All heroes have a secret identity. Superman has Clark Kent. Daredevil is Matt Murdock. Spaceman Spiff is Calvin.
But few have a secret identity like Batman. By night, he's a man-shaped bat (or is it a bat-shaped man?) but by day he's a gazillionaire named Bruce Wayne, one of the highest-profile men in Gotham City. How does he keep his bat-dentity a secret? And why doesn't he just pay someone to do the crime fighting for him?
In Batman, we tag along with journalist Vicki Vale as she tries to solve the six basic journalism questions about Batman's identity—Who? What? When? Where? How? and Why?
Questions about Identity
- Why does Bruce keep his identity as Batman a secret? What does secrecy add to Batman's powers?
- Why does Alfred reveal Batman's true identity to Vicki Vale? How does she react? Why doesn't Vicki expose Bruce to Gotham?
- Besides superficially, how does Jack Napier's personality change when he becomes Joker?
Chew on This
Bruce Wayne and Jack Napier, or Batman and Joker, have a lot in common. They both have two different identities, and they use their identities to affect the balance of power in Gotham City.
Both Batman and Joker view their own identities in a different way than others view them. Batman thinks he is a hero, but some people see him as a menace. Joker views himself as an artist, but others see him as a crazed murderer.