Every "Batman should retire the cape and dedicate his life from social programs" is the desperate ideological rattle of a culture convinced that media should perform your values, because if you read the right comics the world, will suddenly become a better place

If Batman found a way to defund the cops or give people M4A or whatever, it still wouldn't fix real life suffering or authoritarianism

And tweeting about it once a month as if it would radically shift society is just kiiiiiind of pathetic at this point

Yes, Batman is an authoritarian symbol

Many superheroes are

If they stopped being superheroes tomorrow, it wouldn't change that

And if it wasn't Batman, because he spent the last century building hospitals or whatever, that wouldn't prevent other characters from becoming authoritarian symbols

Because symbols can and will also be appropriated regardless of the original intent

You can critique these stories, themes, and how they impact social discourse

But asking superhero stories -- stories which are founded on One Good Man With Power Making Choices -- to not be superhero stories doesn't unmake their impact on society, or why they became successful

Batman and Iron Man aren't responsible for a culture that worships bombs and billionaires and you can't wish it so