Who watches the Batman?

For years, I have battled with my brothers over what exactly makes a true superhero. Is it an intricate costume? A sweet catchphrase? Unbeatable superpowers? A consistent sidekick?

I think it is a combination of all of the above.

With that being said, I would like to make it clear right now that I do not, by any means, believe that Batman is a superhero.

Superman was born a superhero, and Spiderman was cursed into being a superhero. Even with all of the debate and angry tirades I have suffered through over the years, at least I have the dictionary on my side. According to the literary powers that be, a superhero is a figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime. Does Batman have any superhuman powers? Nope. He's strong, he's wealthy, he's intelligent, but above all, he is vengeful. A masked vigilante out to save the day from corruption, fueled by the loss of his parents.

I was always entertained by Batman's crazy antics, and I was even more entranced by the recent films. While many people seem to be troubled by Batman's vigilante-like behavior, I have never struggled with the morality of it. I think the reason I never really thought about the issue that lies behind Batman taking the law into his own hands was based on the fact that Gotham lacked any sufficient law enforcers to begin with, and someone had to do something to make sure the bad guys were kept in line...so why not let him? If he had superpowers, would people care less? Would they think it was his duty to save the day if he was transported to Earth on a glowing rock or been injected by some chemical agent....would it be okay for him to take the law into his own hands if he couldn't help the fact that he was different?

I don't think Batman is a superhero, but I think that he is pretty much the only one that cares about keeping Gotham as safe as humanly possible. It makes me think of the Watchmen. Of course, with the stress of "saving the world" weighing them down, and the possibilities that lie at their fingertips with their unbeatable powers, one of them was bound to become corrupt. But Batman, with his need to avenge his parents' death and ensure that Gotham is a safe place once again, I think he could never fully become corrupt...but then again, if he becomes corrupt will we ever even know it, when the world around him is splitting at the seams from the evil that fills every inch of its dark alleys?

But more than wondering about who is watching Batman, I think there is a better question.

Who is watching us?

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Books, I have found, had the power to make time stand still, retreat or fly into the future. - Jim Bishop