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It’s hard to argue Batman’s appeal.

The Dark Knight has starred in multiple blockbuster films, he’s the lynchpin of DC’s publishing line, and thousands of fans dream of becoming just like him.

In other words, Batman is cool.

However, he’s also a billionaire, which is somewhat less cool. Decades ago, being a billionaire was cool, but things have shifted. Nowadays, being a one-percenter seems synonymous with corruption. Society seems to be rejecting billionaires in favor of working-class heroes. But where does that leave Batman?

For James Tynion IV, the solution was to take away Bruce Wayne’s fortune. During Tynion’s 2020 Joker War storyline, Batman lost his family fortune but was left with enough money to live comfortably on a budget. Speaking to a crowd at CCXP, Tynion spoke about the decision.

“In my run we were able to hit that on the head a little bit, where he was still a very wealthy man. When you go back to the old stories, he wasn’t the richest man in the entire world. He was just rich. I knocked him down a few pegs, where he was still doing fine, but it wasn’t like, ‘I can buy six satellites and build a rocketship tomorrow.’”

Tynion is correct about the old Batman comics. In Detective Comics #27 (1939), Bruce Wayne is described as a socialite. When his origin is revealed in Detective Comics #33 (1939), Bruce comments that his father’s estate has “left me wealthy.”

Some early comics, such as Batman #5 (1941) describe the Wayne home as an apartment, rather than a mansion or manor. Detective Comics #105 (1945) has Bruce Wayne suffer a financial setback, forcing Dick and Alfred to take part-time jobs. By Batman #64 (1951), writers began to refer to Bruce Wayne as a millionaire. As decades passed, this description shifted to billionaire. The point is, Bruce Wayne wasn’t always one of the richest men in the world.

Tynion spoke more about the dichotomy, noting how Batman fights the corrupt establishment, which set him apart from other billionaires.  “Batman was also always against a corrupt system. There is the old stories where it was the vice and corruption inside of Gotham City that he was weeding out. You can’t turn Batman into the system, he always has to be fighting against it, even if he is from the same things that bred that system.”

That theme has returned in Absolute Batman, a new ongoing series set in an alternate universe. This version of Bruce Wayne was never rich, which recontextualizes everything about the Dark Knight and his relationship with the city. In fact, it was Tynion who convinced Scott Snyder to write the series.

While the world may have a different relationship with billionaires now, Batman will never fall out of style. Whether he’s a one-percenter or a working-class hero, Batman will always be the enemy of the corrupt establishment.

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