Geek Syndicate
Comic books have largely been ignored by academics, yet analysis of their basic themes can shed light on many areas of interest to criminologists. In particular the Batman universe containing arguably the most realistic superhero character provides a lens through which to consider the theories of Lombroso and Baudrillard.
GEEK CRIMINOLOGY - Are The Heroes & Villains Of Batman Influenced By Lombrosian Ideals?
Cesare Lombroso (a pioneering Positivist Criminologist) put forth the notion of the born criminal: The born criminal had a low moral stance, he cannot be cured, criminality is a family trait, he is a savage with tattoos and a different look (deformed jaw line, cheekbones, arches and palms, also ears) Hero Definition
Strong moral stance, defender of the people
to the rest of society. (Wolfgang, 1961: 369-71) Lombroso argued the insane criminal commits a crime because of his/her insanity. In order to analyze Batman and The Joker and examine their social impact, it is important to define various themes. Criminal
Breaks the laws of the state. Moral stance depends on standpoint of criminal. Legitimate target
Villain
Enemy of hero with low moral stance
State Response Origins Societal Response Sanity
Depends, some are targets others are not Tragic event and/or scientific disaster Enable
Legitimate target
Tragic event and/or scientific disaster Destroy evil
Genetic, physiological, social or psychological Rehabilitation or fix the defect of the criminal Dependant upon the type of the criminal
Not necessarily sane
Insane
For the purposes of this study it is crucial to make a distinction between the criminal and the villain. The criminal breaks the laws of the state, originates from a number of places, and the goal of society is to fix the defect. The villain simply is the antagonist to the hero. Both Batman and The Joker blur the lines, crossing between two definitions: Batman is a hero and a criminal (he uses criminal acts to further his goals) and The Joker is a villain (Batman’s antagonist) and a criminal.
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Batman’s criminality raises interesting questions which show how important it is to study the comic medium. Batman is our hero yet he commits many wrongs to achieve his aims. Villainy has clear links to the Lombrosian theme of the born criminal. Villains are presented as being abnormal, different to the rest of society and in need of a cure (Reynolds, 1992: 67). They are placed in Arkham Asylum with the hope that they will be rehabilitated.
The Hero
Batman is the hero of various comic series (Detective Comics, Batman, Justice League etc) and has a strong moral stance. Batman is portrayed to be more than a man: he is a symbol that strikes fear into his enemies. This argument has been well illustrated in Christopher Nolan’s movie The Dark Knight (2008) and the recent Batman: RIP comic book run written by Grant Morrison.