Batmanis among DC Comics most legendary characters, perhapsrivaled only by Supermanin popularity, but there was a bizarre time in comic book history when the creative brain-trust at DC Comics seriously believed the Dark Knight could not sit down. In a fascinating open letter to comic fans, former DC writer Paul Jenkins revealed the unexpected backlash he received from DC’s editors when he wrote for Batman.
As reported by Bleeding Cool, Jenkins discussed why he stopped working for Marvel and DC, and in his explanation, he included a funny yet odd note he received, regarding howthe DC editorial team refused to believe Batman could, or should, be depicted sitting down.
Apparently, the team at DC had an unspoken rule that it was integral to Bruce Wayne’s character to never take a seat within the panels, however, Jenkins begged to differ. The Caped Crusader isknown for his unconventional regimensto upkeep his vigilante persona, but never sitting down may be a step too much.
DC Comics Refused To Let The Iconic Caped Crusader Rest For Even A Moment
Batman has been shown to undergo wildly difficult physical feats that can only be described as superhuman, pushing his body beyond that of the average person such asmicro-dosing sleep with power naps, or slowing down his heart rate. Considering the intensities Batman puts himself through,depicting Bruce Wayne as someone who never has time to sit makes sense to a certain degree, especially when considering he rarely sleeps. However, DC took this “no-sitting” rule to the extreme, ensuring artists and writers never depicted Batman sitting and while Paul Jenkins partially agreed with this sentiment, he also stated:
I would like to relay an editorial comment that I received near the end of my time writing the Dark Knight New 52 series. In one scene, I had written that Batman is sitting on a rooftop during an intense conversation, close to a person who has been injured. The editorial comment: “We’re not sure you are “getting” the character because it’s common knowledge that Batman never sits down.” This, mind you, after I had made it clear I was not going to rewrite material for the umpteenth time after it had already been approved.
Jenkins also noted that many beloved Batman stories, includingThe Dark Knight StrikesAgain andThe Killing Joke, depict Bruce Wayne perching down or taking a seat. The notion that Batman is never depicted sitting is even more unrealistic when considering Batman’s most famous moments of kneeling over Gotham City, sitting at the Justice League table, or even when Bruce sits down in the cave with his Batcomputer. This rule made drawing Batman unnecessarily difficult for comic artists, and propelled an unrealistic portrayal of the Caped Crusader, while ignoring many of Batman’s previously iconic moments.
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What is especially fascinating about Paul Jenkins' commentary on his time writingBatmanis the way that it elucidates the level of artistic oversight that comes with writing top-tier superhero characters, whether for DC or Marvel Comics. The “no-sitting” rule may sound strange, butit is just one example of how tightly DC Comics wants to maintain control of Batman’s image – literally, in the sense of micromanaging the appearance of the characteron the page. Though this rule might not be consistently enforced, the fact that it existed at all is worth noting.
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Batman is known for his unconventional ways of making himself the perfect crime-fighting machine butportraying the Dark Knight as a superherowho cannot sit down crosses the line in terms of believability. From a character standpoint, Bruce Wayne rarely sitting due to his chaotic lifestyle is believable, but it would make even more sense to treat this character quirk as a loose guideline, as opposed to DC blocking creatives from depicting Batman sitting. Paul Jenkins’ open letter revealed a strange practice in DC Comic history, so it’s no surpriseDCbacktracked on this odd rule thatBatmannever sits down.
Source:Bleedingcool.com
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
