While attending the 36th Annual Popular and American Culture Conference this past week I had the pleasure of listening to a unique presentation on Batman. Since the class has moved from Superman to Batman in our readings and discussions I wanted to share what this presenter had to say.
Dustin Shepherd from Cal. State San Bernardino applied a Marxist reading to Batman's character and argued that Batman lives outside of the superstructure, using Miller's "Year One" and Jones' "Earth One" as his primary texts.
Shepherd began his presentation by introducing Strauss' concept of morphology and briefly explaining the concept of Marx's base and superstructure. He then moved on to his argument, stating that by looking at Batman's origins one can see how he resides outside of the superstructure.
Shepherd claimed that since Batman can be seen in both comics 'slumming' with the poor in the beginning and his alter self being uber rich, and the fact that Batman fights corruption in all levels of the class system, he is not bound to that class system. In each comic Batman works his way up the structure and does not discriminate against any class when it comes to corruption.
Using Raymond Williams' study of the superstructure, Shepherd argues for the three senses (characteristics) of supers fighting: legal (the institutions like police), conscious (changing the thinking of others), and political (going after those in high power like the Mayor). Shepherd claims that because Batman fights against the ISA and the RSA he is able to change the ideology, resulting in people fighting against the corruption as well. Here he used the example of Selena Kyle taking a stand after she sees Batman doing so.
I found this argument to be very intriguing; I had never thought of Batman being beyond the superstructure, but rather a product of it. He fights against the corruption that was already set in place when he was a child. If that corruption had never disrupted his childhood then it is possible there would be no Batman today.
Dustin Shepherd from Cal. State San Bernardino applied a Marxist reading to Batman's character and argued that Batman lives outside of the superstructure, using Miller's "Year One" and Jones' "Earth One" as his primary texts.
Shepherd began his presentation by introducing Strauss' concept of morphology and briefly explaining the concept of Marx's base and superstructure. He then moved on to his argument, stating that by looking at Batman's origins one can see how he resides outside of the superstructure.
Shepherd claimed that since Batman can be seen in both comics 'slumming' with the poor in the beginning and his alter self being uber rich, and the fact that Batman fights corruption in all levels of the class system, he is not bound to that class system. In each comic Batman works his way up the structure and does not discriminate against any class when it comes to corruption.
Using Raymond Williams' study of the superstructure, Shepherd argues for the three senses (characteristics) of supers fighting: legal (the institutions like police), conscious (changing the thinking of others), and political (going after those in high power like the Mayor). Shepherd claims that because Batman fights against the ISA and the RSA he is able to change the ideology, resulting in people fighting against the corruption as well. Here he used the example of Selena Kyle taking a stand after she sees Batman doing so.
I found this argument to be very intriguing; I had never thought of Batman being beyond the superstructure, but rather a product of it. He fights against the corruption that was already set in place when he was a child. If that corruption had never disrupted his childhood then it is possible there would be no Batman today.