For me, what I admire about the comic book hero is his boundless adherence to what is good. He never uses a gun nor does he kill the bad guy. He believes in every person's capacity to change and reform, something which you might find quixotic given Gotham City's notorious set of criminals. He is incorruptible.
There's this one scene in the movie The Dark Knight which encapsulates Batman's faith in humanity:
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THE JOKER
Oh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever. |
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BATMAN
You'll be in a padded cell forever. |
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THE JOKER
Maybe we can share one. You know, they'll be doubling up, the rate this city's inhabitants are losing their minds. |
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BATMAN
This city just showed you that it's full of people ready to believe in good. |
Perhaps, a bit of the Batman does reside in each of us. When we refuse to be corrupted by what the world insists is true, when we stick with our convictions rather than be swept away, when we dig down inside and say "no" to the convenient excuse, we channel the Batman.
Let's face it, Batman can never be real. He is far too fantastic. But, ironically, he is the symbol of the everyday man, the ordinary guy who sticks a finger to conformity and refuses to play along.
I am Batman.
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