THE DEAD TIMES
DEAD ARE COMING...
Why Batman should have been Zombie-man
We all know DC’s infamous superhero Batman. The caped crusader has been the proud focus of millions of comics, a myriad of actual novels, a handful of TV shows, both animated and live-action, and countless big-budget movies ranging from the 60s and continuing up to this day. His superhero status is a bit of a misnomer though; Batman is definitely heroic, no questions there, often involving him beating hardened criminals to a pulp with just his bare hands and wading into fights where he is extremely outnumbered, utilising advanced technology to win the day but, in terms of actual superpowers, fantastical abilities like laser-eyes or super-speed, he has none. He is, in fact, just a regular guy who adopted a masked-agenda to fight evil, stand up for all that is good in the world and become a hero - a fact that has contributed heavily to his massive popularity in the over-saturated world of comic-book heroes we live in.
Batman adopted the symbol of a bat for his superhero persona; a singular image that when people saw it, they knew, that is Batman and this is what he does. Of course, the story as to why he actually chose this visual mantra differs but the most common reasoning centres around his fear of bats and the fact that bats themselves, inspire fear - small, black creatures of the dark that you very rarely see up-close, giving them an air of mystery. However, I think one other creature fills this mark more fittingly. One, extremely frightening race of beings that fit all the requirements Batman has for his symbol even more fittingly than a rather, in my mind, underwhelming bat. I’m sure you have guessed it by know... it is, of course, the Zombie.
- Batman is not a superhero
- The personification of fear and mystery
- Conquering a former fear
- Inspiring the masses
- Zombies are coming and they are here to stay
Batman is not really a superhero in terms of Captain America or Superman, he has no fantastical powers like laser-eyes, bullet-proof skin or health regeneration. He is, at base level, just a normal guy like you or me - a very fit normal guy, with access to insane technology to make him appear like a superhero but still, a normal guy. He saw something he did not like - corruption and criminality in his hometown of Gotham City, characterised by the murder of his parents - and decided to take matters into his own hands after the "authorities" did nothing. He attacks criminals, beats-up thugs and brings the guilty to justice, all without ever killing a single person, regardless of how despicable their crime. A Zombie would be a perfect symbol for this (minus the obvious killing part of course). A Zombie is just a normal guy who happened to become infected and turn into the living dead. Thinking metaphorically, a Zombie is just a person who thinks and acts differently to other people because of past events (being bitten or, in the case of Batman, losing his parents).
In the film Batman Begins, it is revealed that Batman chose a bat as his symbol as it inspires fear into his adversaries. It is a choice that stands to reason; bats are relatively unknown, dark and mysterious; only active at night, seldom seen, as their small-bodies flit through the air or hang upside-down in dark caves, hunting their prey with inaudible sounds, beyond the range of human hearing, striking silently, unseen, being heard only occasionally by their chittering communication. There are also the myths and legends associated with bats (often referred to as "winged demons") to consider; horrible tales involving Vampires and the sucking of blood. It is not really any surprise then that many people fear bats (or, at least, do not enjoy their company). But, what is more scary than a bat? What inspires fear more than a, actually harmless, winged-devil while not losing any of that fabulous mystique? A Zombie of course. I would find it very difficult to believe that any living person would not be scared - at least a little - by the dead, returning to life to prey upon the living. Okay, a single Zombie can be seen as comical with their uneven gait and clumsy movements but, as a symbol, an idea? Popular culture has taught us what lethal implications a Zombie outbreak has; there is never just one Zombie - there are hordes and life, as we know it, will never be the same. And as for mystery, what can be more mysterious than the rise of the living dead? How did they come back? What are their intentions - if they even have any? Is the government somehow involved - some shady rogue element perhaps? Is it a virus that makes them reanimate? How does it transmit? Oh god, am I infected?
Bruce Wayne, the fictional character who is Batman, grew up with a fear of bats and that is another reason why he chose a bat as his symbol; to show that he is not afraid anymore, he has faced what terrified him in the past and now embraces those demons, he is not scared to do what is right even if it means personal discomfort or physical harm. A Zombie as a symbol is, again, an obvious choice here; everyone, thanks to popular media, knows that Zombies are a threat to overcome - a fear of something that will kill you that must be conquered so you can survive, live on, continue fighting. In addition, a Zombie would be an even more appropriate symbol than a bat here; not only does winning a fight against a Zombie require brute force, it also requires some form of strategy. This requirement of tactics only becomes more relevant the more Zombies there are; small groups, hordes, even global outbreaks all require vastly different strategies to prevail.
The film, The Dark Knight, after the famous "I'm not wearing Hockey pants." line, tells us that Batman seeks to inspire the people of Gotham - and around the world - to stand up against injustice, corruption and criminality; to not back down in the face of overwhelming force simply because it is easier. While this may not have impacted Bruce Wayne's decision to adopt the bat as a symbol, the mark of the Zombie is perfect for this. Zombies never act alone, always in numbers simply because they are driven by one common goal; the need, to feed. Okay, there's the whole lack of free will and independent thought involved with becoming a Zombie but, metaphorically, my point still stands. It is impossible for a Zombie to not rally more to his cause while attacking others as a single bite or scratch is enough to make his adversary a Zombie and their adversary a Zombie and so on and so forth. Even without physical contact, in terms of just adopting Zombiism as a symbol, if an open-minded person of similar beliefs to Wayne's, sees Wayne standing up for justice and likes what they see, inspired to do more, they effectively become a "Zombie" themselves - they are, in a metaphorical sense, "infected" by an idea.
The final reason why Batman should have adopted the Zombie symbol is because I passionately believe that Zombies are inevitable; it may not be in your lifetime or your child's lifetime or even for thousands of years from now but, someday, Earth will see a catastrophic Zombie outbreak whether it be brought on by fungus, a virus, bacteria, some dark-magic plague or something entirely different. The potential of adopting the Zombie as a symbol here would be immense. Even without seeing the symbol directly, criminals would know that danger is there, lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce at any moment. I also believe that once out of the box, it will be extremely difficult to put the lid back on; the threat of Zombies, like Zombies themselves, will never truly die. Once that threat makes its dreaded appearance, once the trap has been sprung, once Batman - taking on the Zombie symbol - has revealed himself, he is there forever, the scourge placed on injustice and criminality can now never, without some extreme intervention, be removed, he is out there and, no matter where they are, no criminal will ever be safe again. The Zombie is dead and to use a quote from Game of Thrones, "What is dead may never die.". Can there be a more fittingly unnerving mantra for a superhero? Can there be any better way to tell your enemies, without them even meeting you, that whatever they do, they cannot win? And, ultimately, that is what all superheroes stand for; the everlasting and unwavering triumph of good over evil.
DESCRIPTION:
Batman is a very cool, and in some ways unique, legendary superhero. He beats evildoers to a pulp with his bare hands, has amazing detective abilities and is super-rich, meaning he can buy high-end gadgets to give him the edge in his crime-fighting ways. His only mistake? Adopting the bat as a symbol when in my mind - as the article explains - there is a much more awesome and more fitting symbol to be taken; that of the Zombie
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DATE UPLOADED:
23/07/2023