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Perhaps my favorite "motif" in writing is "things are not as they seem". There is a very fine line, however, between this and "everything you know is a lie".

Too many writers, in recent vintage, have gone for the latter approach. Batman, for decades, is a well-adjusted, logical, good-humored friend to the people of Gotham. He's even a devoted "father". But along come the "angry young men" and this must get turned on its head. Dedication must become obsession. Humor is disallowed. And all families, of course, must be dysfunctional!!

Thing is, while the "old school" may get, well, boring after a while, the "new school" is a dead end. And since the "old school" was aimed at an audience that was supposed to read for a few years and then find other things to occupy its interest, "boring" was not an issue. In fact, "boring" was the cue to move on, not to tear the house down.

I'm very tired of this whole "Batman is insane" thing.

Recently I listened to two Bat-themed Podcasts. One was a review of THE UNTOLD LEGEND OF THE BATMAN, and the other was a 2 1/2 hour condemnation of Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT.

I strongly agreed with the majority of the points made in both Podcasts.

"My" Batman is very much the version from the 70s and early 80s, who carefully (though not always successfully) treaded the line between goofy and grim--the guy from THE ANIMATED SERIES, essentially.

A creature of the night, but not too brooding. A detective, but not a supergenius who could beat Darkseid if he had enough time to plan. A highly-skilled fighter, but not a master of every known style of combat. A self-made hero who studied psychology and criminology, not spooky, ninja-crap up in the mountains.

And not crazy. Nor a ninja. Nor a superhero (in the sense that he has "powers" which make him the very best thinker on Earth, the very best fighter on Earth, etc.)

"My" Batman origin is very much the UNTOLD LEGEND version (which, of course, consolidated and recapped some of the best Batman stories of all time, including his confrontation with Joe Chill).

Post-ZERO HOUR, they tried to use the idea that the Waynes' killer was still unknown and at large, but that doesn't work for me. I think that Batman's encounter with Chill is a pivotal moment in the character's life.

And, as a kid, I never--not once--questioned why Bruce would continue to be Batman after he finally faced his parents' killer. And I still don't question it. The Batman is a HERO. He goes out and does the right thing each night because it's the right thing to do. Sure, his tragic origin is fertile ground for exploring the psychological complexities of the character, but too many writers have taken it too far.

His parents' murder was an inciting incident, yes, but I feel Batman is "driven" by a need for justice. I've never been comfortable with the idea that he's all about revenge.

My personal belief is that, at his most fundamental core, Batman is a guy who just wants to make sure that no other children ever have to go through what he did.

Too many writers emphasize the negative. He's obsessed. He's driven. He's crazy. He wants revenge.

They should be emphasizing the positive, instead. He's a hero. He does the right thing.  He's a brilliant detective. He's dedicated to justice and protecting the innocent.

And, of course, the film versions keep swinging from one extreme to the other--from goofy, campy parody to dark, violent, and joyless.

"My" Batman is not goofy, nor is he joyless.