Marc Dipaolo's Use Of Batman As Propaganda

Batman has been seen as a role model by people of all ages, especially when he succeeds in fighting his most elusive enemies through impressive combat skills and admirable gadgets. Batman is one of the most popular superheroes to this day, but just because he is well-known does not mean he is without faults; his imperfections make him more relatable and perfect, in a sense. In Marc DiPaolo’s book, “War, Politics, and Superheroes,” he elaborates on several controversial issues surrounding Batman in his first chapter, “Batman as Terrorist, Technocrat, and Feudal Lord,” such as his rocky relationship with women, the usage of Batman as a propaganda piece, his motives to save the city Batman has claimed as his own, and his personal life as Bruce Wayne. Batman is portrayed on the …show more content…
He states “It is [the story], therefore, obviously the product of adolescent male power fantasies and wish-fulfillment. It is also, in this day-and-age, a potentially dangerous narrative that can be easily exploited as propaganda that supports the excesses of American imperialism and global sexism. However, at its best, the Batman story is about justice, restraint, and the desire to take a stand against evil – to make society better as a whole for the effort.” This quote is the most powerful in his book because it perfectly sums up the argument DiPaolo has made in a way that makes his point more known to the reader. Though the author is seemingly against Batman when it comes to his personality and his mindless actions, he does boost Batman up to be a superhero who, through adversity, made a name for himself and is successful at his world-saving endeavors, which DiPaolo seems to respect about him. I agree with DiPaolo’s quote, because it reveals Batman to be more than he seems on the surface, and he calls out the worst traits both Bruce Wayne and Batman