Batman v. Superman — It’s Torture & We’re Cool With It

Comic Book and movie fans awaited the release of Batman v. Superman with a mix of hope, fear, anxiety and dread. The soulless metropolitan destruction and plodding pace of 2013’s Man of Steel was an underwhelming offering for critics and fans alike. The hope…the wish…the fantasy that with Batman v. Superman, Zack Snyder would finally get it right left moviegoers lingering in a painful unresolved state of angst. We love Superman. We didn’t love Man of Steel. We love Batman. Ben Affleck as Batman??? We want to love Batman v. Superman…but…

It was torture.

Not actual torture of course. But it was painful nonetheless. A stress position that lasted years.

Speaking of torture…if you’ve seen this movie, it raises some serious questions about: (a) Zack Snyder, (b) The Justice League movie, (c) America, or (d) all of the above?

THE ANSWER IS (d) ALL OF THE ABOVE

So it’s (d) of course, but since we have some time to wait until the next offering in the DC comics world, let’s look at (c) America.

Our superheroes reflect who we are. They’re our own homegrown American myths and legends. (Yes Superman was played by a British guy…but Superman is an alien so, that kinda makes sense…kinda…) As they change and evolve, we can chart our own cultural evolution. They are also, in many ways, a projective assessment tool. They are the inkblots that we return to again and again to work out our own issues and concerns.

During World War II, Superman fought the Nazis. But that makes sense though. Superman stood for “truth, justice, and the American way.” And although Batman was a vigilante, he was more Sherlock Holmes than MMA cage fighter. DC Comics was originally “Detective Comics.”

Before our comic book heroes we had real-life Americans who attained heroic status. Washington was the father of our country and never told a lie. Honest Abe Lincoln freed the slaves. Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence. Teddy Roosevelt was an explorer, soldier, progressive, and President.

Batman and Superman at one time reflected these values. But no more. And that says something about us.

While many of the dark themes in Batman v. Superman originated from comic story lines that predate 9/11, America’s self-image, and our public image, was not affected by the complex intertwined storylines that captivated comic book aficionados in the 1980s and 1990s. But you know what does affect (and reflect) who we are and how we are viewed worldwide?

Movies.

And in the evolution of our mythological heroes on screen, we see reflected the changes in our culture.

The big screen portrayal of an increasingly unhinged Batman willing to use all manner of violence, including torture, not to solve crimes, but to inflict punishment, is concerning. A Superman who is doubted by the American public and is portrayed as a potential threat is equally concerning.

These are our heroes after all.

Remember the Flintstones? Sometimes when Fred was conflicted, “good” Fred Flintstone would appear on one shoulder and “bad” Fred Flintstone would appear on the other, each making their case for what Fred should do.

Superman and Batman used to be America’s “good” Fred Flintstone. But not any longer. “Bad” Fred Flintstone is winning.

Don’t think this doesn’t impact Homeland Security.

Americans are stuck in a state of cognitive dissonance about who we are and what we believe. This is no more apparent than when looking at our views on torture and the evolution of Batman.

Pew Research Center and Associated Press reporting on American views on torture suggest that around 50% of Americans support the use of torture in some situations, while around 50% (slightly less) oppose torture in all or virtually all situations. “Virtually” all must mean that some torture is ok, by the way. Batman is the face of America’s position on torture. (Step aside Jack Bauer.) As a nation, by and large, we’re cool with it.

Not long ago in Homeland Security Today, Godfrey Garner, wrote of the “The Necessity of, and Moral Authority For, Nation Building.” He asserts that the United States has the moral authority to intervene in the affairs of nations that can’t or won’t take action to protect their own people.

Perhaps.

But our ability wield moral authority is not immune to the consequences of the persistent erosion of our reputation as a moral nation.

Torture? Yeah…maybe…if it’s really important…I mean not all the time…but sometimes…yeah, ok.

The nature of our national myths and legends is changing, and we should be concerned. Our superheroes are becoming objectively less and less heroic. And maybe so are we as a nation.

Don’t think that won’t have a Homeland Security consequence.