Music Behind the Masks

Abstract

Batman villains are a staple fascination within the franchise's fandom, and music is a powerful tool utilized in allowing fans to experience these characters in an emotionally connected way when viewing live adaptations of them. This chapter examines the appeal of Batman villain narratives, explores how composers scored music for ten selected Gotham City antagonists spanning seven live-action Batman films, and discusses fans' reaction to those scores during a survey conducted by the author involving 55 voluntary participants. These explorations contribute to furthering dialogues on the cultural relevance of comic books in contemporary society, fans' fascination with villain narratives, film scores' function as a representation of on-screen personalities, and music's role in establishing relationships between fan audiences and on-screen characters.