Politics in Gotham Damien K. Picariello Editor Politics in Gotham

The Batman Universe and Political Thought Editor Damien K. Picariello University of South Carolina Sumter Sumter, SC, USA

ISBN 978-3-030-05775-6 ISBN 978-3-030-05776-3 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05776-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019931028

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Cover credit: Tim Flach / Getty Images Cover designed by Fatima Jamadar

This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Praise for Politics in Gotham

“A compelling and fascinating collection on the politics of Gotham City and how they mirror our world today. Food for thought as well as good ol’ fashioned comic-book debate!” —Marc Andreyko, Writer of Manhunter, Batwoman, and Torso

“80 years of Batman across various media provides a fertile ground to explore the politics of narrative, gender, justice and heroism as they play out in the streets of Gotham. With essays ranging from the timely (addressing #FAKENEWS) to the timeless (Machiavelli and Batman), and from gendered heroes (Batgirl and femi- nism) to archetypal villains (Scarecrow and the politics of fear) this collection should be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in superheroes and politics. Politics in Gotham is a timely and welcome addition to the literature on Batman.” —Matthew J. Costello, Professor of Political Science, Saint Xavier University, USA

“Politics in Gotham represents another significant engagement with the superhero genre and makes a rigorous contribution to the growing scholarship in the area. For those interested in the complex politics surrounding a character like Batman this is a much-needed assessment of one of the most popular and enigmatic icons of popular culture.” —Neal Curtis, Associate Professor of Media and Communication, University of Auckland, New Zealand

“Batman finally faces an opponent he can’t vanquish with a convenient Ka-Pow! on the jaw. And this team of political science professors wields the mightiest weapon of all: a willingness to take the dark knight seriously. They dare to look at Batman as if he were real and operating in an actual community. Enlisting the aid of Plato, Machiavelli, and other crossover allies, they cut into the vigilante heart of the superhero formula, exploring Gotham as a dark mirror reflecting our own very real world’s concerns for law, justice, and democracy. Rather than dismissing superheroes as fluff, these academics honor the genre with a respectfully laser- sharp lens. Every Batman fan deserves this book.” —Chris Gavaler, Associate Professor of English, Washington & Lee University, USA, and author of Superhero Comics (2017)

v vi PRAISE FOR POLITICS IN GOTHAM

“[I]f the idea of a political and philosophical examination of Batman and his city appeals to you, then this book would make a fine addition to your library…Politics in Gotham is a very thoughtful and thought-provoking series of analyses of politi- cal themes present in or implied by the Batman mythos. The idea of using Batman’s world as a jumping point to explore various political topics is a brilliant idea and provides a fascinating and truly unique reading experience.” —Derek McNeil, DCComicsNews.com

“Each essay in this collection is erudite and learned, not just about its topic but about its medium. In short, this is an exemplary volume for the study of film, poli- tics, theory, and the popular.” —Davide Panagia, Professor of Political Science, UCLA, USA

“Several years ago I taught a course entitled ‘Batman: The Dark Knight and American Politics.’ Politics in Gotham: The Batman Universe and Political Thought is the text that I wish I could have had for that course. For anyone who harbors doubts about the utility and appropriateness of using ‘popular culture’ as a lens to examine the issues of American politics and political thought in general, Politics in Gotham will dispel those doubts. The task is always to choose good material and then connect that material to serious questions and great works. This text succeeds beautifully in both. Professor Damien Picariello has assembled a collection of essays of stunning variety and depth. The authors use both the pre-existing comic book material and its cinematic versions (primarily Christopher Nolan’s remarkable trilogy, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) as the springboard for prob- ing enduring questions of American politics and political life. None of the essays in this volume are superfluous, superficial or unworthy of the most serious reading; each explores the original material with interpretive ingenuity and connects that material with the deeper things.” —Jeffrey J. Poelvoorde, Associate Professor of Politics, Converse College, USA

“The adventures of Batman along with his enemies and friends become a resource for reflection on the deepest questions of political life in an engaging series of essays in this volume. Punishment, violence, judgment, legitimacy, vigilantism, perfectionism, even feminism, all surface as the authors find in Batman’s universe the inescapable challenges that haunt all political communities concerned with peace and justice. As such, Batman comes to speak not only to the city of Gotham, but to our contemporary political world. This volume will be of interest not only to fans of Batman, but to anyone who cares about how to address the presence of evil in our political lives.” —Arlene W. Saxonhouse, Caroline Robbins Professor of Political Science and Women’s Studies, University of Michigan, USA PRAISE FOR POLITICS IN GOTHAM vii

“Thought-provoking, rigorous, and inspired, Politics in Gotham is at once a cele- bration of the deep, rich mythology of the Dark Knight and a daring interrogation of its implications in today’s world. This book serves as a compelling and urgent symposium on Batman and what he means—and has the potential to mean—in today’s world.” —Scott Snyder, Writer of Batman, Justice League, and American Vampire

“Reading Politics in Gotham: The Batman Universe and Political Thought brought back the halcyon days of our “Dark Knight Trilogy” of films, when pundits and political analysts from every extreme of the political spectrum were claiming Batman as one of their own. Maybe because he has no super-powers, Batman can be a cypher upon whom everyone who identifies with the character can impose their own feelings, personalities, beliefs, and philosophies. Perhaps the result of reading too much into the character and his Gotham tales or over-thinking the comic books, graphic novels, and movies too much, both political experts and lay- men seem to have a field day discussing the political implications of Batman and all he stands for. The result is actually a lot of fun which simultaneously offers plenty of food for thought. There’s much in this book that I agree with, and much that I disagree with. But being the comic book/super-hero geek I am, this tome could fuel enough heated and passionate conversations with all my geek friends to last us a full year on the comic con circuit.” —Michael Uslan, Executive Producer and originator of the Batman movie franchise

“Damien Picariello has assembled a top-notch collection of essays that student and professor alike will enjoy immensely. Politics in Gotham uses the Batman universe to help explain central issues in political life and thought in a way that is as peda- gogically useful as it is just plain fun to read.” —Justin S. Vaughn, Co-editor of Poli Sci Fi: An Introduction to Political Science through Science Fiction (2016)

“This new collection on Batman and political theory includes thought-provoking essays on heroism, feminism, sovereignty, policing, and the politics of fear. The volume also features perceptive contributions on Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. While the recent expansion in comics scholarship has been largely driven by researchers in literary studies, media studies, and cultural studies, Damien K. Picariello’s book makes it clear that political theorists have a great deal to offer when it comes to the study of Batman, superheroes, and popular culture.” —Kent Worcester, Professor of Political Science, Marymount Manhattan College, USA, and coeditor of A Comics Studies Reader (2008) and The Superhero Reader (2013) Contents

1 Introduction: “I Don’t Want Batman as President” 1 Damien K. Picariello

2 Justice Unmasked 7 Alan I. Baily

3 The Dark Knight: Toward a Democratic Tragedy 23 Steven Johnston

4 The Heroism of Sober Expectations 39 Damien K. Picariello

5 Deconstructing Batman’s Legitimacy: The Radical Political Critique of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Cycle 57 William J. Berger

6 Batman the Noble Dog: The Costs of Spiritedness for the Individual and Society 75 Ian J. Drake and Matthew B. Lloyd

7 The Dark Prince of the Republic: Machiavelli, Batman, and Gotham City 91 Anthony Petros Spanakos

ix x CONTENTS

8 The Lion, the Fox, and the Bat: The Animal Nature of Machiavelli’s The Prince and Batman 107 Daniel V. Goff

9 Criminal Justice in Gotham: The Role of the Dark Knight 123 Mark D. White

10 The Retributive Knight 141 Mohamad Al-Hakim

11 Politics as “the Product of Everything You Fear”: Scarecrow as Phobia Entrepreneur 159 Christina M. Knopf

12 #FAKENEWS in Gotham City 177 Salvatore James Russo

13 Batgirls and the Politics of Feminism in Gotham 195 Carolyn Cocca

14 Dawn of Justice: Revisioning, Accountability, and Batman in the Twenty-first Century 213 Aidan Diamond

Index 233 Notes on Contributors

Mohamad Al-Hakim is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Florida Gulf Coast University. He specializes in political, legal, and moral philosophy with special focus on hate crimes and social justice. Alan I. Baily is Associate Professor in the Department of Government at Stephen F. Austin State University. He has published essays on Plato, The Big Lebowski, Thomas Carlyle, and Christopher Lasch. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas, with his wife Meredith, their seven pets, and at least one bat. William J. Berger is a fellow with the philosophy, politics, and econom- ics program at the University of Pennsylvania. He works on topics of inequality, polarization, and trust that lie on the intersection of empirical and normative political science. He has been crafting this chapter, in some form, since the 1992 premier of Batman: The Animated Series. Carolyn Cocca is Professor of Politics, Economics, and Law at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury. She teaches courses about US politics, law, and gender studies and is a recipient of the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has served as Director of the College at Old Westbury Women’s Center and obtained and directed a US$200,000 grant from the US Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women to train all campus units to have a coordinated and effective response to sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking, as well as establishing educa- tional programs geared toward preventing such violence. She is the author

xi xii NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS of Jailbait: The Politics of Statutory Rape Laws in the United States and the editor of Adolescent Sexuality. She has written numerous articles and book chapters about gender, sexuality, and the law as well as about gender, sexu- ality, and superhero comics, and her latest book, Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation, won the 2017 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award in the Best Academic/Scholarly Work category. Aidan Diamond is a PhD student at the University of Southern California, where she studies comparative media. Her work, which has been pub- lished in Studies in Comics and the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, as well as The Ascendance of Harley Quinn, focuses on graphic narrative and body politics. Since 2015, she has presented in Canada, America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. In 2016, she co-organized the Mixing Visual Media in Comics conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with Nancy Pedri and Lauranne Poharec. This is her first work on film. Ian J. Drake is Associate Professor of Jurisprudence at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He obtained his PhD in American history from the University of Maryland at College Park. His teaching interests include the American judiciary and legal system, the US Supreme Court and con- stitutional history, the history and contemporary study of law and society, broadly construed, and political theory. Prior to earning his PhD in his- tory, Drake practiced law in the areas of insurance and tort law. Daniel V. Goff is a Marine Corps CH-53E pilot and assigned to the USMC’s Strategic Initiatives Group at the Pentagon. As a student in Salve Regina’s Humanities PhD program LtCol Goff studies the moral and ethical implications of human enhancement with special emphasis on the military considerations and interpretations of transhumanist philosophy. Steven Johnston is Neal A. Maxwell Presidential Chair at the University of Utah. He is the author of Wonder and Cruelty: Ontological War in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (Lexington Books, Politics, Literature & Film series, 2019); Lincoln: The Ambiguous Icon (Rowman & Littlefield, Modernity and Political Thought series, 2018); American Dionysia: Violence, Tragedy, and Democratic Politics (2015); The Truth about Patriotism (2007); and Encountering Tragedy: Rousseau and the Project of Democratic Order (1999). NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS xiii

Christina M. Knopf is Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) Cortland. She is the author of The Comic Art of War: A Critical Study of Military Cartoons, 1805–2014, with a Guide to Artists (2015). She also has articles appearing in several journals and multiple anthologies, including Cultures of War in Graphic Novels: Violence, Trauma, and Memory (2018), Working Class Comic Book Heroes: Class Conflict and Populist Politics in Comics (University Press of Mississippi, 2018), and The Ten Cent War: Comic Books, Propaganda, and World War II (2017). Knopf has a PhD in political com- munication and cultural sociology from the University at Albany. Matthew B. Lloyd has been collecting, reading, and studying comics for nearly 40 years. He holds an MA from the University of Louisville in Art History with a concentration in Ancient Art. He is a reviewer for DCComicsNews.com. Damien K. Picariello is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina Sumter. He teaches courses on American politics, film and politics, and political theory. His written work focuses on literature, film, and politics, as well as ancient, modern, and American political thought. It is his considered opinion that The Dark Knight Rises is the best of the trilogy. Salvatore James Russo (Tulane University, BA, Fordham University School of Law JD, University of Mississippi, MA, PhD) is Assistant Pro- fessor of Political Science and Constitutional Law at California State University-­Dominguez Hills. His research focuses on influences on political behavior, including legal institutions, mass media, and religion, as well as Southern Politics. Anthony Petros Spanakos is Professor and Chair of Political Science and Law at Montclair State University. He is writing a book on domestic polit- ical change in Brazil and Venezuela and researching on the changes in global politics resulting from the emergence of countries like China and Brazil. His research has been published in Comparative Political Studies, Latin American Politics and Society, Latin American Perspectives, and East Asian Policy, as well as other academic journals. He is the co-editor of Reforming Brazil (2004) and Conceptualising Comparative Politics (2015) and a special issue on “the Legacy of Hugo Chavez” of Latin American Perspectives (2017). He is also the co-editor of the Conceptualising xiv NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

Comparative Politics book series for Routledge. He was a Fulbright Fellow (Brazil 2002, Venezuela 2008) and a visiting research fellow at the East Asian Institute (2009). Mark D. White is Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/City University of New York (CUNY) in New York City, where he teaches courses in philosophy, economics, and law. He is the author of seven books, including Batman and Ethics, and editor or co-­editor of nearly 20 more, including Batman and Philosophy (with Robert Arp). List of Figures

Fig. 4.1 “This is not how man was supposed to live,” Rā’s al Ghūl tells Bruce Wayne 46 Fig. 4.2 Harvey Dent tells Batman: “You thought we could be decent men in an indecent time. But you were wrong…the only morality in a cruel world is chance” 50 Fig. 4.3 A celebration to honor Harvey Dent and the Dent Act 51 Fig. 5.1 The Joker confronts Batman. Screengrabs generated by Yosef Washington for the author 61 Fig. 5.2 Batman becomes what Gotham needs him to be 67 Fig. 5.3 Bane as a populist rhetorician 68 Fig. 11.1 Scarecrow in the Arkham Knight videogame wears a gas mask and suicide-bomber vest reminiscent of terrorist imagery. (Screen shot from video game trailer) 167 Fig. 11.2 Scarecrow is an anarchist in the Injustice 2 videogame; his crow-­feathered costume suggests misfortune and death. (Screen shot from video game trailer) 168

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