Batman: A Fresh Perspective on Bruce Wayne’s Mental Health

Batman’s mental health comes into 7v in Batman: The Imposter, a fresh perspective on the Dark Knight’s beginnings. Writer Mattson Tomlin put together a tale that presents The Bat as a man broken by his back-story, as opposed to a hero inspired to greatness by it. It puts light on how the trauma affected the human being who wears the persona.

Batman as a human

“What if he was real?” was the premise behind this under-explored part of Batman’s past. He is, after all, a man. It looks deeply into how Bruce Wayne’s past led to the existence of the Bat and paints it more realistically as a mental health issue (acting out unresolved traumas) as opposed to the romanticized heroic story.

A mental health issue created Batman. The tale kicks off with a wounded Batman crashing into Dr. Leslie Tompkins’ office. As she pulls off the vigilante’s mask, she discovers his true identity. This leaves her with two options, reveal Bruce Wayne to be the masked vigilante who’s garnered a lot of enemies in the year he’s been active, or treat a wounded patient?

Batman and therapy

Either way, both choices would have made for an interesting story, but she opts for the latter of the two. On condition that the man behind the mask, Bruce Wayne attends nightly therapy sessions or she calls the authorities. Being a fan himself, writer Tomlin is quite aware that deeply rooted Batman’s persona is a childhood trauma that is integral to his character. It defines him.

He bravely casts a spotlight on the dark way Batman depends on the psychological damage the trauma did to Bruce Wayne to exist. It depicts a rather precarious beginning for the Dark Knight, as Bruce battles to come to terms with his past, the Batman persona spawns a murderous persona who goes after some of the Bat’s enemies, likely to frame him.

In the past, while Andrea Sorrentino and Jordie Bellaire deliver the gritty art and colorwork.

“As a lifelong Batman fan, putting my spin on Gotham City has been a dream come true,” commented Tomlin “Taking the question of ‘What if Batman was real?’ as far as narratively possible conjured incredible potential that hasn’t recently been explored in the comics. Batman: The Imposter treats Bruce Wayne and the people around him as tragically flawed and vividly real, with the obstacles Batman faces coming from a reality show that closely mirrors our own.” – Mattson Tomlin, the writer behind Batman: The Imposter.ž

Closing

Exploring the part of Batman’s past, which we know so well, is never explored from this site is he and the direction that Tomlinson, and the team, have taken. It is quite an interesting read, one that connects fans, more deeply, to the Dark Knight, as they get to know Bruce Wayne as more than just the man behind the Batman persona.