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Zoro Gasparyan
Professor Vana DerOhanessian
English 114B
8 May 2014
Excessive Patriotism
For centuries, citizens of each country worldwide promote the status of their nation above
other regions. These citizens remain loyal to their realm, are considered to be nationalistic, and
they focus on dishonoring other nations besides their place of birth. Although the United States
of America is considered one of the worlds most ethnically diverse nations, it is a country that
maintains the highest value of patriotism from its citizens. In Frank Millers graphic novel,
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, the main character Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman,
serves as a hero and protects the citizens of Gotham city from danger and violence. There is a
recurring theme in many scenes and panels that certain characters including Batman symbolize
the American flag and further acknowledge their patriotism. The American government is
represented in this novel through symbols such as the flag, and evidently Batman is an ideal
representation of the American government due to his powerful will and perseverance to
overcome destruction through his strength.
The popularity of graphic novels arose during the Great Depression in America. It was a
source of entertainment for the devastated and unfaithful Americans who were suffering during
that time. According to author Andreas Reichstein, it was still a time for heroes. And it also was
a time of escapism. Most of the comic strips of that time transported the reader to faraway
places: exotic locations like white beaches on a blue ocean or the jungle, distant history and even
outer space (Reichstein, 329-330). Frank Miller produced this graphic novel after the Great
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Depression, and essentially some panels in the novel demonstrate Batman and his patriotism.
This portrays Batmans character as a hero who fights for his country and prevents future
devastating events from taking place. Since Batman is human and is not capable of having super
powers like Superman, he sometimes fights brutally and even kills his opponent. Batman helps
the authorities diminish crime and serves to protect the citizens from danger and violence. In the
panel of page 70 of Frank Millers graphic novel, Batman is carrying the American flag in the
shape of what seems to be a womans body (See Figure 1). Since one of the most popular statues
known to the citizens of America is the Statue of Liberty, which symbolizes freedom, one can
infer that the freedom of the citizens of Gotham is in Batmans hands. The Statue of Liberty is
also a womans figure; therefore, it is evident that the flag Batman is holding in the shape of a
woman represents his drive to keep the citizens of his city away from violence and in liberty. In
addition, the panel on page 136 shows how Batman saves a girl named Selina dressed as the
superhero wonder woman (See Figure 2). The wonder womans outfit consists of the American
flag; therefore, this act by Batman demonstrates his heroism and effort to save people.
However, Batman is looked down upon by the citizens of Gotham, mainly because the
media portrayed him as a violent criminal. Throughout the novel, the news media was slandering
Batman but the images in the novel prove that Batman was preventing crime from happening and
he is not a criminal himself. Since he does not have superpowers, he has to use some type of
fighting strategy to fight all the opponents he encounters. The mayor gave permission to the
authorities to arrest Batman, forcing Batman to fight against the authorities as well. On page 133,
the macro-panel shows an officer breaking the glass of a high building and saving the American
flag from falling, while accidentally leaving a man falling over the edge and dying (See Figure
3). Unfortunately, in this novel a persons life is not more important than a piece of fabric, but it
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definitely portrays a patriotic act. In book four of the novel on page 185, Superman is portrayed
without his Superman costume, and he is stood beside the President, who is wearing a gown that
has the stripes of the American flag and is riding an electric scooter (See Figure 4). This panel
evidently shows how extremely effective a symbol can be to get you to do something without
your intention of doing it. In that same panel, Superman says in a word balloon that Im afraid
hell never let me bring him in alive (Miller, 185). Superman, who is a heroic figure himself, is
willing to kill Batman, who happens to be the main hero and savior of Gotham city. Superman
will conform to every decision the President makes and every order he gives out. The President
represents America, and it is surprising how Batman remains faithful to his nation and never
gives up hope, even though the President ordered Superman to bring Batman in.
Superman and Batman met before the President gave the order to Superman to bring
Batman in. Their short conversation ended because of them being in a hurry. This scene is
portrayed on page 119, and there are multiple symbols present on this panel (See Figure 5, 6).
The very first symbol that represents America is the eagle. The bald eagle was chosen to be the
emblem of the United States of America ever since June 20
th
of 1782. The eagle, single or
double-headed, which was used for centuries as a symbol of sovereignty in many of the countries
of the Eastern Hemisphere, was first brought to this country by some of the early settlers as a
symbol on their seals, coat of arms, book plates, or other appropriate objects (Whyte, 123). It is
present on many of the Seals of the states and also on silver and gold coinage. The bald eagle
mainly represents unlimited freedom because it soars high above the clouds over steep
mountains and boundless spaces beyond. It also represents power, spirit, and pursuit of
excellence. Another symbol that is present in this panel is the brown steed. The brown horse
belongs to the Batman, and we can infer that he rode that horse to travel a certain distance. The
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brown horse in America represents a driving force and it means longing for change. This animal
symbolizes vitality, physical strength, and masculine energy. Since Batman is with the steed in
the panel, it shows how Batman demonstrates a high amount of physical strength as well as a
drive to achieve triumph and peace in the city of Gotham.
The Batman character was invented during the Great Depression in America, and it first
appeared in comic magazines to aid the people during the emotional breakdown and times of
despair. In the wake of Superman and Batman, a whole army of superheroes populated the
American comic-book market in the 1940s and 50s (Reichstein, 331). Batman essentially was
holding the American flag and that showed support for his country when his country needed it
the most at the time of the Great Depression. Batman serves as an example to the American
people by showing that they need to be strong and think of ways to get out of tough situations.
He shows how to be the ideal American who shows support and never gives up on his country.
Andreas Reichstein wrote in a literary studies book vividly explaining this perspective. The
Great Depression called for heroes who could set an example by showing how to solve the
biggest problems in times of crisis and, thus, demonstrate how to cope with individual difficult
situations (Reichstein, 329). The symbols that appeared in Frank Millers work along with the
American flag that Batman was holding portray how Batman is a character that has high prestige
and reputation as a true American. In a fellow peers blog, I came across a similar theme that he
discovered while analyzing Frank Millers text. He mentions how he saw a body of a person
wrapped around in the American flag. According to Alejandro, the panel represents Batman as a
symbol of American nationalism (Anguiano). Furthermore, Batman is seen as a nationalistic
figure that is loyal to his country and remains the protector of the people to the very end.
Arguments that are contrary to this view must be analyzed and recognized. An alternate
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viewpoint can be that Superman is a more effective superhero than Batman since the news media
portray Batman as a violent figure that is responsible for most of Gothams crime. However, in
the novel Superman tries to defeat Batman under the command of the President, and this shows
that Superman is not a real hero because he intentionally conquers Gothams actual hero.
Although Bruce Wayne is a wealthy individual and is now old, he returns to his duty as Batman
to help fight crime and save the city of Gotham.
There is much more to symbols than just representing something. Symbols have a
meaning, a history, and a representation. In Frank Millers Batman: The Dark Knight Returns,
there are a variety of symbols present that describe Batmans character and personality. These
symbols are the American flag which represents Batmans patriotism, the eagle which represents
power, and the brown steed which represents physical strength and a driving force to achieve a
certain goal. It is intriguing how symbols can have meanings to such depth in a graphic novel.

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Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3 Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
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Works Cited
Anguiano, Alejandro. "Project Text Proposal." Web blog post. Weebly. N.p., 19 Apr. 2014. Web.
8 May 2014.
Miller, Frank, et al. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. 10th ed. New York: DC Comics, 2002.
Print.
Reichstein, Andreas. "Batman - An American Mr. Hyde?" Amerikastudien / American Studies,
Vol. 43, No. 2 (1998), pp. 329-350. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014.
Whyte, Bertha K. "On Eagles and Flags." The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 35, No. 2
(Winter, 1951), pp. 123-125. JSTOR. Wisconsin Historical Society, n.d. Web. 8 May
2014.