How to become Batman • Hacker News Board

Re: How to become Batman

#71

Post by derleth » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 12:28 AM UTC

rtperson wrote: post #56

jokermatt999 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like a number of superhero comics (which I am lacking in citations for) have focused on the idea of the superhero as more a symbol rather than a person. Any worthy successor can pick up the mask/costume/cape and continue fighting crime in the name of Fooman, and thus Fooman becomes a legend rather than a single person. In the words of The Sandlot, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." The Dark Knig…

That scene in The Dark Knight is adapted from a storyline in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns . If I recall the original, Batman's retirement makes people sufficiently nervous that a gangs of young kids dress like him and do their own crime fighting. The original Batman has to clean up after them as well.

You got some of it wrong, in fact: The gang that existed while Batman was retired was the Mutants, a completely horrible gang of sociopaths and sadists (Miller is not one for subtlety) lead by a monstrous beast of a man (again, Miller not subtle). Their actions force Batman out of retirement and, once Batman defeats the Mutant gang leader in front of his gang, certain elements of the gang restyle themselves as Sons of the Bat and go after other criminals. Again, though, they're still horrible violent sociopaths and sadists, and Batman has to spend some time cracking their heads together.

So you got a number of the main points right.

Re: How to become Batman

#72

Post by mark_h » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 3:04 AM UTC

noblethrasher wrote: post #68

Relevant: "Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherfucker in the world. If I moved to a martial-arts monastery in China and studied real hard for ten years. If my family was wiped out by Colombian drug dealers and I swore myself to revenge. If I got a fatal disease, had one year to live, and devoted it to wiping out street crime. If…

Good lord that quote resonated with me when I first read it! (and, it seems, with young men everywhere)

Ironically, I think I'd already come to the realisation that I couldn't (which is where that quote is heading in the book) much earlier than 25 as a result of martial arts training!

Re: How to become Batman

#73

Post by jallmann » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 3:40 AM UTC

stcredzero wrote: post #26

mkr-hn wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The Battalion" would be the only appropriate name.

Perhaps many individuals all posing as a single individual, with the majority involved acting in support roles. It's starting to sound eerily like Anonymous, actually.

> Perhaps many individuals all posing as a single individual

Zero Hedge's Tyler Durden.

Re: How to become Batman

#74

Post by YoungNeem » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 3:43 AM UTC

Quite simply, it's Alfred's station that makes Batman's efforts appear seamless. Alfred offers Batman wisdom, advice, an ear for consultation, and most importantly, he picks up Batman in the Bentley, when he's hurt, so he doesn't end up in ICU.

Moreover, in this scenario, our real-life Batman fails to become buddy-buddy with the police chief. That's a critical step.

Re: How to become Batman

#75

Post by Eliezer » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 4:39 AM UTC

Boy, I'd hate to ask them how to become Harry Potter.

Re: How to become Batman

#76

Post by epochwolf » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 6:04 AM UTC

siddhant wrote: post #4

This man just shattered all our dreams.

Never be afraid to share your dreams with the world, because there's nothing the world loves more than the taste of really sweet dreams.

http://www.despair.com/bitterness.html

Re: How to become Batman

#77

Post by westicle » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 7:06 AM UTC

redfloatplane wrote: post #11

stcredzero wrote: post #2

Wasn't there a woman on This American Life who tried to become as close to a real life superhero as possible? EDIT: Found it. She calls herself Zora. (Which is the name of a character in Powers.) http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/s...

There are a fairly large number of "real life superheroes," actually ( http://reallifesuperheroes.org ). None of them have magical superpowers that let them control the tides or have Adamantium skeletons, but hell, it's something. My particular favourite is Life: http://reallifesuperheroes.org/wiki/index.php?title=Life

That guy has nothing on Laserskater.

http://reallifesuperheroes.org/wiki/index.php?title=Laserska...

Re: How to become Batman

#78

Post by Dylan16807 » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 4:14 PM UTC

silverbax88 wrote: post #54

Qz wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you actually read up on Somalia you'll find that in many places they're actually doing just fine with no government. The places with problems are 1) the places controlled by the pretend government, and 2) the places where UN&co try to hand out aid.

And if you actually GO to Somalia you'll find that there are many places that are NOT doing fine.

When I read someone saying 'many places are fine', that seems to directly imply that most places are not. This isn't a counterargument. Is he actually wrong? He's certainly getting downvoted a lot and I hope it's not just because someone didn't like the wording.

Re: How to become Batman

#79

Post by jodrellblank » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 4:42 PM UTC

ErrantX wrote: post #9

Pfft, no vision! However, this thesis seems mostly sensible. I think the crucial answer is that the "Skillz" of Batman are attainable, and there is a reasonable proportion of people in the world with potential to attain them, BUT the problem of being Batman is not in the technology. The problem, as highlighted, is that there is no role for Batman in our current society. Vigilantism is frowned on, and, practically spe…

having a secret alter ego that lasts only happens in the movies.

Really? How did you get your estimate for the number of people with long lasting alter egos that nobody knows about, for comparison?

Re: How to become Batman

#80

Post by sharmajai » Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 9:00 PM UTC

ErrantX wrote: post #9

Pfft, no vision! However, this thesis seems mostly sensible. I think the crucial answer is that the "Skillz" of Batman are attainable, and there is a reasonable proportion of people in the world with potential to attain them, BUT the problem of being Batman is not in the technology. The problem, as highlighted, is that there is no role for Batman in our current society. Vigilantism is frowned on, and, practically spe…

You forgot one requisite. The motive to be Batman: some life altering tragedy.