The Batman: Critiquing Power Fantasy

[@KayAndSkittles]

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[@RoomRar]

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[@Wackaz]

I'm glad you're back man. You're one of my favourite channels and I wondered where you were; I missed you and you need to upload more!

[@IsThatEtchas]

I don't really think it's cool to be promoting a game that's business model focuses on exploiting the shit out of neurodivergent people through microtransactions. That's who the whales are, not the rich.

[@NattiNekoMaid]

you do know how predatory raid is right...

[@tech-priestbravosierra7720]

Awesome Kay! Please continue to get more sponsors, it is nice to know that you'll be getting some decent money for your amazing content.

[@Magikalic]

I love Patterson's version of Batman. I always thought that in reality, a man who took the trauma is witnessing his parents murder to become a nocturnal vigilante while dressed as a bat would have an abundance of psychological issues, and wouldn't just be James Bond but with a bat motif. This Bruce Wayne is a straight up, barely functioning, anti-social weirdo and I am here for it.

[@haiqal5333]

He is still young as Batman, he will need that rich playboy persona. In a real world Bruce Wayne is a crazy man trying to avenge his parents by playing hero so he can find meaning to his life. He is lucky that Gotham is a city full of crazy supervillains. If there were only low level criminals in Gotham we the reader would not have sympathized with Brue as much.

[@youngeeneden1594]

I’ve never seen a live action Batman that was any where near James Bond but with a bat motif. But I get what you mean by he’s not

[@Magikalic]

@@youngeeneden1594 I was thinking of Christian Bale's Batman, high reliance on futuristic tech and spyware, cool car, the typical playboy lifestyle. Psychology aside, Patterson's Batman seems to embrace more actual, somewhat more lowkey, detective work too.

[@Apophis40K]

Well "Bruce-man" is just an act played by batman, he wants that people think he is a James bond playboy while in reality he is withdrawn, paranoid, anti social and quit the asshole (in the animated series he got his adopted sons girlfriend pregnant while he was at colegue and he didn't even have feelings for her. To be fair that is an extrem example and was weird in the series) Batman preaty much only trust Alfred and often nightwing (maybe Gordon to some extend)

[@Aphorim]

My problem with The Batman is that Bruce Wayne doesn't really exist, and imo you can't divorce Bruce from Batman, they are both him. So, in The Batman, we get a detective noir film (which really isn't). The claim that it's not action heavy is misleading, it's still an action film, the climax of the film is a typical action genre climax. In contrast, The Dark Knight's climax has no real action, it's an ideological climax, where Batman wins, and in tragic irony this victory signals his defeat. The Joker is detained, but he wins. For The Batman, it's the opposite and juxtaposed with an action heavy climax (I mean even scene that signals the climax, is as stereotypical of an action sequence). I think the difference in what the films have to say, is what separates them, and elevates one over the other. The Dark Knight sets out to define what Batman represents and therefore, who he is. And Nolan does this, not by necessarily following Batman, but allowing us to observe what two-face, Bruce, Batman, the Joker, etc. have to say about him. Ultimately, stating that it doesn't matter what individuals think Batman is, but who the general public perceives him to be. Both villainous and heroic, both above and below the law, justice and vengeance. Nolan's story ties this debate into the plot. In contrast,The Batman, attempts to do this, by following batman very closing, but I think this backfires, because although it personalizes The Batman experience, it traps the audience in an echo chamber, because there is no debate on who Batman is, the focus is more about driving the plot. Much of how Gotham reacts to Batman must be inferred by a select group of people. There's no mention of media pieces or anything that would give us a larger context, besides the criminals, cops, and people in need of rescuing, never just the general populace. So for me, Reeves's Batman goes from one abstract to another (vengeance to hope). The other problem I have is Gotham, I am in the very small minority, especially looking through cinematography analysis of The Batman, but I did not feel like Gotham felt real. It felt like Hogwarts, magical. But Reeves's vision of Gotham does not resemble any city I've been to, riddled with crime (Tokyo, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Tepito, Compton, Chicago to name a few). The cinematography while excellent, imo, works against Gotham. Nolan in contrast used real lighting and artificial. Sometimes less is more. And as the saying goes, you can't beat nature. The Revenant is a film which exemplifies this. Anyway, I apologize for the long post lol.

[@olitaggu9333]

one thing everyone missed to discuss in this movie is the fact that Batman is starting to realise who the real enemy of Gotham is. His parents were killed seemingly by street criminals so that is where he focused in the beginning of the movie. But by the end he saw how rotten the upperclass and officials and the system is and how it is the real enemy of the City. By fighting this he will become a real hero and not just an angry person.

[@GlitzPixie]

I don't think the filmmakers themselves really recognize this though. It's the obvious conclusion, but I don't think it makes sense within their political understanding of the world. The movie points toward the idea that it's not the upper class that's the enemy, it's people "misusing" the power afforded by their position. As much as this film is an improvement over other Batman movies' with their philosophy, I think there's still an implicit notion of personal responsibility

[@dwightlewis3519]

@@GlitzPixie I do think the movie hints at it being systemic rather than just misusing power since I remember one of the characters in the story straight up saying that it doesn't matter who the mayor of Gotham is and things will continue as usual. That's a bit of a refutation of the idea that you just need to get the right person into the position of power to make things better. Of course you can only do so much when your protagonist is only able to act due to his massive amounts of inherited wealth. You can't really write Batman without having him be the "good billionaire".

[@simonriley4131]

@@GlitzPixie while there is merit to what you're saying there's multiple lines in the movie that hint more towards it being systemic, I'll give the writers the benefit of the doubt

[@GlitzPixie]

@@simonriley4131 fair

[@olitaggu9333]

@@GlitzPixie Wow, I didn't know we could have a discussion jn such constructive and matured manner in the internet. Everyone involved in this comment sections are rare speciment.

[@Grogeous_Maximus]

I am so glad we get to see a Batman whose character art is learning to be a better man, instead of learning to 'beat people up faster and harder'. I get that it's action superhero popcorn movies, but that doesn't mean that they have to be stupid movies with no lessons to learn. :edit holy shit, Immortal Hulk looks fucking dope

[@michimatsch5862]

The lesson is that you should beat up criminals instead of making sure they never have to become criminal by preventing poverty and helping mentally ill people.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

I agreed it refreshing also more relatable people will go through that anyone you don't need to be a someone who was a bully in highschool even a someone who pro LGBTQ+ and pro equality can gor through that

[@Tenaxis]

@@michimatsch5862 Feel free to woosh me if this is a joke, but that is the literal opposite of what the movie is trying to say. Bruce learns through the movie that beating up criminals is not enough to make change, he has to try to be a symbol of hope and use his influence as a billionaire to, as you said, stop criminals from being formed in the first place. If this is genuine, than you severely missed the point.

[@michimatsch5862]

@@Tenaxis I was being fascetious. It was on one hand aimed at the "Batman is a fascist" meme and on the other hand aimed at the fact that this is how some authors and readers misconstrue him. Of course it isn't readily apparent that this was a joke because this is the internet, but don't worry. I am not entirely crazy. Just mostly.

[@Tenaxis]

@@michimatsch5862 Alright, thanks for clearing that up. Sorry about that, and have a good rest of your day!

[@thats4thebirds]

I love that they made me believe, for the first time since justice league unlimited or the animated series, that this Batman would console a child who just lost their parents. There’s an underlining compassion to Batman that everyone seems to disregard when adapting it.

[@iamcool544]

Batman is always a fucked up mess of self destruction and ridiculously high standards. Every single problem that occurs Batman looks at and says "I could of fixed that if I was better" and thats the least healthy thing you could ever do.

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

@@iamcool544 well, he's same as Spider-man in that regard, with difference that Peter screws up hard and own worst enemy.

[@chasemiles9569]

@@iamcool544 Knowing you could’ve fixed a problem if you were a better person is not unhealthy, that’s the only way human beings have ever made progress doing anything at any point in time. Got an F on the test? Should’ve studied more.

[@iamcool544]

@@chasemiles9569 That's not what I am talking about and you know it. I'm talking about your mother dying in a car crash and you thinking if you were more observant you could of prevented it. Watching someone get shot and thinking if you were faster you could of gotten in the way. Unrealistic expectations and demands for yourself.

[@christian2i]

@@chasemiles9569 bit clueless on mental health eh? They are not saying he (you) should be ignoring issues. But drop the self optimizing cult for one second and you'll understand.

[@redyeti34]

Pattinson is the first Batman I could genuinely see hopping on the crazy train. Most other live action versions feel so steadfast and stable in their own mental health (as stable as a bat flavored James Bond could be) but Pattinsons Batman feels like an unstable hero that could genuinely jump off the deep end. To me It’s the first Batman that feels like the jokers “one bad day” rule could actually apply to.

[@DravenG96]

Keaton’s Batman always seemed the most unhinged. He has a higher a body count than the villains in those 2 movies.

[@skinWalkman]

That is the exact reason why I hope that they make a sequel and introduce Dick Grayson. Dick really balanced out Bruce in the comics and having him involved would truly show the duality of the character that is Batman. Both dark and brooding, but also caring and supportive. Sad boi Batman is cool. Sad boi Batman with Smart ass Robin is better. Just my opinion

[@amiablereaper]

Battinson has literally had one bad day, and that's why he's like this.

[@razieldumas]

Okay, so, I had literally no idea what Little Benny Shabibo meant when he said that this movie is ashamed of being about Batman, but now I get it. He wants the power fantasy without any introspection, without any awareness or analysis. He wants The Dark Knight Returns. He legitimately thinks that a deranged billionaire with a tank is a good thing, and that such a person would be trustworthy. And like, Little Benny Shabibo has said a lot of deranged bullshit, but that's probably the most frightening of all. I was confused because I've been a comics reader for decades, and was aware that introspection, analysis and difficult questions about the character have been part and parcel of the comics since TDKR. Shabibo, like Hack Snyder, just fundamentally misunderstands the actual purpose of these characters and just wants neat looking action figures to mash together while making explosion noises.

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

Bruce Wayne would absolutely fund Benny's agitprop shows tho lol

[@ygracias4865]

Ah dang you had me but then yah had to lump in Zack in there

[@kat8559]

Omg hack snyder i love it. Up there with joke rowling

[@olserknam]

TDKR wasn't introspective? But it was the beginning of the deconstruction of Batman to begin with. It's effectivelly the first comic where he's portrayed as an antihero.

[@dominickballistic1873]

@@kat8559 ah Zack Snyder the man who is just a bad a jk Rowling

[@Trevpocalypse]

I do take issue with the comparisons to January 6th in the film. Filming was completed in March 2021 and I have a hard time believing they reshoot and rewrote the climax just to be topical to that event. I feel the film is more taking influence from general right-wing attacks sprung from the internet than that single event.

[@KayAndSkittles]

Interesting! Well then it certainly wasn't intentional, which goes to show how present the sorts of political violence threatened by Q weirdos and right wing militia groups has been in people's minds in recent years. Of course we as viewers are viewing this in a world where Jan 6th is one of the more infamous recent instances of this sort of violence becoming real (even if it wasn't as deadly as it often is) so it doesn't particularly change anything in terms of analysing the movie.

[@amazin7006]

Politically motivated attacks in general. CHOP/CHAZ for example. Also Riddler was never shown to be right wing at all in the movie, assuming the character's politics based on their race is weird as fuck lmao. At best he's an anarchist who thinks the only way to change the world is through force rather than cooperation or institutions.

[@KayAndSkittles]

@@amazin7006 It appears that you neither paid attention to the video since I never call the Riddler right wing, nor do you know what an anarchist is!

[@amazin7006]

@Chandler Burse There was no comparison between riddler and incels lmao. It was about political extremism and how ideological black holes pull people of weak minds in. Riddler never actually wants to be on top, he wants destruction of all power structures in Gotham (anarchism) with Batman as his weapon. Thats why he was totally fine with ending up in arkham as a means to an end.

[@kolamoose8717]

@Chandler Burse I thought that he was targeting her because the last time someone promised reform they didn’t do anything

[@harrywompa]

The fact that this video is sponsored by Raid is comedic genius

[@porcupinesoda]

Is it actually ironic though? I'm so confused

[@Cibershadow2]

@@porcupinesoda As ironic as allowed within their strict script allowances I'd imagine

[@Marshaluranus]

@@porcupinesoda he could save others from capitalism but not himself

[@skandosh9025]

A few things : 1. The script for the Batman was finished in 2018 , way before the Jan 6th capitol attack . So it cant be inspired by it. The similarities are entirely coincidental . yeah, the events do definitely hit pretty close to home, although i think the motivation behind the riddler goons and insurrectionists is different in important ways so comparisons shouldn't be drawn too closely. 2. riddler and his goons are more of a symptom of a deeply corrupt and broken system that's failed people again and again and again. riddler wanting to blow up a significant portion of the city and murder people is his own twisted version of the renewal project, where he believes the city and its people are so corrupt that it needs to be totally razed like in a biblical flood . 2. Bella didnt say people just need to have trust in the system . She said Gotham needs to rebuild the trust in the city ( which acknowledges that the system is broken and they need to do better ) . 2 sentences with very different meanings .

[@TheRazePlayz]

I was thinking this also because as we see in the debate at the beginning she makes it clear she believes the renewal project must end and things need to be stripped and rebuilt.

[@woozie_ztfo9285]

you realize that scripts are edited? Like, even during the production of a film?? Smh.

[@skandosh9025]

@@woozie_ztfo9285 1. Robert said the script was extremely tight . It was only changed once , for a dialogue scene between Penguin and Selina , which got cut anyway . 2. The film was done shooting before Jan 6th , 2021 . It just got delayed alot because of the covid . WB didnt want to release the film with 90% of theaters closed.

[@HeroToxiko]

It's like people thinking "collateral damage" was made after 911 despite the og release date being October 2001. or Don't look up even though it too was done filming years ago and was only recently released.

[@IrishMorgenstern]

I agree with this assessment. I didn't see the Riddler's crew as a Right Wing Jan 6 militia. They reminded me of the very successful and prevelant mass shootings/ruby ridge/CSA/incel kinda personalities. There is some overlap in these groups, do not get me wrong. But the Riddler's group was the competent white male rage. The Riddler's group is Timothy McVeigh/OKC level terrorism. They're not the cooky, mislead Trumpsters.

[@roosajarvinen5698]

An important thing with the mirroring of the riddler and batman is that riddler doesn't have the privilage to be non lethal, he doesn't have the ability to win a 1 on 5 fight and take 7 gunshots in the process. He doesn't have the money to get full plate armour or retnal scanners and have a trainer for martial arts

[@KayAndSkittles]

This is a great point. It's easy to get on your high horse about how you're non-lethally taking everyone down when you have incredible resources at your disposal.

[@roosajarvinen5698]

@@KayAndSkittles Exactly. And when you're against a system that is more or less corrupt to the bone, there isn't much that a nonlethal option would have done anyway.

[@Frredster]

@@KayAndSkittles This. Batman is proud and people hold him in high regard, but let's be real here: he's beating up on a man in burlap, suits, etc., when he's got how many hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of armor on him right now?

[@MarioGMan25]

Batman eating absolute shit after that gliding scene was absolutely amazing. I do think it's somewhat comedic but more like Jackass. It was absolutely painful to look at but it was hilarious nonetheless. I totally believe his ribs were shattered for the whole rest of film and kept it together "Ron Swanson with a Hernia" style. It's why that shotgun blast he gets at the end fucks him up so badly, like "collapses-his-lungs" badly.

[@GamerSlyRatchet1]

I definitely found some humor in it, but it also builds on his lack of expertise and the movie's grounded nature.

[@pinkpink-kb6dl]

I'll always remember that scene because me and my gf were cracking up, literal tears down our faces and my dad just turns to me and says "what are you laughing at?". the entire theatre was totally straight-faced, which made it even funnier lmao

[@psypsy751]

The mayor was asking for trust in the institutions of the establishment, but it seems to me it's pretty obvious that all of that is gonna go to shit and come into question in the sequels. Like the movie itself is telling us that they can't be trusted, ultimately. Batman's never gonna be the hero of the proletariat, but the movie's political commentary shortcomings stem from a lack of understanding of how to solve systemic issues, and not so much Reeves's seemingly centrist left politics.

[@daniellotz9309]

If this was the case, wouldn't make more sense if they had killed the mayor already in this movie?

[@phangkuanhoong7967]

this movie feels unabashedly centrist right to me.

[@GlitzPixie]

@@phangkuanhoong7967 centrist left, somewhat recognizes systemic issues exist but thinks bad actors are responsible for them rather than the systems themselves. Also pretends to give voice to marginalized perspectives without actually doing so, i.e. having the main side arc be about a sex worker who's chewed up by the system but making her just as disposable within the script. It's like girl boss liberalism

[@GlitzPixie]

idk how Reeves's politics and this movie's lack of understanding of systemic issues aren't pretty much one and the same problem

[@Ariel_emerald]

i don't know if matt reeves is to blame, but the entire last hour of the movie basically pulls the rug out from everything the first two were doing by chickening out of making Thomas Wayne a truly awful person, absolving the Riddler of being correct by making him crazy and a right winger, and forgetting about the corruption and instability of gotham's government by the end

[@Tokumastu1]

I took the mayors speech in the movie about re-establishing trust in the institute as being intentionally hollow. Like Batman as a character learns a lesson, but those that serve the system didn't. The shot of the Penguin looking over the city is a good showcase of how a failed system will only benefit the corrupt.

[@GlitzPixie]

I don't think it's supposed to encourage us to put trust in the institutions or that it's meant to criticize them. I think it's saying that the institutions need to work on earning back people's trust, and that hate, while unhelpful according to the movie, has been justifiably fostered by the system's failings. I still think it's wrong in assuming the systems themselves aren't the problem and that a bit of reform and better people in positions of power will fix things though

[@GamerSlyRatchet1]

I think it's fitting that after all of that, she immediately declares martial law on Gotham. I don't know if she's supposed to come off as two-faced as I saw it, but eh.

[@jdcrosier2682]

1. If you replace a little reform with a LOT of reform, I don’t believe that they are inherently wrong. As long as the boat keeps getting shook, progress can be made. 2. If there is ever a time to declare marshal law, that was probably it.

[@deathcrist2000]

One small nit pick: The climax of the film takes place on November 5th while the denouement takes place on the 6th. Though this, in turn, is actually an even more unsubtle declaration of intent (while probably an unintentional one) considering DC Comics and its relationship with English Terrorist Attacks.

[@CrowTR0bot]

Is this an allusion to V For Vendetta or something else? Fancy seeing you here by the way.

[@deathcrist2000]

@@CrowTR0bot Yes. But also the historical event that comic was riffing on, which was, in fact, a reactionary movement plotted in Northampton.

[@Underscorezeus]

If Reeves decides to do The Court of Owls in a sequel movie I feel like there'd be room to take Batman in a more radical direction. Might be interesting if he ends up using Reál as one of the court's agents

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

I do hope they manage Thomas Jr. in there, because he's just better Hush in design and motivation, and has a lot of potential in how we can make commentary of how you aren't save within upper class.

[@iceheadn]

please god no

[@arachno-communist2657]

Immortal Hulk is crazy because one of its secondary protagonists is a transgender scientist working for a drug kingpin with ambitions of distributing HRT on the cheap for the explicit purpose of making access easier until she’s arrested by Daredevil as part of the drug war and then recruited by the military and forced to participate in its crimes against humanity or else be returned to prison and then later joins the Hulk’s communist revolution and helps defeat the concept of conservative ideology by being immune to nostalgia and this is all in a comic series about a big green guy fighting a small green guy with a comically enlarged cranium

[@weeklyworldviews432]

I really liked what you were saying up until the January 6th connections. Minor point is that the events in the film took place on the 5th, not the 6th, mirroring Guy Fawkes Night. The second, and more important thing, is that the entire script and a lot of the filming was done prior to the January 6th attacks. Any parallels there are entirely coincidental. It seems like you (understandably, but ultimately incorrectly) thinking the film was trying to comment on the January 6th attacks pretty strongly influenced your view of what the film was trying to say. I never got the sense that the film was trying to say that we should just have trust in American institutions. Even in the mayor's speech at the end she says that they need to rebuild faith in the system, implying that the system needs to change in order for people to have faith in it. Telling people to have faith in the system is very different than saying that the system needs to work to rebuild people's faith in it.

[@creed8712]

The fifth connection probably only applies as a reference to the comic more than the actual historical event

[@bellairefondren7389]

Not said in this video but Jan 6 and the Riddler attack both are representations of right wing radicalization on the internet. It's a representation of how visible this trend has been for years. Also rebuilding faith in the system suggests that the system has to change. What it doesn't say is we need a whole new system which is what Kay was discussing. If the foundation is rotten it needs to go to not just the superstructure.

[@Tjthemedic]

Saying that 'the system needs work to rebuild faith' is, literally, saying to have faith in the system. It's saying to have faith *that* the system can be 'rebuilt' and reformed. Imagine saying that we need to 'rebuild faith in' the Nazi German state, rather than destroying it - doing so would be definitely saying that the institutions themselves are good. Systemic change means changing the system, not changing *within* the system.

[@brucesnow7125]

The whole point video is making is that movie is afraid to be more radical. Saying that we can make things better through pathetic reforms is your classic liberal brainworm.

[@AyubuKK]

I do like how the movie made Batman even more edgy and nuanced. Really felt like a modern gritty Batman film.

[@TheMasterQuests]

Nolan Batman already did it

[@HeroToxiko]

@@TheMasterQuests the cops were the "good guys" and the "protesters" were secret terrorists, thats not nuance it's cringe.

[@youngeeneden1594]

“A more grittier version” can’t wait till it’s said again and again and again

[@cool_sword]

@@youngeeneden1594 the ideal Batman movie will be a 3 hours of a black screed with the only audio being a man grunting over Handel's Sarabande in D Minor played in repeat, Batman's darkest and grittiest film yet

[@zkkitty2436]

@@cool_sword I legitimately don't know what this means and it still made me cackle for a solid five minutes

[@OmegaRockman]

I like how Catwoman doesn't buy it for a second and at the end of the film she offers Batman the chance to reject his participation in upholding the liberal centrist status quo but realizes that he just isn't there ideologically

[@nunyabiznes7446]

I also love the contrast with similar scenes in other Batman films/media. Most of the time batman just monologues about how the city can still be redeemed and then Catwoman disagrees sadly and leaves. In this one she actually interrupts him to contest the claim. BATMAN: "This city still needs me, it can get better-" SELENA: "It won't."

[@FengBaoYolotli]

You misread the scene

[@FengBaoYolotli]

@@nunyabiznes7446 She's childish

[@qrangejuice8225]

On the bombs blowing up Gotham's Sea Wall: Riddler does that to flood the city, forcing everyone to the high ground at the stadium (not city hall) where he's planning the attack.

[@epicazeroth]

I believe the logic is that it will only affect downtown Gotham, which in Riddler's mind symbolizes corruption and thus he sees everyone there as participating in corruption.

[@LexYeen]

Kay? Skittles? You two are an absolutely unstoppable team and I have never regretted subscribing to your channel. Damn glad to see you're getting that sticky, icky Raid: Shadow Legends cashish too.

[@nunyabiznes7446]

mmmm I don't think that the movie is as specific with its messaging as you describe it as. It's not drawing a direct parallel to the politics of Jan 6, just invoking its imagery for its broader message of caution against violence. It's not saying that poor people did Jan 6, it's saying that if you open the door to political violence it's not just going to stop where you draw the moral line, it's going to push to the most extreme boundaries of whoever is willing to do political violence. Even if you support the Riddler's actions against corrupt politicians, the type of person killing political opponents isn't the type of person who's likely to stop at just attacking the people you see as directly morally responsible. I don't necessarily agree with this take to the exclusion of other points, but I think it has value. Even if you support political violence, you need to be mindful that on a large enough scale there *will* be people who, even to you, take it too far. I also don't see the defense of institutions that you do. The new mayor lady isn't representing the city's institutions, she's representing nonviolent reform. The very first point we here from her is dissolving that corrupt trust fund. Do you really think this movie is pro-existing institutions? They're universally portrayed as ineffective and massively corrupt. Just because it doesn't end with everything being entirely wrapped up and the good guys winning completely doesn't mean it doesn't have a strong message against existing institutions, in favor of reform, in favor of the poor instead of the privileged, and suspicious of political violence. Seems good to me. The Batman isn't even entirely condemnatory of political violence. By the end of the story, the person who's done the most good is the Riddler, by a long shot. The trick is knowing how to stop. EDIT: ok that hulk comic looks pretty great though EDIT EDIT: the hulk comic is indeed pretty good. The anti-capitalist arc is on a smallish part of it though, not the main story. It gets forgotten relatively quickly in favor of more religious and comic-book-y themes. I wouldn't say it has a very good ending, so if you're just interested in the anticapitalist narrative skip the rest and find it in the middle.

[@maximeteppe7627]

yeah, the ending had shades of hurricane katrina, the las vegas shooting and the oklahoma city bombing all wrapped up in one. The one point I think reflects Kay and skittles POV is the almost arrest of falcone, with all the "good cops" showing up - if some of the cops attempted to attack batman to rescue falcone right before Riddler took him out, I'd have found it more interesting, or at least clearer.

[@jdcrosier2682]

Mayor Rèal says that they need to rebuild trust in the institutions, when what I think they meant for her to say in that they needed to transform the institutions. I think that they meant to give the latter message, but accidentally gave the first.

[@user-sleepingpills]

This is exacctly what I thought while watching the video. Also I am pretty sure most of the filming had been done by that point. So it seems unlikely that the movie intentionally adresses the attack.

[@theironsheik6322]

Yeah, people are dumb. The Dark Knight Rises was supposed to be left-wing Occupy references, until they found out the creators were conservatives. Then Joker was supposed to be an alt-right incel movie, until they found out it involved a very negative portrayal of class warfare.

[@jacobkirk1846]

I think a lot of these issues with the messaging are to do with the fact that this is the first of a trilogy, and Batman’s ark is to realise that he is going about being Batman the wrong way and must make a change. But the journey is not yet over, and the change that he desires is still yet to be made. I think in a future film if we were to get a villain organisation like say the Court of Owls, this would be something that is addressed. Like the Court of Owls are basically a group of wealthy elites running the city in the shadows and circumventing change with violence and fear to maintain the status quo and the positions of the rich and powerful. Having the Court as the next main antagonists down the line would essentially be the idea of Batman uprooting capitalism and forcing change in his city.

[@SpyTrader1988]

They should appear in the second or be mentioned somehow. But they feel like a last movie baddie like Bane

[@edthemammoth4175]

I hope they somehow introduce robin before then so he can be involved. I haven’t read the story but I know nightwing is involved. Besides, I like how this Batman doesn’t work alone. He tried to but Gordon, cat woman, and Alfred are all crucial to the plot and it is very clear he can’t do everything on his own by just beating guys up. Establishing a sort of bat family to fight crime and using his riches to clean up the city is what Batman has been doing for years but he can never finish because of how comic books work. Bruce doing that over 3 movies would be so satisfying, and would really work with this interpretation

[@Quidividilake]

I mostly agree with the politics here (leftist) but I disagree with the reading re: Jan 6, etc. The Riddler isn’t explicitly either left or right but the “corruption” he’s targeting is a necessary consequence of capitalism. His politics are probably best understood as anarcho-terrorism fueled by the systemic oppression of a right wing system. As for the institutions, as a leftist I can’t say I’m a big fan of the police force and will always be skeptical of the potential for corruption (or lobbying as the Americans seem to call it).

[@benzur3503]

What about the text seemed to you disconnected from angry civilian terrorists mostly organized social media trying to disrupt an election? Whether it was a good portrayal containing a complete understanding of motives and results of the event is one question, but it’s abit hard to see the movie as not trying to reflect the event

[@Quidividilake]

@@benzur3503 I really don’t see it as that. I could be wrong but if you look at the timeline of when the movie was made it seems like an unfortunate coincidence. I don’t think that means you can’t contrast the two but I think that any reading which sees it as an intentional homage is going to be to confused and incomplete. Not trying to be a downer, it’s still a really well argued video but I don’t love that line of analysis.

[@benzur3503]

@@Quidividilake I don’t mean to sound aggressive, just asking for the reason. Production timing could be a factor, though according to Wikipedia the Filming itself ended on March 2021, 2 months after the riots. I wouldn’t say a script edit was likely at that point, but I’m not sure it could be ruled out entirely due to production time alone

[@fduranthesee]

*Anarcho-Nihilism

[@astillia6073]

@@benzur3503 Riddlers motive is that the entire structure is corrupt and needs to he obliterated versus Batman who can't move past trying to fix the broken system which he believes can be good

[@remliqa]

7:50 Okay, this is just plain wrong. In the movie we're not supposed to trust Batman having this device. That was why he handed it to Lucius Fox who later dismantle it by the end of the movie. The point was not even Batman himself believe he should not have that power.

[@maudepinterest5673]

It's true that Batman wiretaps every cell phone in Gotham in a desperate attempt to locate The Joker, but he lets Lucius push the self-destruct button, so it's okay. And it worked, so that made it necessary! (just joshin ya, his use of that point was weak) For real though, at the time, media across the political spectrum treated it like a Rorschach inkblot.

[@birdsamora9925]

True

[@naoki-kashima2635]

Did you seriously expect this idiot to actually pay attention to the movie?

[@MrWillbobs]

The movie says in the text that nobody can be trusted with it, but then shows that Batman can be trusted with it, which is what leads to the point in the video

[@Alastair367]

This film was written and being filmed before the January 6th attack. The cast and crew has even talked about it. The film was delayed because of the pandemic, otherwise it would have come out last year. So it had been in production a lot longer than people realize.

[@hollandscottthomas]

Hell yeah Immortal Hulk! That series is so fkn good. So much incredible work in that run, it’s one of the all-time greats. Love that you snuck a stealth recommendation into this Batman video XD One note on the Riddler’s plan: he blows up the sea wall because the stadium is the city’s emergency muster point, so it was his way of making sure everyone would be forced to the one place for the final phase of his attacks. It was kinda clumsily set up and the pacing was kinda weird, but it was definitely explained. Great vid, as always!

[@MadailinBurnhope]

Batman running through the corridor was such a human moment

[@simpulacra]

this is a great video but talking about Eric adams makes me furious. I just wanna put it out there for anyone who doesn't know, he's currently sweeping all homeless camps saying he'll find help for them later but with no actual plan? it's too horrible for words. and just 2 days ago a homeless man was killed in Brooklyn by 2 nypd vans who were racing. they hit him so hard there was an enormous dent in the van. yet the nypd won't release even the name of the officer driving. and on top of that Adam's is enacting "quality of life" policing aka broken windows aka beating up turnstyle hoppers and homeless people while screaming I'm vengeance.

[@KayAndSkittles]

The dude is a fucking monster!

[@arich20]

Wow what the f

[@thehauntedpotato6125]

The director flat out said that any parallels between the movie and the January 6 attack are accidental. The the movie was delayed a bunch and the scene was planned to be in the movie way before it happened

[@empatheticrambo4890]

I really appreciate how you engaged with The Batman here - praising the good and the art of it, but also criticism for how it washes over the obvious police corruption. I’ll be honest, I forgot to apply the “defund the police” side of my brain to this movie. I was super happy with the fact the movie critiques positions of power explicitly, but it’s right to say it could and should have gone further.

[@GamerSlyRatchet1]

The cop apologia wasn't as obvious as other Batman works, but I rolled my eyes at the scene where Falcone is arrested and it's revealed a lot of cops were supportive of his arrest.

[@empatheticrambo4890]

@@GamerSlyRatchet1 that’s a really good point. I didn’t think of it at the time, I was really captivated by the mystery of it all. Though, Gordon I think literally says “not all of us” or something to Falcone, which is too close to subliminal “not all cops.” Its not a real answer to corruption at all, it implies the police will self regulate and the good ones will fix the system or plague of mob cops. Even if we grant that in the Falcone situation, it’s still basically “not all cops” copaganda snuck into whats otherwise one of my favorite movies in years

[@dixTheory]

I did not expect this video to be an ad for the immortal hulk but you've sold me on it.

[@GrandArchPriestOfTheAlgorithm]

This video is officially certified by the Recommending Ones & Zeros.

[@pointynoodle]

The immortal hulk is... I don't know how they got it published.

[@Wackaz]

I'm glad you're back man. You're one of my favourite channels and I wondered where you were; I missed you and you need to upload more!

[@KayAndSkittles]

I would love to but I'm doing a degree and it keeps me very busy! Doin my best.

[@arich20]

Yay! Congratulations on working on the degree, best of luck ❤️

[@davidheitzenrater9027]

The shift to the cops suddenly being good guys to be trusted in the last 20 minutes of the movie was such a complete 180 from the rest of the movie that I have to wonder if that wasn't mandated by a higher up somewhere along the way.

[@EnbyNomad]

Needed this today. Thanks homie

[@therupoe]

Minor nitpick but the mayor doesn't say "we should trust the system" She said, as a politician, we need to restore trust in the system. Implying that she and her colleagues need to do better. Possibly even making changes to the system so that it is more equitable. I think that's a worthy goal.

[@MajorWeedrow]

7:55 it's literally said in the movie that no one should have it. it gets destroyed at the end of the movie because it's not a tool that should exist. it's showing how far Batman has been pushed to his limits by the Joker to the point where he's doing something verrry immoral. It's not okay Batman has it and the movie does not claim it's okay that the batman has it.

[@maudepinterest5673]

But maybe it's a little okay, because he''s just using it once. It worked, so it was necessary just that one time. All jokes aside, the prevailing wisdom of Hollywood is to make a Rorschach inkblot movie so that they don't lose a segment of the market. Right-wing outlets often write about movies like this reflecting what leftys would call "copaganda" where laws and boundaries have to be broken to defeat evil, whereas movie bloggers and traditional centrist outlets saw it as a critique of those same tropes.

[@1950sTardigrade]

no no no. the idea was obviously that the institutions are in fact bad, but that the answer is not violence and power fantasy. it was saying exactly what you said about 'the right wing militia wierdos identify a problem but are wrong about the cause and the proper reactions.' when she said we must restore faith in the institutions, she meant we must make those institutions worthy of faith again.

[@Tjthemedic]

That's the problem - the institutions cannot be 'made worthy of faith again'. They were never worthy of faith, and they fundamentally cannot fix the problems, because they are the source of the problems. Systemic change means changing the system, not changing things within the system. What you're describing *is* defending those institutions, defending reformism.

[@MrARock001]

"You're just going to get mad at every Batman movie for not adequately citing Lenin." ❤️ This is why I get mad at most movies, tbh.

[@Chris-lc5vf]

Great video! I dont think we're supposed to just believe the mayor's message. Remember that she has that moment where her optimism gets her shot when she tries to go back to the podium. It subverts her view, just as the penguin juxtaposition subverts her message of trusting institutions.

[@hideshiseyes2804]

This video perfectly puts into words what I’ve been thinking ever since Falcon’s “do better” speech at the end of Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

[@getschwifty5537]

goddamn, the "do better" speech and Karli doing like one incredibly evil and uncharacteristic thing the moment the writers realized they accidentally made her entirely too correct just so we can get back to the regularly scheduled programming of "oh noooo she has to be stopped!" ..... really just killed FatWS for me. How sad.

[@KookiesNolly]

Fantastic video! totally agree with your analysis of the movie. Pattinson was indeed EXCELLENT in this role because he has always struck me as a guy who barely qualifies as sane. I imagine that when this Bruce started being Batman he had a conversation with Alfred that ended with him screaming "IT'S NOT A PHASE, ALFRED. IT'S WHO I AM", slamming the door and spending the night in his cave listening to MCR and this is why i love him. The Batman is by far my favorite batman movie precisely because it questions the power fantasy. I have always hated the Bruce Wayne playboy persona because it made Bruce as a whole a worse person. I can't imagine a well adjusted, charismatic "billionnaire playboy" who chooses to beat up poor people by night instead of using his ressources to investigate and solve real issues and not think "this man should be sane enough to be a better person but he chooses not to". But by making Bruce a stumbling emo and emphasizing how much he has defined himself by his trauma, the story tells you he is not sane, he's a traumatized kid, so him not fixing the issues at their core makes sense. Batman has always focused on low level thugs bc of his trauma but it's like it's the first movie that acknowledges it and criticizes this part of him. Even though the politics of the story are still seriously lacking it was refreshing to see Bruce have an actual journey and learn that he needs to be a better man. This is by far my favorite movie Batman/Bruce. He has so much humanity, I finally felt for him bc the self-insert fantasy playboy Bruce serves never worked on me. Also because he's still at the beginnig of his journey/story, I can see him opening himself up to truly understand what the city needs lead him into being more lefty but I won't hold my breath lol. I know better than to expect that from WB but the character could theoritically go into that direction because honestly, a lot of white boys have this kind of awakening before turning left. Also that Hulk comics sounds AWESOME oh my god why am i hearing about it only now?????

[@tudoraragornofgreyscot8482]

Batman actually DOES invest into rehabilitating criminals and the material needs of Gotham unlike Billionaires IRL, problem is that 1) Gotham is canonically cursed to be a perpetual shithole and 2) I don’t think any amount of dialectical materialism or Marxist theory can address the Joker wanting to mass gas an orphanage or the Riddler flooding a city to be due to “capitalist society”.

[@jackcade8790]

I loved how much of a weirdo this Batman was. When Selina kissed him my first though was "wait was that his first kiss? I feel like it could be." And honestly that is beautiful.

[@olserknam]

Bruce only pretends to be a playboy, it's never his real persona. Isn't this fairly common knowledge?

[@kwarra-an]

Thought Slime has a good video on Immortal Hulk!

[@marksalmoneussorcerersupreme]

Feel free to binge read the Immortal Hulk on a Comicbook website or your local library.

[@MichaelHeide]

I don't know if I should love or hate that a decidedly anti-capitalist take on Matt Reeves' The Batman is sponsored by Raid.

[@lukezietse5000]

i always love when my favorite youtubers make a video about something they unequivocally love. Not that I dislike any of their other videos at all. Excited to read the Immortal Hulk myself!

[@MiadasSchaf]

Banger vid! Really enjoyed it and I really should be reading the immortal hulk cause every time it's brought up I get pumped!

[@optillian4182]

In the beginning, he's the Caped Crusader, fighting the criminal element that killed his parents. At the end, he's the Dark Knight, protector of Gotham against all evil. I loved this character arc and I can't wait for the sequel.

[@WastedScoundrel]

Fun fact: Batman used to be called Läderlappen (The Leather Patch) for some time in Sweden.

[@chcknpie04]

I need some Kay and Skittles in my life

[@nathanjones8667]

This was 35 minutes of you throwing nothing but fastballs. Absolute heat.

[@TriggerCrazedLunatic]

I knew you would have a good take about this movie! I hadn't been able to articulate why it rubbed me the wrong way so much and I think you hit the nail on the head

[@maximeteppe7627]

Overall, it's a real mixe bag and i really want to see what the sequel will be like to pass judgement. The fact that the riddler switches from targeting corrupt people in power to indiscriminate murder rampage could be another slandering of radicals (which, as maligned as killmonger is, I always took not as a takedown of violent liberators, but rather of people who are prisoners of an imperialist mindset), or an acknowledgement that many far right extremist often leverage real injustices and suffering to radicalize vulnerable individuals -, but are ultimately direct legitimate grievances towards nihilistic white male rage. The same way Incels can be (sym)pathetic but extremely dangerous and fascistic at the same time. I am hesitant to call the movie out for being unclear on some of its politics, since being somewhat stealthy with it can be more efficient at putting certain themes in teh public discourse: there is a place for sorry to bother you, there is a place for stories that keep their politics closer to the chest. Ultimately, I really think that the way the status quo evolve in the inevitable sequel will put the morality of the ending of this movie in a clearer light.

[@renaeg9454]

I’m glad your able to put into words why I hate the comic and Nolan’s so much. I had such a hard time explaining why I wasn’t a fan of either

[@fiftyfive1s410]

I think the latter half of the video is well argued; that being said, i think the context within which the mayor says "rebuild faith in our institutions" is lost. The context here is the need to physically rebuild Gotham from the ground up, the idea the mayor was likely trying to convey was rebuilding their institutions to not be what the movie showed them to be. Rather than rebuild them the way they were they'd focus on rooting out social injustices in the system. Rebuild our faith in our institutions, for me, doesnt represent the mayor telling the people to simply believe, but represents the mayor telling the people that the parasites feeding off the corrupt system will be rooted out, and that they should believe that such will be executed effectively. It is a request to trust her abilities in doing so. Whether or not they actually succeed, with or without the batman, we'll see.

[@TheEliera]

YEAH thank so much for covering my favourite comics. It is masterpiece honestly

[@forgottencomrade26]

After for the first time hearing about you from the deprogram bois, went to check out your channel. This is the first video I watched. Really great stuff.

[@nanda12345ful]

I really disagree with your reading of this movie's message about trust in institutions. I don't think they would be saying to trust in existing institutions after they spent 3 hours showing how incompetent they are. It's not consistent. I think they're saying that they need to rebuild trust in their institutions by building new, better, and more effective institutions as a replacement, with the shot of the Penguin foreshadowing him being the next obstacle towards that future. Bruce's lesson to me was also connected to this. He learned that being someone that inspires fear in the criminal element is not going to change anything. He needs to become something that inspires hope in the people of Gotham instead. Political violence is good and all, but I believe that someone will always take it too far, no matter which side they're on. It's dangerous to just smash the system. Someone needs to be able to build something new out of the ashes. That's what Batman is meant to be. Hope for the future.

[@RadicalReviewer]

Beautiful work as always. I like the batman injuries thing, reminds me of the part from Batman: Gotham Knight, where it he gets more injured throughout the segment while frequently cutting back to his training on dealing with pain. also I appreciate this movie having a lot more detective stuff than most outings.

[@GamerSlyRatchet1]

A lot of those aspects actually reminded of Beware the Batman, where he's more inexperienced and gets injured often. Part of his development in the show is to acknowledge his limitations and work around them rather than push himself too far.

[@deptusmechanikus7362]

irl Riddler would be hailed as a hero like Luigi Mangione lol

[@ABBCoffical]

Except his actions weren’t really directed. He did petty +3řr0ř!$m (the multiple vans at the end) for a good cause, Luigi did good with a personal cause.

[@lithourgos8485]

Loved this video and so glad to see Immortal Hulk get the love it deserves! Have you read Zdarsky's run on Daredevil? It also has some strong leftist themes although not as well executed as IH.

[@KayAndSkittles]

I haven't! But I will.

[@olserknam]

@@KayAndSkittles I'd love you to talk about Zdarsky's Daredevil, seems like exactly the kind of stuff you'd want to dissect. It probably wouldn't bring in a lot of viewers, but it doesn't seem like you're very concerned about that to begin with.

[@Voxabonable]

We tend to praise or condemn anything that's somehow different or new. At the end of the day it's a man in a suit that doesn't exist. The more you try to make it real, the more cringey it becomes.

[@VaderTheWhite]

I have a different interpretation of "We must rebuild people's faith in our institutions." The key words to me are "we," meaning the institutions, and "rebuild." In order to rebuild faith, you must earn it back with actual, meaningful change. That's what she was saying.

[@coralinethegunslinger1138]

I am so wildly depressed today and i really feel like giving up. Then i remember my favorite line from you, "don't let them turn you into pigs"

[@xrxwearebetterthancapitalism]

9:40 not to take away from your commentary but Reeve's Batman walks face first into machine gun fire during the elevator scene, and takes an actual explosion to the face without any burns. Not a Nolan Stan but Reeve's Batman still has some aspects of being invincible. Everything else about this commentary I agree with though.

[@DB-ku7vu]

Also that dive into the overpass would have killed him twice

[@Annaleebie]

Idk why but I cackled like a witch hearing the delivery of certain lines in the Raid ad

[@Annaleebie]

Buddy,

[@leon3589]

Batman is a billionaire, capitalist, who puts on a cape and suit of armour to go beat the life out of people who have been pushed to crime due to the systemic oppression of the capitalist class. The Riddler shows this, as does Joker in Joaquin Phoenix version of this. Batman, could instead use his money to lobby or to give housing to these criminals, who likely only commit crime due to the Material Conditions that perpetuate their mental breakdowns. The Joker, the guy whose story only ever makes sense when you account for the failings of the system and society creating an individual who's had enough. Otherwise you resort to eugenics "some people are just born crazy and murderous." - But the environment changes a person; always. Joker is seen as a representation of "anarchy", but if people knew how much like the real definition of Anarchy he actually is, they wouldn't like it - a person who is against private property and the imposed capitalist order. "We live in a society" - "If you saw me dying on the side of the street you wouldn't help" - "No one cared about me until I killed those rich guys" - etc Lenin said "You cannot live in society while being free from society."

[@hprfire]

I feel the crux of the mater is we argue for one extreme or another in defining good vs Evil when the reality is what we need is transcendent. Which Individual human, idealized society, or geopolitical entity has the "right approach" assumes that humans in and of themselves can achieve the hope and good we all desperately desire. I think history has proven that we need something transcendent beyond the limits of the weaknesses of the human condition. Until then we war to make the pendulum go back and forth.

[@LightGlyphRasengan]

This was such a fantastic video, im gonna think about looking up that hulk comic

[@ItWasBetterBefore]

I live in NYC, and it's been so frustrating to see the mayor and others in leadership respond to recent crime waves by promising to throw more police at the problem, or to economic issues by telling office workers to stop telecommuting and go back to the office. There's a total lack, not just of creative solutions, but of interest in creative solutions that would address real underlying issues like homelessness, economic inequality, and inadequate mental health services. This is all to say that your video felt very timely to me, and I deeply appreciate it. Now I'm off to Midtown Comics to pick up Immortal Hulk.

[@lindseymercer5845]

@Atropus Arbaalish I hear you. That is why I didn't vote for him in the primaries. But my fellow New Yorkers didn't all share my concerns.

[@jcboyle82]

Damn. I need to go back and finish Immortal Hulk. I had no idea it went in that direction!

[@thatman3107]

It's a really good video. Some complaints: I think the biggest error in analysing and comparing The Batman to The Dark Knight Returns and The Immortal Hulk, is that you overlook the viewing lens. While The Dark Knight Returns and The Immortal Hulk are clearly meant to be sociological stories, I find The Batman to be a more psychological story. It is about trauma, the varied responses to trauma, their consequences. By the end, Batman adopts a more adaptive coping mechanism, to not let his trauma define him and his actions. Instead of letting his trauma cause more pain (even the random person being attacked by the goons was afraid of Batman), he uses it (literally; the bat symbol on his chest is supposed to be made from the gun that killed his parents) to save others, potentially risking his life, and in the process, healing from his own trauma (falling into and rising from the water; baptism). Also, in the beginning he is fighting lowlife gang members because someone like them caused him his trauma. Every night he is out there, he is reliving that night, endlessly trying to change what happened. By the end, he realises that this method of coping is not only not beneficial to him, but also is improving nothing. Instead of saving people because he needs to save himself, he starts saving people because they are in need of help. Instead of it being about him, it is now about them. And as an ironic result, it also brings him the peace he was looking for. And he hopes that this approach will also bring about real changes (pun not intended). Also, give mayor Real a chance. She might try and bring about some good changes. Obviously, that reduces the sociological perspective to a more ideological one (that we can only wish, and not do something ourselves, and so we should trust the authority). But I think that's not the point. Anyway. Great video! Subbed.

[@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145]

I agee with everything you're saying except one part. When the major says "we need to restore trust in our institutions" I didn't think she was saying that people are just supposed to believe in those institutions and that will solve the problem. In the context of her whole speech, I took it to mean that these institutions need to _earn that trust first._ Correct, they spent about 3 hours showing us why those institutions are not trustworthy. And those are exactly the problems that need to be solved before anybody can trust them again. In the movie's world, the corruption is more explicitly criminal, with deep ties to organized crime, etc. In our world, it's much more complex and difficult to define. Our system is corrupted by corporate interests rather than organized crime, but the point is ultimately the same. We need to close corporate tax loopholes and reform campaign financing and lobbying and etc etc etc all the way down the line, before we can ever expect people to have faith in the system again. But we've become so cynical that we're not even willing or able to see when a politician might actually be speaking truthfully or trying to help. It would take a "baby's brain" as you said to trust these institutions, but that doesn't mean that lazy, blanket cynicism toward everything political is any better.

[@hjaltepedermarcussen7726]

I find it interesting that the movie takes a lot of inspiration from Batman year one, that is also written by Frank Miller, criticize the way Batman is portrayed in media that almost always lists The dark knight returns as an inspiration.

[@EllinasParamythas]

I really wasn't prepared for the Immortal Hulk. I don't know why but I just wept. It is so important to just feel "understood" and not portrayed as a monster for fighting for the future of humanity. For humanity to actually have a future. The employment of suffering and death from the people causing it is just infuriating. People die every day, every single day. Thousands. Millions every year. Now with the final decay of capitalism even more through war and poverty. However, death only seems to be evil when it is towards achieving liberation. Revolution is not a dinner party, everyone wishes it could be, but in order to get out of the maze. You need to kill the minotaur. Thank you for this video, an other banger.

[@fellinuxvi3541]

While I agree we must do a lot of fighting to change the world for the better, it is very concerning that you speak of death like this. Specially since death by war and poverty are not really going up (save for the pandemic in the latter), so the sense of urgency should only apply to climate change, it is misplaced everywhere else.

[@EllinasParamythas]

@@fellinuxvi3541 Most deaths of the pandemic were deaths caused by poverty since they could have been avoided have there been adequate treatment. More over in Afghanistan there is a massive humanitarian crisis and 20 million people will be at the verge of starvation. I don't know where you get that the deaths haven't gone up. And even if that were the case, the number of needless and avoidable deaths caused by our mode of production were, are and will be infuriatingly high

[@fellinuxvi3541]

@@EllinasParamythas Oh the deaths have gone up, but not proportionately. That is to say, there are more poor and starving people because there are more people. But it's a general consensus that the proportion of global poverty was reduced from the last decades up to the pandemic, which naturally worsened things. Poverty is trending downwards under the current mode of production, but it's infuriatingly slow. Piketty calculated that following current trends, it would take 200 years to end global poverty. That's certainly a call to fix things and make the process faster, I agree there, but it is incorrect to say things have worsened all across the board.

[@Wackaz]

As much as I love The Batman, I feel Robert Pattinson's other epic, Good Time, is a far better commentary or subtle take on crime and capitalism.

[@doutormemes]

i think the movie mentions the date being november 6th to imply the riddler planned the attack to happen on the evening of the fifth of november, which would be a reference to the guy fawkes' gunpowder plot. thinking it has something to do with the insurrection that happened more than 2 years after the script had already been written is a bit of a stretch...

[@annchovie8748]

I don't really think we are supposed to take the mayor's speech at face value as the viewer. I think the point of showing her make a speech about building faith in institutions is supposed to be juxtaposed with Penguin filling the real position of power. I interpreted the choice to make the Mayor a black woman is a reference to the liberal idea that diversity in capitalistic institutions creates institutional change.

[@Proctor_Conley]

Thank you for making this! You were very articulate & it's quite educational!

[@Rorschach7012]

Robert Pattinson- young Batman. Christian bale- little old. Ben Affleck- old and experienced Batman. I loved Robin Pattinson Batman than other because it is so real, no fantasy, no magic.

[@WarpScanner]

I have to respectfully disagree that the movie actually wanted the viewer to get the message that we need to start trusting in our institutions and you make my point for me: the new mayor is portrayed as naive when she says her speech and being directly contrasted with The Penguin.

[@rosshauler7688]

I gotta disagree on some of these points, overall great video but the way I think the viewer is intended to interpret Bruce spying on everyone is that he is abandoning his morals to catch a guy who’s already abandon his. Which leads to the eternal question of Batman, how far will he go

[@chompytv8591]

Wait, they stole AOC’s shoes? I thought Shapiro would’ve been a little more subtle then that, but okay.

[@mattgeer4778]

brilliant video- thank you. I gotta read that Hulk comic!

[@Duragking9]

Let’s gooooo immortal hulk is so damn good! Glad to find fans of this story!

[@1894db]

Some of your analysis was reaching for connections that weren't there to the point that it almost seems dishonest. The new mayor doesn't represent the institution, she's the reformer going up against the establishment in non-violent ways, she's Bruce's example of how he can make a difference without cracking skulls. She's not asking for trust in institutions, she's stating that the institutions need to change and regain the people's trust. This wasn't at all subtle in the movie.

[@cireeeeeX]

“The reformer going against the system non-violently” as if that isn’t the trope that’s juxtaposed against the “violently change the system” guys to discredit radical change.

[@1894db]

@@cireeeeeX Because violence has such a great track record of changing things for the better.

[@randomstranger623]

@@1894db Because again, reminder how they treated Martin Luther King and Malcolm X? Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh. Reformism only works in bite sizes, hell, gonna even be backtracked by the system should the right people populate the institutions.

[@jaybeevs8612]

@@1894db to quote Kwame Ture... "If you were a slave and I your master, and your only way to be free was to strike your blow to kill me, what would you do?"

[@1894db]

@@jaybeevs8612 If only every problem in the world was that binary

[@pamela-623]

absolutely loved the movie, but i agree with your criticism, i feel like batman will always have a "hey some cops are good" idea, and i wish they leaned more on riddler being and extremist instead of leaning on the good ol "villain has a point until the 3rd act where they hurt innocents just bc villain bad"

[@Limbaugh_]

I assumed that the mayor meant “restore faith (by fixing corruption)”

[@Petey0707]

I hope the new Joker movie(s) tackles Batman's vigilantism in a disturbing light, showing he's a dangerous sociopath (possibly with antisocial personality disorder due to his trauma) doing terrible things to people who while not necessarily nice are also victims to societies failures within a bourgeois state, perhaps maintaining the narrative of classicism in the first film. The second could easily show how trauma affects people within and outside their class in cycles. Whether that be through the desperation of criminality or the individualistic aggression of vigilantism. It can also display how Batman's ubermensch personality and selfish narratives are not just inherently wrong but highly questionable on an ethical level rather than trying to praise it as some heroic, self-sacrificial deed. Yes, Joker is a psychopath, but the movie would show Arthur's nihilistic psychopathy to be the other side of Bruce's raging sociopathy. How neither really provide the answers, both being equally destructive for different reasons, and as such either side garnering a dangerous cult of personality. Twisting the perspective to show a proletarian viewpoint is long overdue.

[@nowhereman6019]

*HULK SMASH CAPITALISM AND IDEOLOGY!*

[@Syurtpiutha]

Great video. I enjoyed the Batman, but am not the only one who picked up that the ending left some things hanging. Anyway, will check out The Immortal Hulk, that sounds like a riot.

[@NawidN]

Could you do an analysis of the videogame Bastion? It's the first game by the developers of Hades. It's steeped in contextual/atmospheric storytelling, and I think it might benefit from your perspective. It's also fairly short (6 hours on HowLongToBeat). I'm aware this doesn't have anything to do with Batman. It might even be its polar opposite, in terms of the messages it wants to impart to the player.

[@poursperfectpints]

Regarding the ending, I think Reeves agrees with you. I think it's setting up exactly what you're going for. That shot of the Penguin basically proves that you aren't supposed to buy into the veneer of positivity. Nothing has changed.

[@ashemountain]

Bringing up Immortal Hulk was an especially nice touch to a great video.

[@felixhenson9926]

DUDE you got a sponsor!! Amazing, congrats man

[@beepbeepsheep2732]

I really loved the cool third thing, thanks !

[@krokodil7821]

When you say batman walked off being set on fire, fear gassed, and thrown out a window I think your forgetting the line about him being unconscious for days even weeks after that happened not hating I might not even be right just how I remember it

[@ryanratchford2530]

Hopefully this is what the next two movies will be about

[@Laezar1]

Damn that hulk comics look amazing, we really need more stories like that

[@Georg3e]

Jesus Christ i subscribed so hard i travelled into an alternate universe