Batman: Simplicity at its Grandest
This year I have developed a profound appreciation for Batman as a character, origin story and franchise... and yet, he is nothing without the villains of Gotham City. This is character creation at its finest. Bruce Wayne is a man that refuses to move on from a tragedy suffered in childhood. Each villain in the Rogues Gallery exposes a particular weakness or dangerous belief within Batman. He is constantly fighting the kind of scum that got his parents killed. What this tells us is that not only is the opposition character key to the success of your story but this main character flaw or belief turned desire that prevents closure and moving on. The best of Bruce Wayne / Batman exists in the second act and within this vicious cycle of hero vs. villain. That's where the franchise excels. If there was no Batman in Gotham City would the villains be as grand? Perhaps they need Batman the same way he needs them. They help enhance each other's value, skill and ambition. The B...