SOURCE: Nash, Jesse W. “Gotham's Dark Knight: The Postmodern Transformation of the Arthurian Mythos.” In Popular Arthurian Traditions, edited by Sally K. Slocum, pp. 36-45. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1992.

In the following essay, Nash explores the use of Arthurian legends in the Batman comic book series, particularly Frank Miller's Batman: Year One and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, theorizing that although the Arthurian mythos is often recognized by modern American culture, most Americans are unfamiliar with the original Arthurian legend.

All too often, our insights into the nature of popular culture are the result of accidental encounters with the very people professional academics talk to the least—children and young people. Students of culture, and not just anthropologists, tend to operate as if culture is something adults transmit to children. According to that logic, to understand culture we need to talk to adults...