The first comic writer who figured out Batman was nuts?

[Brian]

Any hard core comic people have an idea? I think it was a pivotal moment in comic history. I mean, you see what Frank Miller did with it.
But, at some point some guy thought, "This guy is dressing in a bat suit and fighting crime because of childhood trauma. He's nuts!" He could have just become a cop.
I don't think that was the original intention. One of the most interesting heroes ever.
Much like the Taxi Driver, as well, is he nuts? Or is the world crazy and he's a sane man reacting to it the only way he knows how?

[Igopogo]

I've always held the notion that the movie "Taxi Driver" is basically a realistic protrayal of Batman.

[Underemployed]

In "The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore, where Batman faces the Joker once again, the two share a moment of tenderness together, laughing at the same stupid joke that symbolises the madness they both suffer from. As the Joker wisely observes, all that separates normal men from himself (and Batman) is "One bad day".

There was also a Crossover Batman/Judge Dredd story (a multidimensional caper including Judge Death doing a metal concert) "Batman & Judge Dredd, Judgment on Gotham" By Alan Grant and John Wagner, in which Batman finds himself in Mega-City One, where he is promptly arrested for vigilanteism.

[Bikewer]

The History channel had a nice 2-hour history of comics on the other day; interviews with Stan Lee, Will Eisner, others.

Back when Batman started up, pre-war, he was evidently a very dark character indeed....

And Wonder Woman was downright kinky.

[Hexxenhammer]

Originally posted by Bikewer
The History channel had a nice 2-hour history of comics on the other day; interviews with Stan Lee, Will Eisner, others.

Back when Batman started up, pre-war, he was evidently a very dark character indeed....

And Wonder Woman was downright kinky.
Yeah, Batman was pretty pulpy to begin with. He started out carrying a gun(!). He only got silly later. And Wonder Woman had a very S&M quality to it. All these pictures of her tied up by the bad guys in classic domination poses.

[Evolver]

In the first Michael Keaton Batman movie, when he met the Joker, he saw him as the guy who killed his parents. At the time I thought it would have been cool in the subsequent movies if he saw each villain he went up against as his parents killer.

[Brian]

Originally posted by Underemployed
In "The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore, where Batman faces the Joker once again, the two share a moment of tenderness together, laughing at the same stupid joke that symbolises the madness they both suffer from. As the Joker wisely observes, all that separates normal men from himself (and Batman) is "One bad day".

There was also a Crossover Batman/Judge Dredd story (a multidimensional caper including Judge Death doing a metal concert) "Batman & Judge Dredd, Judgment on Gotham" By Alan Grant and John Wagner, in which Batman finds himself in Mega-City One, where he is promptly arrested for vigilanteism.
I've read both of those. The Kiling Joke had Alan Moore and great art, Bolland I think. Judge Dread had Bizely!!
I think the Dark Knight predates both though. And I think the idea that Batman is not alright in the head is older too.
Hexxan pointed out that Batman at the begining carried a gun. I didn't know that. Doesn't surprise me, he is a detective.
But somewhere, for the first time, some writer wrote an issue that portrayed Batman as mental. Not just a hero, or a detective, or a crime fighter with a back story. They made the connection that his behaivor based on his background was the behaivor of a deeply disturbed person. I wonder if there is one definitive issue.

[Marc]

My favorite horror/thriller writer did a Joker story once. He felt the Joker wasn't psychotic enough in some comics, so did his own. It appears in The Barrens and Others (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312869509/qid=1071373964/sr=1-33/ref=sr_1_33/002-3375131-3065645?v=glance&s=books)

[Brian]

Originally posted by Marc
My favorite horror/thriller writer did a Joker story once. He felt the Joker wasn't psychotic enough in some comics, so did his own. It appears in The Barrens and Others (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312869509/qid=1071373964/sr=1-33/ref=sr_1_33/002-3375131-3065645?v=glance&s=books)

Love that guy too. That book is on my list. Thanks.

[DrMatt]

Originally posted by Brian
Any hard core comic people have an idea? I think it was a pivotal moment in comic history. I mean, you see what Frank Miller did with it.
But, at some point some guy thought, "This guy is dressing in a bat suit and fighting crime because of childhood trauma. He's nuts!" He could have just become a cop.
I don't think that was the original intention. One of the most interesting heroes ever.
Much like the Taxi Driver, as well, is he nuts? Or is the world crazy and he's a sane man reacting to it the only way he knows how?

I thought it was clear in the original 1940s comic strip where he says "they're d-dead!" and then goes and studies science and lifts barbells and stuff.

[DrMatt]

The original Batman was a disguise at a masked ball, and sure enough, the guy was nuts. See:
http://www.metopera.org/synopses/dieflede.html

[Hexxenhammer]

Originally posted by Marc
My favorite horror/thriller writer did a Joker story once. He felt the Joker wasn't psychotic enough in some comics, so did his own. It appears in The Barrens and Others (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312869509/qid=1071373964/sr=1-33/ref=sr_1_33/002-3375131-3065645?v=glance&s=books) I'm going to have to check that out. Thanks Marc.