I came across this terrific blog post by Carol Borden at The Cultural Gutter, comparing Catman (from Gail Simone's tragically cancelled Secret Six series) to Batman, as well as to Dexter from the Showtime series. Not having watched Dexter (but intrigued after reading her post), I was more interested in what she had to say about Catman and Batman. Here's just a sampling:
Thomas Blake plays with the idea of being Batman. ... Blake seems to believe being a hero requires physical skill and being a good person, and he is a good person. ... Like Dexter, Blake recognizes a code’s importance. Heroes have codes. But where Dexter—like Batman—actually has one, Blake is enamored again by the idea rather than the content. He believes in loyalty to the Six, until he betrays them in favor of his own needs.
She explains how Catman is disappointed when he realizes Batman is truly just a man, because he needs him to be more, perhaps to justify why Catman isn't the hero he really wants to be.
He believes it is easy for heroes like Batman to do the right thing, making Bake’s intentions—his desire to do good, his belief that he is a good person despite being a victim of circumstance—paramount to him. If things had been different, Catman would be like Batman, too, because Blake believes he really wants to be.
Except when he doesn’t.
A fascinating read, and definitely a blog to watch!
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