Hey Arlo,

Sometimes I’ll see a headline that reminds me of just how crazy the world can be, and I worry about you growing up around all the madness. The latest incident that had me feeling this way revolved around the opening of the newest Batman movie, and it truly seemed like something out of the pages of a comic book.

Lately, as I’ve been reading a lot of Batman comics, I’ve thought to myself, “I wonder how long I should wait before I let Arlo read these?”

A lot of the comics are violent and deal with very adult themes, but there’s still something absolutely fantastic about Batman; which is why I got you the Batman doll. When I had the chance to get you a superhero doll, I had to choose from Superman, Spiderman, Captain America, or Batman.

I’ve never read any Superman, he’s a bit too squeaky clean for me, and his powers stem from the fact that he’s from another planet. He was born that way, he didn’t have to work at it to become “Super.” Same goes for Spiderman, he got bit by a spider and all of sudden he was amazing. I immediately grabbed the Captain America doll, which is one of my favorite comics, but I started thinking about his origin story. Steve Rogers was having troubles reaching his dreams, so essentially he took drugs (ie-the Super Soldier Serum) to achieve his goals. I decided that wasn’t a very good lesson to teach you. But then there was Batman.

Batman was essentially born when Bruce Wayne’s incredibly rich parents were murdered in front of him when he was a little boy. So basically he was a trust-fund kid with every excuse to check out and let life defeat him. Or, if he traveled the world living like a rock star, his father’s legacy—Wayne Enterprises— would ensure he’d never run out of cash. But instead of letting a horrific event get him down, Bruce Wayne trained hard and used his money to create kick-ass weapons and fight against evil, as Batman. Bruce Wayne is someone you can look up to, Batman is a true hero.

There will be days in your life where it will seem like the world is a completely crazy place. You’ll read horrible headlines, and hear of horrific events happening all around you, but don’t let one bad day break you. Just because life gives you all the reasons in the world to give up, doesn’t mean you have to; you can still fight back, and win—just like Batman.

I love you so much,

Dad

7-25-12