Leather Wings and Broken Things: How the Tragedy at the Heart of Batman’s Character Creates Sidekicks out of his Readers

A look at the trauma at the heart of Batman’s origin, and his journey and choices along the way, as well as how his story has inspired many that have undergone similar hardships, both in his own fictional universe and in the real world. Looking at the characters mythology through an academic lens, leaning on the works of Richard Reynolds, particularly ‘A Modern Mythology’, Umberto Eco, and Glen Weldon, as well as works such as Frank Miller’s ‘Batman Year One’, Kurt Busiek’s ‘Batman: Creature of the Night’, and Dean Trippe’s ‘Something Terrible’. With other stories providing evidence of repeated patterns such as the short story ‘People in the Dark’ by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV. As fiction, and not only that but an ordinary man in a world of gods, the reader finds it easy to sympathise with him as being the same as them. Filled with pain from childhood trauma. The legends and myths surrounding the modern superhero perfectly demonstrates how we connect with these characters, and there is an abundance of proof to demonstrate how those also dealing with such pain have used Batman as an inspiration to carry on. Through this paper, I plan to bring to light the strong connection between Batman and his readers, especially as a source of strength by examples, trends and those using the bat emblem in their everyday life through clothing and cosplay.