What if Batman were religiously Jewish? Black? Trans?
So! Let me be clear: This isn’t a recommendation that we should do this, nor do I want to sound presumptuous. I’m just speculation on the sociological and Intersectional observations and analyses we could have of the character in these cases.
What if Batman practiced Jewish religion? In 2006, DC “accidentally” make Batman Jewish by race when they confirmed his mother was Jewish. However, they’ve never once really talked about this is any format. Also, all of his children clearly hold no Jewish holidays or beliefs, and a few are known different religions, like his son Tim who is atheist. So, the general consensus is that Bruce Wayne is Jewish in race, but not religion. But what if he did practice the Jewish religion? Generally speaking, this would’ve been an awkward choice. Batman was created mere months before the start of WWII, and antisemitism was heavily ingrained in both European and Western cultures. Now, important note: both Batman’s writer, Bill Finger, and artist, Bob Kane, were Jewish, so there would never be any good faith accusations of this. But, I’m sure accusations would be made of antisemitic tropes, considering “vermin” or “rats” were common derogatory blasts for Jewish people. And well…bats are basically flying rats. Because of this, Batman’s Jewishness would always be controversial, despite the fact that, again, he was created by Jewish creators. That being said, Batman practicing the Jewish faith would be a distinctly interesting character trait. Several characters in comics are devout Christians, like Daredevil, Captain America, and Nightcrawler. It would’ve been a rather influential decision, that may have led to more religiously Jewish characters today.
What if Batman were Black? This is an interesting one. Batman was created during the US segregation, so this would’ve been a massively controversial decision, and I think critics would’ve killed Batman way before he became the most popular superhero of all time. But, let’s take the idea seriously. Batman’s no killing rule is one of the most identical and praised aspects of his character. Black men are traditionally characterized as violent, and while superheroes are violent by categorization, having a Black hero choose not to kill may be considered subversive, or at the very least the antithesis of common racial stereotypes and tropes. It’d also be interesting in the aspects of his secret identity. Black billionaires in America are relatively rare, and the vast majority of them are famous for entertainment, not business (though some branch out into business, like Oprah Winfrey). And while I don’t like real billionaires (tax the rich), portraying a Black man as overly intelligent and competent would also break stereotypes. The only worry is that common criticism that Black superheroes are too associated with the literal color black. Including Black Adam, Black Lightning, and Black Panther having the color in their names, and heroes like Blade, Storm, and War Machine wearing mostly (or at least very often) black attires. And since Batman is pretty notoriously always wearing black and gray, it may contribute to this odd trope. (For note, most criticisms don’t find this trope blatantly racist, it’s just perhaps a bit cartoonishly on the nose and boring, at least from what I’ve heard, but if anyone wants to correct me, please do).
(actually, several Batfamily members are or have been depicted as Black, like Tim Drake in the new Titans show, and Luke Fox and Duke Thomas always)
What if Batman were transgender? Another pretty nuanced one. Transmen are too often portrayed as unathletic or not-as-masculine. (Well, first of all, a trans character in the 1930’s is a pretty huge stretch of the imagination, but again, let’s pretend the world is a better place than it really is). In general, trans superheroes are extraordinarily rare. I can only name two off the top of my head, and neither is popular or well received by any means. Having a transman be extraordinarily masculine would be a welcome portrayal. It’d need to be nuanced however. Transness is often associated with trauma, usually in a negative light, by mainstream right-wing pundits. And with Batman being a character built around trauma, both as a child and adult, this association may have negative implications. Another note: Talia al Ghul, who was retconned (that’s a controversy for another day) to having sexually assaulted Batman would’ve been far more offensive in this case. Perhaps more realistic, as transmen are more likely to be sexually assaulted than cismen (including by ciswomen), but this could’ve been correlated with ciswomen being stronger or superior to transmen. Or perhaps fans would’ve seen it was in depth social commentary? It’s hard to know (again, this was a retcon, in the original storyline, it was consensual sex). Overall, this would’ve led to many nuanced conversations, and I think it’s a really interesting idea to play with.
