Identity Within a Trinity: Batman versus Superman
Last time on the blog: we talked about how we all have multiple identities and then why Batman keeps his secret.
Let's contrast Batman's interior identities with Superman, aka Clark Kent. Another story of a trinity of identity in one body. The base personality of Clark is an alien raised on Earth to value human life and help others with his powers. Superman is the manifestation of those abilities and that morality. The embodiment of hope and power. His secret identity, Clark Kent the mild-mannered reporter with glasses, skews closer to the Smallville farm boy searching and exploring what it means to be human by reflecting and writing on the society. The man leans harder to the human component of his identity rather than the myth and has to work harder to establish the human component than he does the superhero.
The ultimate takeaway from the two is an old statement I do not remember where I first heard, but here it is: "Clark Kent puts on a Superman suit, while Batman puts on a Bruce Wayne suit." This over simplification negates the core personality of each, but I believe it does hold truth. Batman is a closer manifestation of Bruces's psyche while Clark Kent is a closer manifestation of Clark's.
So how does this lead us to choose what movie has presented the ultimate Batman?
Hell, I do not know.
Keaton was crazy as both, but his Bruce was capable of being affable and sardonic.
Kilmer and Clooney were not given scripts that gave us much to do with the character, although Kilmer's Wayne is closer to the dark and stoic Bruce at the center.
Bale's Batman gave us three distinct Bruces depending on the movie. Batman Begins shows the formation of the identities. The Dark Knight gave each a moment to shine. The Dark Knight Rises played fast and loose with an older Bruce about to give it all up through depression, but in the end failed to deliver a compelling character.
Pattinson's Batman is too early in the story, learning how to be Batman. One could see the Bruce Wayne persona developing in the sequel much like the Bale version did. Without continuation of the story, however, he's still stuck in Batman's sad boy route.
My answer is the Kevin Conroy version from the Animated Series (and Mask of the Phantasm if you need a movie). Each Bruce, Batman, and Bruce Wayne is distinct and acted differently yet you can tell they are coming from the same person. Just lovely.
My favorite Batman/Bruce Wayne moment, however, comes from Greg Rucka's novelization of the No Man's Land story arc. Batman, Robin, and a few others are in private when a call for Bruce Wayne comes in. It is important, so he takes the call. As he does, his voice and mannerisms change to the point where Tim Drake's Robin is a little disturbed, thinking that it looked like Bruce Wayne was wearing a Batman costume and how odd that sentence felt to him.
