That’s right. Batman Forever. I can’t forget it. Neither can you.

Growing up as a comic book nerd, I, like so many others, eventually came across Batman. I’m in my mid 30’s so I came in during that “Golden” time of Batman comics. The Dark Knight books, Killing Joke, and so many others had already come out and made waves.

I was drawn to this dark, brooding character. Who was Batman? As a kid, of course, the first thing you think is “Well he looks cool as hell.”. I’m sure it’s a reaction that drives most readers at first. But as I started to read through issues I was struck at a character who was so much more. On the surface, he was beyond perfect. Handsome, rich, strong, quick, smart and witty. He was seemingly made to be a hero in an almost improbable manner.

“If Batman is so rich, then why doesn’t he just stop crime?”

That’s a line that has been thrown around for many years, but never more so than now. With the rise of callous billionaires and dispassionate state governments, it’s easy to understand why so many would be mad. Batman seems to be the rich man beating up poor people so he can call himself a hero.

“The Joker is about Anarchy and is against the system.”

Especially with the new Joker movie, this line has been added to it all. The way the Joker is often portrayed in the movies seems like he’s trying to teach a lesson. About how corruption is everywhere and how humans are all in it for themselves. The perfect foil for Batman’s faux justice.

Right?

Alfred has the same question for Bruce. Source: Bleeding Cool/ Credit: DC Comics

But also Alfred has an extreme solution… Source: Bleeding Cool/ Credit: DC Comics

In my opinion, it's wrong. And perhaps misses some of the greatest lessons to learn from a character like Batman. The fact that Batman is really about anti-capitalism at its core.