"[W]hen our artistic community is ready to show that sometimes men must kill in order to preserve life; that sometimes they must violate their values in order to maintain those values; and that while movie stars may strut in the bright light of our adulation for pretending to be heroes,..."

Do the Journal writers never watch television?

What a stretch. This guy should be able to slam dunk without jumping! He's apparently never read a comic, nor does he know the biggest difference between Batman and W. Batman doesn't kill. Of course, there are many others, but when you hit this guy's level of delusion you wonder what crazy things he's convinced himself about Bush.

will start dispensing stock reports and financial news. same diff

What a shame it is that the human race has spent so much time and effort developing foolish concepts like law and order and police and courts when all we needed were a few superheroes who have the superior wisdom to know when to violate supposedly non-relativistic values in order to save those values. But if they're violating those values to fight those who are violating those values - who's actually upholding those values?

Batman shares only one aspect with Bush. Both have the one-dimensionality of cartoon characters (though The Dark Knight is great, it still is not so deep.). But if a comparison is to be made, let us remember that Batman refuses to kill. Bush is a killer, a torturer, no self-sacrificing hero operating under a cloak of anonymity, but an arrogant lawbreaker, and bully. The self-delusions of the right-wing reach new heights with this op-ed. You simply get the feeling that the whole crew is out of touch with the world.

Therefore, we all support torture!

I guess that makes sense. Robin is really Dick "Grayson," obviously a pseudonym. Like all "true heroes," Cheney "often must slink in the shadows, slump-shouldered and despised." And he sure has the "violating our values" part down pat, whether he's doing it to "uphold our values" or not.

Forget Batman -- he's far, far too soft a hero for these trying times. Rorschach for President! Winning the War on Terror is a snap -- bringing justice to the unjust, one broken finger at a time!

"Give me smallest finger on man's hand. I'll produce information. Computer unnecessary."

-- Rorschach

"paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war."

This exists only in the funny pages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPugAcQILRY

MacGuyver shows why the NRA is right on target!

Sex in the City shows that single women do not want men!

Spiderman shows that mosquitoes are dangerous!

Bush and Batman also share neuroses about parent issues, enjoy dressing up in comic machismo, and began with good campy fun but quickly devolved into overrated fanboy bluster. Bush and Batman lack the foresight to understand the full ramifications of their actions, the courage to find nonviolent solutions, and the good sense to work with rather than against their allies.

Fortunately, Bush and Batman will each soon make way for more interesting franchises. And most importantly, Bush and Batman are both fictional, or near enough.

reading this drivel over I have to wonder 1) did the clown even see the movie or did he just hear about it at the water cooler? -- the guy willing to do 'what it takes' and kill was NOT THE BATMAN - I don't want too give spoilers to a great film but BATMAN TAKES HIM OUT because he's crazy and that's not what justice is. 2) if he did see the film he was sniffing glue while during it - Batman, in the end in a John Ford moment decides to be the one hated and reviled because he wants to save the reputation of someone else - it's a sacrifce - the only damn sacrfice W has made was - skipping desert during the first few days of the Invasion and then skipping golf for a few weeks until he forget he wasn't playing golf anymore. W continues to preen to himself in that hermetic bubble that he and his lackys have construted. But judging by this gibberish it looks like the bubble is just a little low on oxygen these days.

Just when you thought the depths of stupidity had been plumbed...

The most obvious joke on this addled neo-con is that Batman, and every other superhero comic, is targeted to adolescent boys. They're pumped full of hormones, clueless at to the actual workings of society and prefer to lose themselves in mindlessly violent, morally simplistic games and movies.

Yes, older guys (and girls) like them too, and comics have also been the refuge of outcasts, artists and misfits, again, loving that imaginary power where they vanquish their enemies without messing with the consequences.

The key word being imaginary here, I find it very telling that this WSJ overgrown adolescent (and Bush, for that matter) can't figure out that the world is not cast in black and white and the issues we face can't be solved with comic-book violence.

Bush failed to prevent the 9/11 attacks, and failed to punish the people behind them. Bush failed to prevent the anthrax attacks, and failed to punish the people behind them. That doesn't sound like Batman to me.

On the other hand, I'm sure we can all agree that Cheney is The Penguin.

Frank Miller (author of 300 and of the Dark Knight and series) pegged Batman as a fascist back in the 1980s. Alan Moore (whose Killing Joke also served as source material for this new movie) created the Watchmen's Rorschach was partly developed as a new type of Batman as he might appear in "real life" -- a right-wing vigilante.

The WSJ is not entirely wrong in comparing Batman to the Geo. W. Bush that the president and Cheney try and project into the world. However, I don't think the film (or the comics or the audience) see this lastest filmic Batman as a glorious, untarnished savior.

The Batman legend is all about different kinds of madness -- with the mad, wounded vigilante billionare Bruce Wayne at the heart of it all. I hardly think that comparing Batman to Bush is a positive for W. I think in fact it might be scarily apt view of how this president, his staff, the do-nothing congress, and the complacent public have been willing to seek justice at all costs -- regardless of how many freaks and killers we might create in our vengeful wake.