Bruce Wayne, one of the wealthiest men in the world, spends his nights dressing up as the Batman, and beating criminals to a pulp with his bare fists. He breaks bones and laws, not caring how many, as long as his targets are brought to justice.

Batman terrorizes criminals in the night, but even though he is doing the city a favor, some citizens look on him with hatred. The Joker is a big cause of this hatred. Innocent people are being killed, and the Joker claims the killing will stop if Batman will simply reveal his true identity. If he does this, Batman becomes just a crazy man in a suit, instead of the symbol of justice that he is.

Even though Batman does not die in the story, he is a tragic hero because he puts himself through much suffering to save citizens that don’t appreciate him for it. This would be ok if they praised Batman, like Superman, or Spiderman are praised. Instead, he attends a press conference, where people shout out against Batman, expressing their hatred towards him. Batman’s greatest pain is when he goes to save Rachel, only to discover that the Joker sent him to the wrong building, and while Harvey Dent lived, Rachel died.

One could conceivably argue that Batman is also an anti-hero, because of all the laws Batman must break to do what he does. When the Joker tells Gotham City that citizens will die every day that the Batman does not turn himself in, the citizens turn on Batman. Basically, Batman does not receive the praise and thanks he deserves.