They are sprinkled throughout the book as “Case Files,” like something we would find on the Batcomputer. It was interesting to see psychological profiles on the rogues’ gallery. The book says that perhaps he doesn’t use one because when he sees a gun he is brought back to that trauma and grief he first felt when his parents were killed. The question of why Batman doesn’t use a gun is always brought up in fandom every day. Langley says that Batcave Bruce, him in the cave with the mask off, is where he is perhaps most free as a person. Instead of letting that anger consume him and become bitter and hateful towards the world, Bruce “dominates anger.” Bruce wears the mask to be freer and he carries on three versions of himself – Public Bruce, Batman, and Batcave Bruce. There are deep dives into the trauma that drives Bruce Wayne to become Batman. Once Bruce saves the city and goes off to Italy does Batman truly become a symbol for Gotham. That Batman doesn’t fully become the symbol Bruce spoke about in Begins until the man leaves and only the legend remains. Langley wrote an interesting piece about The Dark Knight Rises which I had never considered. Batman inspires the citizens of Gotham City to be better than the Joker. It’s about Bruce’s fear of bats and then becoming a bat to share that fear. In breaking down the movies, the author broke down the themes of T he Dark Knight Trilogy. It is important to think about which version Batman is the one that is being analyzed, and Langley states that it is every version, from comics to movies and TV, but when in doubt assume it’s the modern comics version such as post Crisis and forward.

Langley wonders why Batman is such a beloved character and comments that one of the reasons is because Batman has no powers but can command the respect and attention of the Justice League and not be intimidated by it at all. He can be silly and camp or he can be dark and gritty. O’Neil wrote in his introduction that Batman is a character that reflects the values of the time period that he is in. Summary: This is the second edition of Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight, which features Langley’s thank you to Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson, who played a key role in creating the dark, serious Batman that we know today, along with a tribute to Denny O’Neil. He also seeks to answer the question: Is Batman crazy? Travis Langley looks at the caped crusader and his cast of characters and tries to figure out what makes them tick.

In Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight, Dr. Overview: Perhaps no other comic book character other than Batman can be looked at through the lens of real-world psychology more than Batman.

Travis langley batman and psychology