Batman: the One Percenter
Ivan Johnson 996772728
Eng235H1 – The Graphic Novel
Prof. A. Lesk
Due: December 6th 2012
Batman: The One Percenter
In Frank Miller’s graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, there an underlying theme of class struggle between the 1 percent and the general populous; 99 percent. By detailing what the 1 percent ruling class consists of, in Batman and later on the Sons of Batman (S.O.B), and their use of fear, which is presented to the 99 percent, via the medium of news, as well as what happens when no news/fear is present, may readers understand how necessary it was for this ruling class to control the population in this novel.
When one generally refers to the one percent, they refer to the corporate fat cats who make millions of dollars and keep their wealth, not distributing it. Will Brooker, and academic and Batman scholar, describes Bruce Wayne/belonging to this class when he writes “Batman/Bruce Wayne… look(s) like a privileged 1 percenter, a bourgeois capitalist” (Brooker). In this light, it is clear to see how Batman can be representative of this class, because he is part of a higher echelon, one that revolves around money. It is thus money that thus gives Batman one of his outlets of power, because without it Bruce Wayne would not have had the sequence of events happen to him which led to him becoming the Batman. The concept of Power and its role in this novel is going to be the driving force of this one percent ideology that is prevalent in Miller’s novel, and will be addressed later. There is a second party that represents the one percent does so in a different manner. Bobby Halton, a magazine editor refers to Elizabeth Jennings, a teacher and black rights activist as being a one percenter because “she was hoping to make things better” (Halton). This notion of the one percent can be seen in the group of thugs known as the Sons of Batman (S.O.B), who take it upon themselves to exact their version of justice by killing members of the criminal
Eng235H1 – The Graphic Novel
Prof. A. Lesk
Due: December 6th 2012
Batman: The One Percenter
In Frank Miller’s graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, there an underlying theme of class struggle between the 1 percent and the general populous; 99 percent. By detailing what the 1 percent ruling class consists of, in Batman and later on the Sons of Batman (S.O.B), and their use of fear, which is presented to the 99 percent, via the medium of news, as well as what happens when no news/fear is present, may readers understand how necessary it was for this ruling class to control the population in this novel.
When one generally refers to the one percent, they refer to the corporate fat cats who make millions of dollars and keep their wealth, not distributing it. Will Brooker, and academic and Batman scholar, describes Bruce Wayne/belonging to this class when he writes “Batman/Bruce Wayne… look(s) like a privileged 1 percenter, a bourgeois capitalist” (Brooker). In this light, it is clear to see how Batman can be representative of this class, because he is part of a higher echelon, one that revolves around money. It is thus money that thus gives Batman one of his outlets of power, because without it Bruce Wayne would not have had the sequence of events happen to him which led to him becoming the Batman. The concept of Power and its role in this novel is going to be the driving force of this one percent ideology that is prevalent in Miller’s novel, and will be addressed later. There is a second party that represents the one percent does so in a different manner. Bobby Halton, a magazine editor refers to Elizabeth Jennings, a teacher and black rights activist as being a one percenter because “she was hoping to make things better” (Halton). This notion of the one percent can be seen in the group of thugs known as the Sons of Batman (S.O.B), who take it upon themselves to exact their version of justice by killing members of the criminal
Cited: * Miller, Frank. Batman: the Dark Knight returns. New York, N.Y.: DC Comics, 2002. Print. * Brooker, Will. "A Masked Hero for the 1%." Newsweek 2012ABI/INFORM Global; CBCA Complete; CBCA Reference & Current Events; ProQuest Business Collection; ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source; ProQuest Research Library. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. * Halton, Bobby. "The One Percenters." Fire Engineering 2011: 6-. ProQuest Business Collection; ProQuest Career and Technical Education. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.