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I use popular fictional characters, like Batman, to discuss important topics through stories. I talk about Batman a lot because there's bound to be one version of him that anyone can relate to.
Why Batman?
Batman is very well known. Do you know anyone who hasn't heard of Batman? So, believe it or not, I've found that when discussing serious and difficult life experiences, starting with Batman gets a lot of people to buy in, even if just out of curiosity.
A character with so many different versions and stories is bound to have something in common with you. I'm sure I can find a Batman story that addresses almost any issue you can think of.
Batman is almost always (but not always) Bruce Wayne. He's a genius, White, billionaire playboy. That is probably not a relatable combination to most people, but many of his experiences are.
Bruce's parents died at a young age; he has adopted children, had a child die, has fallen in love, had a lover die, had trouble sleeping, required a wheelchair, and been betrayed. He has succeeded, and he has failed. Some of these situations are very specific, while some are universal, like grief.
What if I don't care about Batman?
Batman is unique in that he has an 80+ year history across comics, TV, movies, and games, and there are currently more than 10 ongoing versions of Batman, for all ages, across different mediums, with more on the way. Not everyone is interested in Batman or his adventures, but he's a character that we can use as an example of how relatable fictional characters can be.
Think of Batman as an exercise in relatability. You can replace Batman with any other character and try to find relatable stories or situations that might be a better fit for you or someone else to process your thoughts and feelings about a subject.
For example, the final page of Batman and Robin #18 (2013) shows Bruce hugging his son's clothing after his death in a prior issue. It's one picture that conveys a lot of emotion and is one that many people have told me they empathize with. They can feel Bruce's pain. But more importantly, they are reminded of a moment in their own lives in which they felt some sort of grief.
And seeing that picture, at that moment, can help people feel more open to discuss their emotions. Sometimes it's because the picture makes them feel like they're not the only people in the world who feel that way. I've seen people simply point at the picture and say, "That's how I feel," and explain that they didn't have the words to describe how they felt.
What would Batman do?
Connecting with fictional characters and their experiences is a great way to understand our own experiences better. Their stories can help us put things into words that may be hard for us to explain. Batman is my go-to example, but if you have a character you are more familiar with, practice thinking of a time when that character had a similar experience. What did they do? What would they do? How would you handle it differently? Reflecting on familiar stories and characters in this way can help you process your current thoughts and feelings.
What fictional characters do you relate to the most? What stories have helped you understand your own situation?
