlight that one of the public’s greatest attractions to Batman is his consistent level of normalcy. And, I think this concept applies to his villains as well. Batman has always been relatively well known for his lack of superpowers that are compensated by his extreme wealth, and his villains assume the same mortality. The Scarecrow featured in the first Christopher Nolan film is merely a man specialized in psychology and modern science. The Joker, who appears in the second film, is more mysterious in the sense that his origins are unknown, but he still contains all the aspects of a normal human being. Face paint aside, his only tricks consist of mind games and explosive devices. Bane, the final villain of the Christopher Nolan series, possesses extreme strength but still within the context of the common man. Long story short, though the villains might be socially outcast, their normalcy within the genre uniquely characterizes them to a point near acceptance. Also, given the changing styles of the modern generation, I find the rules of S.S. Van Dine more easily compromised.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post, Andrew, and it’s clear that you put a lot of thought into your explanation of Batman as a detective. However, I have to disagree with you: due to his motivation for solving crime, I think Batman is more accurately described as a hero than a detective (I don’t consider him a superhero either, but that’s a different post for a different day). You mentioned yourself that Sherlock Holmes and other detectives are driven by the psychological challenge of detection. This idea has been consistent in all the detective fiction we have read over the semester. Even when monetary compensation was introduced with Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, it was still noted that they sought a solution due to an inherent need to “figure it out”, as Marlowe illustrated in The Big Sleep by his continued pursuit of Rusty Regan even after being paid for his services. Batman, in contrast, is motivated by the idea of justice and vengeance. It’s sad to say, but few detectives are portrayed as that noble. His actions are more focused on the greater good, rather than a selfish financial or psychological motivation. This would indicate that he is more of a hero figure than a detective.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree with Sarah that Batman as a whole is better defined as a hero than a detective. Nolan's Batman especially seems to be doing a lot more fighting bad guys than analyzing minutiae details of crimes to discover "whodunnit." His motives are certainly to avenge his parents and rid the world of the criminals who cause Gotham's citizens pain. I think Batman does some detecting through his work, but the detective we have come to know is more focused on solving crimes than bringing criminals to justice.
ReplyDeleteAs far as keeping within the lines of Van Dine's rules, Batman's financial prowess is merely a resource which Bruce Wayne uses to his advantage. The fact that he has no superpowers and comes across his many gadgets via realistic means points to Batman falling within Van Dine's guidelines as far as the supernatural goes.
Unfortunately, I must concur with Sarah and Patrick. Most of the "detection" in the batman films is haphazard at best, and frequently performed characters other than batman himself. Also, the idea that he is more hero than detective also stems from the fact that the "mystery" of who committed the terrible crime central to the plot is almost always found out very soon in the movie or comic. The greater portion of the storyline is used to bring the villain to justice, a characteristic not as common to detective fiction. We frequently see detectives putting criminals behind bars, but with the help of the police, and frequently in a short two page epilogue or the end of the story.
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