The Batman Who Laughs Review: Nightmarish. Visceral. Unputdownable.

Facing up to nightmares is one of the hardest things that anyone can do. They force us to confront our deepest fears and see the worst parts of ourselves. Over the years, Batman has had to battle with many nightmares. But none have been more terrifying than the Batman Who Laughs, a twisted version of Bruce Wayne who became the new Joker.

In Scott Snyder’s The Batman Who Laughs, the character returns in a huge way to terrify Gotham. The graphic novel features Batman having to find the darkest parts of himself to fight against his doppelganger. But how far is he willing to go and is it true that a Batman who laughs is a Batman who always wins? Continue reading “The Batman Who Laughs Review: Nightmarish. Visceral. Unputdownable.”

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Why The Batman Who Laughs Is Scarier Than The Joker

The Joker is considered to be one of the most horrifying villains in pop culture. The amount of pain and misery he’s caused Batman over the years is indescribable. Despite Joker being a terrifying villain, I would argue there’s one character who is even scarier: The Batman Who Laughs. A twisted combination of Bruce Wayne and Joker, The Batman Who Laughs is Batman’s greatest nightmare come to life. The Comic Vault is looking into the history of the character to see what makes him an even bigger threat than Joker. Continue reading “Why The Batman Who Laughs Is Scarier Than The Joker”

The High-Functioning Depressive: How Batman Copes With His Mental Health

Tragedy is a common theme in the life of a superhero. A traumatic event provided the motivation to become a crimefighter and Batman is the ideal character for representing the struggle. Everyone knows the story of Bruce Wayne and the promise of a lonely boy who lost his parents in Crime Alley. Bruce turned his grief into a reason to fight. It gave him a singular goal: to wipe out crime in Gotham City.

Batman’s bravery and intelligence makes him one of the most capable superheroes in the world. For all his talents, Bruce is a man who suffers with depression. He’s displayed all the signs of a high-functioning depressive, someone who can live a fulfilling life, but still be trapped in a cycle of despair. Batman provides an interesting take on the nature of depression, so I’m looking into how the Dark Knight copes with his mental health. Continue reading “The High-Functioning Depressive: How Batman Copes With His Mental Health”

Looking Inside The Twisted Mind Of Doctor Hurt To Understand His War With Batman

Batman’s Rogues Gallery is made up of some of the most iconic villains in pop culture. Each of them are meant to test The Dark Knight’s resolve, to push him beyond his limits. The best Batman villains are the ones that attack Bruce Wayne on a psychological level. A character that’s capable of playing mind games with Batman is Doctor Hurt. The villain is one of the most recent additions to the Rogues Gallery, but Hurt has a history stretching back to the Caped Crusader’s early career. With his intellect and penchant for psychological torture, Doctor Hurt is a Batman villain you need to know about. Continue reading “Looking Inside The Twisted Mind Of Doctor Hurt To Understand His War With Batman”

Riddle Me This: The Psychology Of The Riddler

Batman’s Rogue Gallery features some of the most intriguing villains to ever be created. From Ra’s Al Ghul to Mr Freeze, each foe represents a different aspect of the Dark Knight’s psyche. They test Batman and push him to be better superhero. When it comes to challenging Batman’s intelligence, The Riddler is the perfect foil. Obsessed with proving his superiority, Edward Nigma uses more than riddles to achieve his goals.

Riddler’s motivations make him fascinating as a solo villain and a supporting character to other rogues. I’m exploring the psychology behind his actions to see what makes him one of Batman’s deadliest enemies. Continue reading “Riddle Me This: The Psychology Of The Riddler”

7 Dark Knights: The Story Of Bruce Wayne’s Greatest Nightmares

Batman’s mission to stop crime has taken to him dark places, yet he’s always managed to stop himself from crossing the line. The idea of a Batman without limitations is a scary thought and there are versions of the Caped Crusader who hold nothing back. During Dark Nights: Metal, seven evil versions of Bruce Wayne appeared in the main DC Universe. All of them are reflections of Bruce’s nightmares and I’m going to look into he story of each one to see what made them change. Continue reading “7 Dark Knights: The Story Of Bruce Wayne’s Greatest Nightmares”

Dark Knights: Rising Review: A Disturbing Collection Of Cautionary Batman Tales

Batman has defined himself by his war on crime, with his code stopping him from going too far. But what if he crossed the line? What if there was no coming back from the other side? Dark Knights: Rising presents a look at seven versions of Bruce Wayne who gave into their fears and became the darkest versions of themselves. As part of the Dark Nights: Metal event, this graphic novel tells the stories of the evil Batmen that came from the Dark Multiverse. Each of them have their reasons for going down the wrong path, providing a fascinating look into the mind of Bruce Wayne.
Continue reading “Dark Knights: Rising Review: A Disturbing Collection Of Cautionary Batman Tales”

All-Star Batman: Ends Of The Earth Review: A Look Into The Lives Of Bruce Wayne’s Greatest Enemies

In my opinion, Batman has the most engaging cast of villains in modern comics. Every member of his rogues gallery represents a different facet of his character, pushing the Dark Knight to be a better superhero. If Batman didn’t exist, would characters like Joker or Riddler have ever been created? All-Star Batman: Ends Of The Earth, written by Scott Snyder, puts the spotlight on some of the Caped Crusader’s greatest adversaries, as he races across the globe to stop a cataclysmic threat. Continue reading “All-Star Batman: Ends Of The Earth Review: A Look Into The Lives Of Bruce Wayne’s Greatest Enemies”

Revealing The Dark Heart Of Gotham City And How It Makes Batman A Better Superhero

Batman is considered one of the greatest superheroes in the world and his relationship with Gotham City is an essential part of the character. Batman can be seen as an extension of Gotham, with his actions shaping his home as much as it shapes him. The city itself has a long history, with it drawing comparisons to New York and Chicago. Gotham is a place of corruption, darkness and desolation. But where does the name come from and how was it founded? The Comic Vault is taking a look into the seedy underbelly of arguably the most famous city in pop culture. Continue reading “Revealing The Dark Heart Of Gotham City And How It Makes Batman A Better Superhero”

Who Is Batman’s True Love?

Batman is one of the most dedicated superheroes in the history of comics. But his eternal war against crime has left him unable to form a lasting relationship. Bruce Wayne has never lacked for romantic attention, with women like Talia Al Ghul and Catwoman being in his life. Every woman represents a different aspect of Batman’s personality, but who is his true love? The Comic Vault is looking into the history of the Dark Knight’s love life to determine who could give him the happiness he needs.

Continue reading “Who Is Batman’s True Love?”