Bat Therapy: Mental Health through the Lens of Comics and Film

Saying Jason Todd is an angry person is an understatement. Coming out of the Lazarus Pit and hearing from Talia al Ghul that the Joker is still alive is enough to put anyone over the edge. But what if Jason Tood could have taken a moment to ride out the wave and try to find a moment of peace?

Family dynamics can be tricky enough without being a part of the Bat Family. Jason Todd has some anger issues (to put it mildly). We talk about his struggle to feel accepted as the rougher around the edges second Robin and how nonjudgmental friends help him go from being seen as a villain and murderer to a hero of his own making.

We give Erik Killmonger a second chance at returning to Wakanda. What if he had been able to set aside his rage and took in a Wakanda sunset before his royal takeover?

We explore the powerful film representation of Erik Killmonger, Wakandan royalty raised on the streets of Oakland. The stark contrast between their childhoods brings into question whether T’Challa can truly understand Erik and why Erik would naturally continue to choose violence as the solution to the world’s problems.

Whether it’s for cosplay or you are the real McCoy, today we take in every moment of putting on the cowl before you go out to fight for justice.

Greg Burrow is a Batman Cosplayer who does a variety of charity and community service events and has been a cosplay guest at multiple conventions in Texas. He is a manager at Dragon’s Lair Comics and Fantasy in Austin, Texas, as well as a member of the 501st Legion Star Wars Costuming Group, Austin Ghostbusters, the Fighting 788th GI Joe Costuming Group, and others. If you are in Austin, don’t mis...

You have trained your body. Honed your mind. And it all comes down to this. Silk Spectre has shot at your heart. Now you must go against every human instinct and catch that bullet.

Watchmen does an excellent job of asking the question – what makes something villainous? Ozymandias is always the smartest person in the room. Does this make the death and destruction he brings heroic or the stuff of villains? Hear what we think!

You have been dreaming of this your entire life and the moment is finally here. You walk slowly toward the iron throne, taking in every detail. You turn, you sit, you feel the iron against your back and you feel its power.

Cersei Lannister is a compelling villain. Some love her, some love to hate her. We talk about how her growing refusal to acknowledge any vulnerability results in the very mistrust and disloyalty she fears.

Deep breathing is a great mindfulness technique. How would it look to deep breathe through Bane’s mask? Listen in to find out!

Arguably stronger and tactically smarter than Batman, Bane falls short because of his inability to see other people as assets rather than vulnerabilities. We also explore his addiction to Venom and the question of when someone is or is not past the point of redemption.

You are Wolverine about to get injected with adamantium. The doctor/scientist looks down at you and says, “Whatever the reason is for doing this, focus on that. Maybe it’ll help.” You reply, “I’ve been through worse.” She says back, “No you haven’t.” Sounds like a good time for some mindfulness and meditation.

Whether it’s the films’ Colonel or the comics’ Sergeant/Reverend, William Stryker has an ability to compel others to do his bidding. We discuss red flags that suggest someone is trying to coerce you. And we also throw in a random discussion of why shooting Wolverine in the head would not be the best plan for making him lose his memories.

Batman has left you for the authorities, there is nothing you can do but wait…might as well take in the experience of being tied up and hanging upside down. (It beats ruminating about what got you here in the first place.)

Batman villains? Obviously, we have to talk about The Joker. First up is Heath Ledger’s phenomenal performance. We discuss psychopathy and this Joker’s ability to be a master manipulator. We explore the psychology behind why people respond to the Joker the way they do, including when things don’t go the Joker’s way when he pits two ferryboats against each other.

Remember November 2022 when we talked about the real-life psychologist written into The New 52 as Barbara Gordon’s therapist? That psychologist agreed to chat with us! We nerd out about the journey to becoming a superhero podcasting/consulting psychologist. True to our season 4 topic, we also discuss Dr. Letamendi’s favorite DC villains and why.

We follow up our One Bad Day: The Riddler episode with practicing mindfulness as The Riddler by adapting Leaves on a Stream, putting all our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, (and riddles) on a question mark and watching them float by.

We talk about what happens when The Riddler struggles to cope with his traumatic childhood and, as a result, changes the pattern of his crimes. Bonus content – Keeden complains about a teacher’s bad testing policies.

It can be hard to let go of the past or what could have been. Now imagine being Barry Allen, The Flash, someone who actually has the ability to change the past. In The Flash , this takes Barry down a difficult path, but mindfulness can help! <p>This is NOT a way to receive mental health treatment, services, or personal advice. If you are needing help, consider taking a look at the resource p...

We explore this portrayal of Barry Allen and his attention to detail that makes him both good at his job and perhaps more likely to struggle with leaving the past behind him. We also talk about how The Flash becomes a personification of everyday struggles some people have with the ‘what ifs’ in life. (Naturally, we also touch on Michael Keaton’s Batman.)

It is a bit of an understatement that Homelander could benefit from some anger management strategies. When you have body tension from all that pent up (or not so pent up) aggression and you also have super strength that could destroy everything around you, there’s nothing better than some Progressive Muscle Relaxation! <p>This is NOT a way to receive mental health treatment, services, or per...

This Independence Day, we celebrate by talking about Homelander! We explore where the responsibility lies when someone’s violent and manipulative actions may be a result of living in a community where those actions are normalized. Also, is it narcissistic personality disorder if you really are more physically powerful than everyone else? We discuss how there may be a better way to define Homelande...

Introducing our Season 4 theme…Summer of Infamy! We talk about why we love villains and why we are excited to delve into them even more than before. Also listen for other ideas and updates for the podcast.

We take one last look at Season 3 and our focus on Elseworlds and Alternate Realities.