Bruce Wayne or Bruce Wane?

Bruce Wayne is the symbol for the contradictions in our modern selves, a man who could drown himself in pleasure – instead, he chooses to train himself ruthlessly, a man who should embrace the limelight – who courts the darkness and most of all a man who can hide himself behind hired muscle that his inordinate wealth could provide him, instead he chooses to place himself on the line every night. What drives him? What makes him Batman?

Born out of the ultimate tragedy of loss and inability of the good father to protect his family from the hands of a violent evil world, but unlike many of his post-crisis super hero brethren and sisters, he was not gifted by any super powers by the horrific murders of his parents by a mugger. What it gave him was a great ball of fear and hate, which he has fashioned into his weapons against a violent and unjust world. Where as he is the ‘shadow’ that haunts Gotham’s grey cityscape, he is also the man attempting to escape the shadow of his gentle but imperfect father, through acts of an indomitable will against himself and the world. He has become the ultimate hero for our post-modern dystopian world, one who is haunted by his own history. He is man on the path towards destruction as he is not immortal, he ages, his flesh loosens over his crumbling bones, he is one in the wane. Bruce Wayne could also read as Bruce Wane, one who knows that he is mortal, the ultimate truth that haunts each one of us, the ultimate fact of our depletion and demise. He is us and we live our dark doubts and deepest triumph through his exploits. When you look at yourself in the mirror next, say to yourself – “I am Bruce Wa(y)ne”.