this isn’t necessarily a question about batman the Character, but more so about reading batman comics.
as in: do you ever get burnt out from reading so many? i’ve been into comics for about two years now, and batman was who i was primarily interested in. i’ve been burnt for a while now, though, and i haven’t gotten to the things i’ve wanted to read 😭 kinda stuck in a cycle of reading the same things over and over lol
so i was wondering if you’ve ever felt like that, since you’ve read. So Many batman comics lol. and, if so, how you deal with it? i know this question isn’t what you usually get, but i was curious
i hope you have a beautiful day!! ^^
The honest answer to this is: Yes, burnout is a very real consequence, even for an archivist like me!
As someone who has been reading comics for almost a decade by now, I can give you a few pointers on how to avoid it ⸺ or how to break out of it ⸺ but some tips might end up not really helping, as everyone reads comics for different purposes.
Personally, whenever I feel burnt out from reading a specific character, I branch out to characters with fewer appearances (if you follow my personal blog, you know I'm currently exploring the magic side of DC), or sometimes I leave superhero comics altogether for a little while. I think one of the easiest ways to get burnt out is to feel like you're working through a reading list instead of following your curiosity. Especially if you've been primarily reading Batman for two years, it makes complete sense that you're feeling a bit exhausted by it. Batman has such a massive publication history that it's easy to fall into the mindset of "I still have so much left to read," and your hobby starts feeling like a chore.
The biggest thing I've learned is that it's okay to take breaks. Whenever I've stepped away from Batman for a few weeks or months and read something completely different, I've usually come back more excited than before.
Additionally, going back to the scary topic of leaving superhero comics, I do encourage people to dip their toes into indie comics, or read classics that aren't necessarily about superheroes, or maybe even a genre you never tried out before! The medium has so much to offer that I think a lot of people fall out of love with it because they limit themselves to just one corner, but getting to explore all of the wonderful stories and knowing that this medium has many more of those to offer usually also helps with motivation.
One tip you will always see more veteran comic readers give is to pick a favorite writer and explore their other works. I'm at an age where I think that's a solid tactic. Still, I'm mostly saying this because I see a lot of discussions about people becoming frustrated since their favorite characters aren't written properly anytime a writer switches, so I've found one way to eliminate that is to find writers whose writing style you enjoy, not characters, you follow along if you need a break.
I'd also say: don't be afraid to abandon your reading plans. If there's a comic you're genuinely excited about, read that first, even if it's nowhere near where you "should" be on a timeline or checklist. Interest is usually a much better guide than completionism, and yes, that's a bit harrowing coming from a blog where everything is centered around completionism, but trust me, it does help. You can worry about canon, and timelines, and continuity later ⸺ or find totally amazing blogs like me to summarize it for you #self-promotion.
Anyways, this is a totally normal feeling, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Have a wonderful day as well <3
BOO. ⸺ HOW CAN SOMEONE WHO HAS SO MANY TOYS BE SO MEAN?
Sketchbook drawing of Batman by Kyle Rayner from Green Lantern: Secret Files & Origins (1998) #1
Hi, do you happen to know the first time/printing of when Batman and Robin are called the dynamic duo :)
Of course! Be prepared for a small ramble about the history of the term as well; there are a lot of interesting facts about it that I've found while researching.
In the comics, the first time Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are called the 'Dynamic Duo' is in Batman #4, published around December 1940. It happens in a caption during a fight, thus making it the first time the sobriquet is used in comic canon:
What are Superhero Sobriquets? ⸺ Descriptive nicknames given to a character.
Ex: Superman, the Man of Steel.
Interestingly, it was not used that frequently, as the creative team used to cycle through different ways of describing the partnership.
It's only after the TV series Batman '66 that the term gained more prominent usage, as Batman and Robin would often refer to themselves with their tag-line nicknames in the series, thus making them more memorable.
A few examples: Detective Comics #361 and #369, both published in 1967.
Various dictionaries will therefore claim that the term "Dynamic Duo" comes from the famous 1960s Batman TV series, including NTC’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard Spears:
Though, as I have shown you, it was present in the comics way before that. It was also already recognizable enough to be used when Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen took on the mantles of Nightwing and Flamebird, inspired by Batman and Robin, way before the TV series came out.
Additionally, the earliest usage I could find for this term outside of the comics ⸺ as I was interested to know if Bill Finger had coined the term ⸺ was “Who’s Who – And Why” The Saturday Evening Post article from 1910 in reference to politicians Theodore Roosevelt and Chase Osborn, the 26th president of the United States and the 27th governor of Michigan.
Credits to Joe McVeigh for this specific piece of information !
"And please, never come busting through my skylight in the middle of the night. You'd probably scare me into brain hemorrhage... and besides, Big Guy, I'm on your side. I always was."
I agreed with some points but the op lost me when saying that Bruce wasn’t a victim.
Anyway, have a great day/night! <3 (love your posts)
Hi, anon! The post seems to lament that people focus on Bruce's pain whenever they refer to Jason's death at the Joker's hands. It also mentions Barbara's trauma, and the trauma of Duke regarding his parents being jokerized. At the end, the implication seems to be that Batman/Bruce cannot be considered a victim of the Joker based on the fact that it was Jason who died, not Bruce, and because Bruce has apparently never gone through that same trauma.
Now, I am not one to tell people how to feel, nor which perspective they should focus on when interpreting/dissecting/analyzing a conflict point in a story. I'm also not really looking forward to picking a fight, but I will attempt to answer as neutrally as I can, because I believe saying that Bruce was not a victim is a bit reductive and, frankly, very mean-spirited. The aforementioned post also seems to ignore the fact that Bruce has died multiple times at the hands of the Joker himself, thus making him a victim.
Let's start with the topic regarding Jason's death. It is very true that, at the end of the day, it is Jason who died in that warehouse, and he is the most direct victim of this tragedy. It is also true that in an attempt to soften the blow of killing a teenage character in such a brutal way, the writers and editors began to imply narratively that Jason's death was his fault: a result of his rebellious and 'psychopathic' ways. More importantly, though, it was implied he was destined to get himself killed due to his upbringing coming from poverty and being surrounded by crime, because the implication here is that growing up like so means the person is ontologically evil, or will grow up to be (which you don't need me to tell you is classist).
To further that point, the writers would make Bruce, Alfred, and Dick repeat those points to a young Tim as a reminder to behave and 'not end up like Jason' (or to Bruce, as a way to soothe his grief). Obviously, this is very frustrating writing and diminishes the tragedy of Jason's death, because it wasn't carelessness that got him killed, but a choice to heroically try to save his biological mother. If you want a more in-depth exploration of the narrative and in-universe victim-blaming Jason Todd goes through, this essay will be your best friend.
Now, I would also like to mention that outside of these attempts to save face, there are also a lot of times you will see Bruce blame himself rather than Jason, or describe Jason's death as a tragedy without blaming his child.
Obviously, there are a lot more of these instances, but I'm trying to keep this as short as I can. My point is, Bruce Wayne, as a father and someone who loved Jason dearly, is, whether you like it or not, still considered a victim of this tragedy. He, specifically, falls under the category of a bereaved parent.
Losing a child is widely considered one of the most psychologically devastating experiences a person can go through. It often disrupts a person’s sense of identity, you lose sight of future expectations (“the life Jason should have had”), experience persistent grief that doesn’t fully resolve and it damages one's identity psychologically (“I was supposed to protect him”). While Bruce is not the direct victim of the Joker, and while I do understand the frustration that revolves around the way comics discuss Jason's death, it's important to make the distinction that Bruce is still a parent who lost a child, and it is a pain that shouldn't be dismissed.
It goes without saying that I find it irritating to compare both of their trauma and rank it, because both deserve a space to grieve. Comparing trauma is not only insanely disrespectful, but also does a disservice to the way something as traumatic as Jason's death impacts both parties. It also goes without saying that Bruce's trauma shouldn't invalidate Jason's feelings, nor make his trauma seem like 'lesser', because he is the direct victim of this situation. Simply, this situation is too nuanced to be dictating who is a victim and who isn't, because it is supposed to be a tragedy.
Moving on to Barbara's trauma, I can understand the frustration with how The Killing Joke handles her trauma. The comic, infamously used as an example of the Women in Refrigerators trope, does not explore Barbara's trauma, and instead chooses to focus on the psychological damage it inflicts upon the men in her life, aka Bruce and Jim Gordon. This, thankfully, has been addressed in comics featuring Barbara.
Oracle: Year One
Obviously, Bruce's feelings do not matter over Barbara's feelings in this instance. He is upset, yes, but he is neither a direct nor in-direct victim, at least not in the way he is with Jason's death.
I also do not understand the comparison to Duke's trauma. Duke, as someone who frantically searched for his parents only to find them to be permanently disfigured and jokerized -- Thankfully, his mother does recover! -- lives out this trauma under wildly different circumstances and thus, because he isn't any of the characters listed above, experiences different responses and exhibits different behaviors to cope with this trauma.
As i've already stated, I find it problematic to compare the trauma of different characters with different circumstances and then dictate whether the psychological damage inflicted upon them matters, or if it doesn't. It's just, frankly, very insensitive and comes off as sanist. And yes, this goes for the writers and editors that do this narratively as well (trust me, I call out a lot of writing like this!).
But most importantly, moving away from all of these instances, Bruce is a victim of the Joker. He has died many times at the hands of the Joker, with the recent one being in DC: KO. Emperor Joker sees Bruce die repeatedly and cruelly at the hands of the Joker, Batman: Going Sane has the Joker kill him with a bomb, Endgame sees the Joker set off a final trap that lends to both Batman and the Joker being buried under debris, and many more instances. Bruce has also been subjected to countless moments of torture, pain and psychologically engineered traps to traumatize him.
Implying that he is not a victim of the Joker and therefore his opinion of the clown doesn't matter is, honestly, misinformed. Multiple things can be true at once and I implore people to watch how they talk about characters with trauma, because language does matter and I promise you, another character having trauma at the hands of the same person does not invalidate your favorite character's trauma, even if the writers try to convince you of that !
Very simply put, Batman comics will focus on Batman first. Whether or not you like that or agree with how it is done (trust me, i don't either a lot of the times), it doesn't change the fact that when it comes to the Joker, Bruce does have a seat at the table of lives impacted by him.
EDIT: I also want to add that pretending these characters are real and dictating who is allowed to grieve, or what the correct way to grieve is, is just... Not Great. The language you use will impact real people reading these posts who may have gone through what that fictional character has gone through, and it is insanely dehumanizing to have your trauma dissected and treated as a narrative nuisance for a character, and not a reflection of things that actually do happen in real life!
One of my favorite moments in recent Batman lore is the fact that Bruce was revived through every citizen in Gotham City giving up a tiny piece of their soul for Gotham's guardian angel to return. He literally lives now only due to their love for him.
Batman vs Robin #5 (2022)
(Conclusion to the event LAZARUS PLANET)
bruce wayne & jason todd comic parallels with DC K.O KNIGHTFIGHT (2026) #2&3 that were most definitely probably not done on purpose at all but i cant stop thinking about them (<- guy who can not stop thinking about this 4 issue arc)
After particularly rough patrols or nights ended in dissatisfaction, Batman will allegedly brood within the Batmobile over the tunes of sad jazz songs. Alfred is particularly not fond of this habit.
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #80 "IDOLS" Part I of III
"Blame It on My Youth" is a jazz standard written by Oscar Levant (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics) in 1934. This song was also famously covered by musicians such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. Both musicians have been referenced in Batman comics, so it is likely he is listening to either one's rendition of this song.
Bruce's desire for love and companionship beyond the Batman mantle runs so very deep that he's often depicted ignoring very obviously sketchy attempts for his attention just for the small chance it might lead to actual happiness.
Batman: Haunted Knight
In a way, I had always felt like the amount of times he's been depicted falling in love with a newly introduced love interest almost immediately had to have been a sign of bad pacing or careless writing, but framed from the perspective of a man whose unwavering belief in rehabilitation extends to a fragile glimmer of hope that even he may find love and be loved for who he is beyond the mask, it's given me a new⸺if bittersweet⸺appreciation for the way batman stories tackle some of his love interests.
At one point, Batman had his own 'Super-Signal'. He created his own unique skylight signal, which could only be viewed by people who can see into the ultraviolet spectrum, so he could get Superman's attention.
A fun Golden Age Batman fact is that though in Batman #1* Martha is shown to be shot as well, Batman #47 retconned her to die of a heart attack on the scene instead. This was the definitive retelling of the murder until it was retconned back years down the line.
Batman #1*: The prelude in Batman #1 showing Batman's origins is actually a reprint of Detective Comics #33's "The Batman and How He Came To Be"
I really, really love how much emphasis Batman and Robin (2023) continues to put on the way Bruce allows Damian to express his own opinions on matters, and that he accepts them and rethinks his own stances.
Mini analysis on this scene below (Spoilers for B&R #29!!):
Just analyzing this isolated scene is enough to spot it. Both of them are in the car, and Damian expresses an opposing view on how Bruce is handling/viewing Mercer's case.
Bruce reacts by stopping the car and getting out to talk with Damian on equal footing.
He steps away from being the one behind the wheel to allow Damian to tell him what is on his mind.
The interesting part about this is that Bruce stands in front of Damian and practically looms over him, challenging him while asserting his authority over him. His expression looks openly aggressive and it prepares the viewer to Bruce potentially rejecting Damian's view.
It even splits into Damian's view of how his father looks, and for a moment, you really think that Bruce will dismiss him based on how imposing he looks.
But instead, the opposite happens:
Bruce gets down on eye-level, acknowledges and praises Damian's bravery & viewpoint and actively invites him to share his thought process on how to go about the case moving forward, looking pleased; most likely having actually tested Damian to see if Damian would go against him and speak his mind.
The both of them getting back into the car signifies Bruce taking ahold of the wheel of the case anew, though this time with Damian's view incorporated into their way of handling it.
When you compare the first shot of them in the car vs the last, you can tell that the view inside the car leans heavily on Bruce's side, but in the last shot inside the car, after having incorporated Damian's view, it focuses on both of them, with Damian's determination shining through:
First Shot inside the Car vs Last Shot inside the Car
