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Bethany Siple
Mrs. Sutliff
4th Hour
08 April 2015
Batman vs. Jean Valjean
Social injustices have been a part of the world since the beginning of time; from picking a
leader just because they are popular, to treating ex-criminals as less than dirt. Les Miserables
and Batman: Year One seem like two completely unrelated pieces of literature. However
different they may be in setting, era, and fashion wise, the two books are connected by something
greater than any of those things. They are tied together with an idea; an idea of battling social
injustices with whatever means necessary. If that means putting on a costume and beating up the
law-breakers in your city or secretly becoming one of the most powerful men in France then so
be it.
Throughout the book, Les Miserables, Jean Valjean goes through what seems like
hundreds of trials and tribulations to become Madeleine and end his reign as an ex-convict; ...
threw away the basket, ran across the garden, leaped over the wall like a tiger and fled (Hugo
30). In the eyes of the French people, Jean is not even worth a glance. He is less than dirt to
them. All of this is because he stole a measly loaf of bread 19 years prior, The arm seized a loaf
of bread and took it out (Hugo 23). During Jeans unfortunate life he has stolen many things,
however he does make up for it by giving to the people. As M. Madeleine, he was the epitome of
wealth and all things grand. He always had his pockets full of money when he went out, and
empty when he returned (Hugo 53). The people couldnt help but to love him. Although he was

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rich and all-mighty, he had a humble way of portraying himself, almost as if he didnt care to be
the best, but was fine with being average.
Batman: Year One is a different story, one that has action and men in tights. Bruce Wayne
becomes who he is when his parents are murdered in the cold streets of Gotham city when he
was only a child. Bruce, also, has to find ways to get around many of his shortcomings to
become the glorious Batman, How father? How do I do it? What do I have to do to make them
afraid? (Miller and Mazzucchelli 20). From gadgets to his trusty butler, Alfred, Batman is on a
winning team with himself. He is the face of Gotham city, the wings they trust. Batman has two
things that can take down any no-gooder, Strength and, most importantly, method (Miller and
Mazzucchelli 7).
These two men fight social injustice in their cities by using two completely different
tactics. Jean uses his power when he becomes Madeleine to influence change in the city. Batman
uses his fighting methods to change what he hates about Gotham. These two characters are very
different but very much the same when you look at what they are trying to accomplish. Both
want change in the cities that they love, they want to serve and protect so what had happened to
them doesnt happen to anyone else. Both have been through struggles and experienced pain like
no other and their main goal is to save anyone from social injustice.

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Works Cited
Victor Hugo. Les Miserables. New York, The Random House Publishing Group, 1961. Print.
Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli. Batman: Year One. New York. DC Comics, 2005. Print.