What Batman Means To Scott Snyder

Scott Snyder says Batman has turned from a symbol of intimidation to one of inspiration

Scott Snyder is ending his run on the main Batman title with Batman #51 this April. But Scott Snyder actually has plenty more Batman stories he wants to tell, so in addition to signing an exclusive contract with DC, he is heading up the new title All-Star Batman that begins with DC’s Rebirth line-wide initiative (that totally isn’t a reboot, they swear!). Scott Snyder talked with CBR about what Batman was to him as a kid and how that has changed now:

"When I was a kid, Batman represented this figure that kind of scared people back into the shadows, and that was necessary for that moment. Especially New York in the ’80s, where the fears were very, very small, about urban decay and crime — very, very circumscribed by the city itself.Today with the internet I feel like we live in a very global community, and our fears are much larger. They’re national and global — you fear terrorism and resource depletion and all this kind of stuff, and Batman can’t fight those things. And so, what I really hope what we’ve turned him into — instead of a symbol of intimidation, which is a fine symbol to be back then — he’s kind of a symbol of inspiration. Where, instead of scaring bad people into the shadows, he brings good people out into the light, and inspires us to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be, and overcome our fear — like you’re saying — fear is playing a large part in this mythology. I think he says, no matter what Gotham throws you, no matter what terrifying thing it generates for you to face, you can overcome that in your life."

Next: John Romita Jr. Talks All-Star Batman

I totally agree with this. Batman should be a symbol of inspiration. Maybe Scott Snyder should have a talk with Zack Snyder about this. Be sure to read the rest of the interview over at CBR where Snyder talks about why he signed an exclusive contract with DC and more.