Yeah yeah yeah, The Avengers is awesome. Let's not forget that The Dark Knight Rises will soon be here! I have always been keen to claim Batman as a goth icon, but I thought I'd get clearance from the Gothic Council before I committed myself.
Joining us this week are fashion designer Batty, Webmistress at Morticia's Morgue Becky Plexco, author Carmilla Voiez, DJ Martin Oldgoth, blogger at Night's Plutonian Shore Sarah Fanning, author of the Encyclopedia Gothica Liisa Ladouceur, and co-founder of the Age of Decay festival Alethea Carr.
Batty: My opinion has always been...while dark and brooding, goth, no. Disturbed and learned how to work with that, maybe, but just because the name "Bat" is in it does not goth make.
Not saying Batman isn't cool, but he's more an upper-class misfit than a goth. Do a lot of goth people like him? Sure, but comic books tend to cross the subcultural and cultural world.
Gothtopia: I'm pretty sure "upper-class misfit" is probably the goal of every goth. Maybe Batman is our übermensch.
Batty: Maybe, although I think his fashion sense tends more toward the yuppie mentality. However, that might just be because I can't see Christian Bale as anything but the guy from American Psycho.
Becky Plexco: I think the outfits, acting and mood of Batman Returns qualifies Batman as goth. I mean, look at Catwoman's costume.
After Michael Keaton left the franchise, I have no comment. It went a little more fetishy than goth. I've always thought the comic book Batman was very dark and disturbed. Adam West, not so goth, but one of my faves. Damn, now you're making me update my Batman Web site so I can brag about it.
Gothtopia: YOU HAVE A BATMAN SITE? I feel so close to you right now.
Becky Plexco: I haven't worked on my Web site much the last few years. One of my goals is to overhaul the whole thing and update the crap out of it. I've had a ginormous fansite for lots of goth and fan-related stuff since 1997.
Carmilla Voiez: Is Batman goth? I don't think so. His anger is turned outwards rather than inwards. He's privileged. He fits in with his non-goth cronies. He plays dress-up, but is that what we consider goth? Maybe he's F.O.G (friend of goth)? I've never seen him dance to Bauhaus. Now that is an episode I'd love to watch!
Becky Plexco: Corporate Goth, maybe? And wouldn't inward anger make him emo?
Martin Oldgoth: I was never a huge comic/superhero geek, but Batman for me was the only one that truly stood out. Maybe it's the timing, but growing up with Adam West on TV was what got me hooked as a kid.
It appealed on that level, and then as I grew up, so did the way the world viewed Batman. In essence I guess he could be considered a goth of sorts, albeit one of those ones into rubber and angst as opposed to vodka and dancing.
