The past few years have certainly seen more than their fare share of super hero films, with such titles as Thor, Captain America : First Avenger, Ironman, and at least a dozen more. So it comes as no surprise to see an already flourishing franchise like that of Batman once again going strong. But what is it that makes this particular super hero so enthralling?
Whether or not you remember the series of Batman films from the 1980s and early 90s, there’s something just a little bit different about DC Comic’s masked vigilante that makes him such a draw, regardless of who’s inside the suit. The unique thing about the character that makes him so easy to identify with is that, unlike other comic heroes, the dark knight has no super powers. Clark Kent (Superman) is a powerful alien from a distant world, Peter Parker (Spiderman) is bitten by a super-spider and gains fantastical abilities, but good old Bruce Wayne is, well, just Bruce Wayne. Being incredibly rich, well educated, and extremely physically fit is what enables him to become Batman, but those attributes aren’t exactly super-human. That means that Batman (aside from fighting crime of course) is essentially one of us, and what better way to attract our attention.
This may hold true particularly for those of us who have pierced and tattooed ourselves, as the alteration of the human body in an effort to become what we want to be is arguably not too unlike the application of a special suit that transforms a man into something more.
