I really don’t want to go into the argument of whether or not Batman is a superhero. Honestly, if you really believe that dubious ninja training, millions of dollars, and a cool gadgets constitute superheroism then you probably idolize Richard Branson. I mean, he’s like Batman, only without the vendetta against looking sane.

Oh, wait.

Here’s a fun game to play: Batman or schizophrenic sociopath?. It’s played like this: you name an activity, and your friend has to guess whether it’s the behavior of the Dark Knight or a psycho. First person to realize that the two are virtually identical, wins. Here’s a sample:

So, a guy dons a black cape and restrains criminals. “Criminals” here may mean muggers, murderers, jaywalkers, mannequins, and anyone who uses the word “irregardless.”

Answer: sociopath

A person uses his/her skills as a maybe-ninja to attack his/her foes. Oh, did I mention that he/she has untold millions of dollars that could be used to train others to defend themselves, and also has vast resources which could be used to improve the overall quality and safety of the city he/she protects? Yeah, that part’s important.

Answer: Batman

This person breaks laws, harasses citizens, destroys public and private property, and violates nearly all standards of common decency and privacy, all in the name of justice. “Justice” here refers to whatever this person considers to be justice, including but limited to punishing the magical aliens controlling his mind.

Answer: Trick question! It’s both.

I’ll tell you, there are hours of fun to be had playing this game. Just be sure your friends don’t like being told that a cultural icon has all the heroic legitimacy of a brush fire.

-Chris

Tags: Batman, Comics, Power of Suggestion, Superhero, Superpowers, The Dark Knight, Walt Diagram

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 1:00 am and is filed under Comics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.