I love comic heroes. I mean, LOVE them. Even when I was a young girl, I was absolutely fascinated with these characters. As an avid lover of these characters, I am thrilled that in the past decade these super beings have been so illuminated in the mainstream.
As a young girl, my father collected Batman memorabilia. In fact, he still does. My father grew up watching Adam West play Batman. This was a passion that truly reignited when Michael Keaton dawned the cape and cowl in the late 80s. He had a room in our house that was deemed "The Batcave." I can tell you that in all sincerity, the walls were literally COVERED with memorabilia. As Batman continued to grow in his coverage on TV in movies, my dad's collection only grew. I remember as a small girl wondering why we couldn't open the toys - a concept I now understand well, but I always enjoyed spending time looking at the pieces with him when he would work on models.
When I met my husband, I found out that he was a huge comic nerd. It was truthfully when he started collecting Batman toys and comics that I knew I had found a kindred spirit. In fact, he still has the Batman toys he played with as a child and has started his own collection of Batman memorabilia. I'm sure that one day when we own a home, he'll have his own room deemed as "The Batcave" and our daughter will stand in awe of the ceiling to the floor covered walls, wondering why she can't open the boxes.
Why does it matter? Well, as you can guess, superheroes have had a large impact on my life. When you move from childhood to adulthood surrounded by people who care about these characters and their stories, it's hard not to let it affect you as well.
In a rather scary time, with so many different issues in our society, superheroes offer a strange sense of comfort. These men and women, and aliens, offer not only a way for us to escape the dreary world, but they also offer us a sterling set of examples. Who can save the world? According to the comics? Just about anyone. When it comes down to it, you don't have to have superpowers to make a difference. You just have to have a sense of urgency to make a change. I think that's why Batman is still my favorite superhero. He's a regular man with no superpowers who chooses to help his city rise above the filth. Yes, he has a lot of money to buy fancy gadgets, but deep down, he also cares about people.
I might not have millions of dollars to buy grappling hooks, military grade vehicles, or a leather cape and cowl, but Batman inspires me to be a better person every day. My classroom bulletin boards are covered with comic book panels. They serve as a reminder that every day, I can make a difference. I can change a student's day by giving them a smile. I can affect my world by writing an article. I can make my room a safe haven for those who need it. I can make a difference in the world. And Batman taught me that.