I'll go with...

D. all of the above

He watched his parents die. Pretty sure that qualifies him for PTSD, no analyzing needed.

He doesn't wear the costume in public, nor does the movie Bruce Wayne fund Batman with his personal fortune, so that's it for the thesis of the article.

It's the mask. His tongue keeps getting caught in the mouth hole. It's maddening!

Terrified Asexual Forcemeat: He doesn't wear the costume in public, nor does the movie Bruce Wayne fund Batman with his personal fortune, so that's it for the thesis of the article.

We did not see the same cut of Batman Begins apparently.

Unavailable for comment.

Or E: Crippling Bat Fetish.

Psychologist (being paid by the studio to generate column inches for the film) analyzes Batman and deduces he's either suffering from PTSD, he's an obsessive compulsive, or he's a fictional comic book character

Old news... Batman is bonkers, and everyone from his writers to his enemies knows it.

Alfred: "And the society for the prevention of obsessive behavior in middle-aged men?"
Bruce: "Write them a check."
Alfred: "Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor, sir."
- The Dark Knight Returns

Crotchrocket Slim: Terrified Asexual Forcemeat: He doesn't wear the costume in public, nor does the movie Bruce Wayne fund Batman with his personal fortune, so that's it for the thesis of the article.

We did not see the same cut of Batman Begins apparently.

After he became Batman I only remember him borrowing bits and pieces of his company's research after he lost control of the board.

Batman's obvious DSMIV problems are part of what makes him appealing as a story. He's deeply flawed. I thought that was sorta the point. Nobody wants that do-goodie Superman sh*t from the late 70s/early 80s.

The last "superhero" flick I saw starred Downey Jr. as a womanizing jerk. And it worked pretty well. But Batman has always been a nutcase since whenever people started arguing about him in basements. It's this, not his crime fighting, that makes the character worth a damn. Captain Obvious strikes.

Granted, if Batman actually existed I'd be first in line to call for his arrest. Guess that's a conversation for another time. Christ, I'm seeping Nerd out of my pores GET IT OFF ME

dickfreckle: Granted, if Batman actually existed I'd be first in line to call for his arrest. Guess that's a conversation for another time. Christ, I'm seeping Nerd out of my pores GET IT OFF ME

Yeah, people will tolerate a lot from fictional characters that a real person would never get away with. It's funny how that works.

Fluid: Yeah, people will tolerate a lot from fictional characters that a real person would never get away with. It's funny how that works.

Terrified Asexual Forcemeat: Crotchrocket Slim: Terrified Asexual Forcemeat: He doesn't wear the costume in public, nor does the movie Bruce Wayne fund Batman with his personal fortune, so that's it for the thesis of the article.

We did not see the same cut of Batman Begins apparently.

After he became Batman I only remember him borrowing bits and pieces of his company's research after he lost control of the board.

Forget about the buying of 10,000 units of his mask through multiple dummy corporations then buying another 10,000 since the first shipment was flawed?

Wasn't this the subplot of the first batnipple film, with Nicole Kidman?
/ and what is it with Tom Cruise and Batman's cinematic love interests, anyway

No Such Agency: Old news... Batman is bonkers, and everyone from his writers to his enemies knows it.

Alfred: "And the society for the prevention of obsessive behavior in middle-aged men?"
Bruce: "Write them a check."
Alfred: "Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor, sir."
- The Dark Knight Returns

Odd. Michael Cain makes a great Alfred, but I couldn't help reading that in the Batman: TAS voice.

HIS PARENTS ARE DEAAAAAAAAD!!

I would actually like to see someone psycho-analyze god from the old testament. That would be fun.

And I would like to see a different shrink run up a psych analysis of the sort of weirdo that randomly wants to try and do a psych analysis of a fictional character.

Amusing Link

Hey, it's a crazy world.

He puts the words "the bat" in front of every object he touches and you have to ask if he's obsessive compulsive? Everyone in Gotham is at least a little insane.

dickfreckle: Batman's obvious DSMIV problems are part of what makes him appealing as a story. He's deeply flawed. I thought that was sorta the point. Nobody wants that do-goodie Superman sh*t from the late 70s/early 80s.

The last "superhero" flick I saw starred Downey Jr. as a womanizing jerk. And it worked pretty well. But Batman has always been a nutcase since whenever people started arguing about him in basements. It's this, not his crime fighting, that makes the character worth a damn. Captain Obvious strikes.

Granted, if Batman actually existed I'd be first in line to call for his arrest. Guess that's a conversation for another time. Christ, I'm seeping Nerd out of my pores GET IT OFF ME

Bruce Wayne / Batman is a product of the dysfunctional culture he was raised in. In the real world, the FBI would've swooped in on Gotham City and arrested everyone in authority from the mayor on down to the cop on the beat.

The guy watched his parents get murdered, and has more money than God. Be farking glad ALL he's doing is fighting crime with those kinds of resources at his disposal.

ItsMyNameYouCantHaveIt

I would actually like to see someone psycho-analyze god from the old testament. That would be fun.

He is a narcissistic sociopath. Easy

cgremlin: The guy watched his parents get murdered, and has more money than God. Be farking glad ALL he's doing is fighting crime with those kinds of resources at his disposal.

In a life when he went further, we get The Watchmen.

Why (other than job security) do psychologists insist that every unusual behaviour is the result of some complex (no pun intended) thing that needs detailed analysis?

Isn't it possible that a real world version of Batman would behave in that way simply because he can? Part of the appeal of the character is that he does the things that a lot of us wish we could if only we had the finances, time, and freedom to do so. We're not all crazy or suffering from some sort of trauma or syndrome or whatever. People simply act how they act, usually without complicated pseudo-medical reasons.

Mouser: dickfreckle: Batman's obvious DSMIV problems are part of what makes him appealing as a story. He's deeply flawed. I thought that was sorta the point. Nobody wants that do-goodie Superman sh*t from the late 70s/early 80s.

The last "superhero" flick I saw starred Downey Jr. as a womanizing jerk. And it worked pretty well. But Batman has always been a nutcase since whenever people started arguing about him in basements. It's this, not his crime fighting, that makes the character worth a damn. Captain Obvious strikes.

Granted, if Batman actually existed I'd be first in line to call for his arrest. Guess that's a conversation for another time. Christ, I'm seeping Nerd out of my pores GET IT OFF ME

Bruce Wayne / Batman is a product of the dysfunctional culture he was raised in. In the real world, the FBI would've swooped in on Gotham City and arrested everyone in authority from the mayor on down to the cop on the beat.

Knows that feel, bro

Perducci: Why (other than job security) do psychologists insist that every unusual behaviour is the result of some complex (no pun intended) thing that needs detailed analysis?

Isn't it possible that a real world version of Batman would behave in that way simply because he can? Part of the appeal of the character is that he does the things that a lot of us wish we could if only we had the finances, time, and freedom to do so. We're not all crazy or suffering from some sort of trauma or syndrome or whatever. People simply act how they act, usually without complicated pseudo-medical reasons.

*Sigh* It worries me how simple you think the human brain is.

The definitive work on the subject:



/there's always room for one more...

Oh, and seeing as his origin story pretty much *depends* on that "PTSD"...
[good version from the recent B:AA (1) video game]
...the while "badman is just as nuts as the 'crazies' he fights" meme has been there from he beginning.

/seriously, though, any "analysis" of him, that doesn't include the Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serous Earth hasn't done their homework

The problem with the field of clinical psychology is, while I do not doubt there ae psychological disorders, it is apparent that psychologists/psychiatrists can't diagnose them with any reliability. Get 10 psychologists to assess Batman and they will come up with 10 different diagnoses.

Came for tasteless gay Robin jokes. Leaving severely dissatisfied

This has an interesting take on Batman

Pumpernickel bread: The problem with the field of clinical psychology is, while I do not doubt there ae psychological disorders, it is apparent that psychologists/psychiatrists can't diagnose them with any reliability. Get 10 psychologists to assess Batman and they will come up with 10 different diagnoses.

I repeat my earlier comment here.

What_do_you_want_now: *Sigh* It worries me how simple you think the human brain is.

When EVERYTHING affect and effects a person, EVERYTHING is suspect for when the person is suffering. Fictional characters are easy, sometimes.

But to lighten the levity here, I'd be more impressed with someone psycho-analyzing the Joker. I tried that once with my still-limited grasp of psychology, I gave up after I managed to deduce 6 different maladaptations related JUST to his apparent sociopathy.

The problem with psychoanalyzing fictional characters is that it tends to annoy fans of the character and people who take the tack of "hey, it's not a real person."

This became evident back when Sam Waterson stopped doing Calvin & Hobbes. The Des Moines Register ran a long, really long story/interview with a local shrink who ended up stating that were Calvin to grow up, and based on his behaviour in the strip, he would most certainly be a sociopath.

Boy, did the shiat hit the fan in the letters to the editor for the next week!

The Punisher,Daredevil,Blade,Dexter Morgan,"Dirty Harry" Callahan,Cleopatra Jones and countless others,fictional or otherwise,are unimpressed....

What_do_you_want_now:
But to lighten the levity here, I'd be more impressed with someone psycho-analyzing the Joker. I tried that once with my still-limited grasp of psychology, I gave up after I managed to deduce 6 different maladaptations related JUST to his apparent sociopathy.

The thing about the Joker is that, as he's generally written, he seems smart and self-aware enough to deliberately experiment with and cultivate various mental disorders and maladaptations... just for the lulz.

What_do_you_want_now: Perducci: Why (other than job security) do psychologists insist that every unusual behaviour is the result of some complex (no pun intended) thing that needs detailed analysis?

Isn't it possible that a real world version of Batman would behave in that way simply because he can? Part of the appeal of the character is that he does the things that a lot of us wish we could if only we had the finances, time, and freedom to do so. We're not all crazy or suffering from some sort of trauma or syndrome or whatever. People simply act how they act, usually without complicated pseudo-medical reasons.

*Sigh* It worries me how simple you think the human brain is.

On the contrary, I was trying to communicate the opposite. The human brain is so complex and each is so individually unique that it's ridiculous to try to classify every behaviour that seems a bit "abnormal". Worse, it's preposterous for a psychologist to pretend that they can actually interpret such a complicated thing with any real sense of assurance in that interpretation's accuracy. (I recognize that this little article is a fluff piece, but it's quite indicative of many analrapists' attitudes. "I know exactly how that person's mind is working!"

Aulus: Amusing Link

That was a delightful read. Thanks!

Apos: Aulus: Amusing Link

That was a delightful read. Thanks!

Especially if you have spent a lot of time reading real medical reports.

I remember a column in the Comic Buyers Guide,"The Law is an Ass",where the writer as a lawyer would give his legal take on a selected story.

Retarded? Naw...some people like to have fun with these things.

Digitalstrange: ItsMyNameYouCantHaveIt

I would actually like to see someone psycho-analyze god from the old testament. That would be fun.

He is a narcissistic sociopath. Easy

How can you be a sociopath when there's only one of you?

pdkl95: /there's always room for one more...

OK