A Catholic Marvel Girl Walks into Gotham 

A Catholic Marvel Girl Walks into Gotham 

By Marge Hynes, Writer

I have always been more of a Marvel girl. This was probably inevitable (Thanos pun not intended). I grew up with three older brothers, which meant there were always action figures, movie quotes, and very serious superhero opinions floating around our home. 

Give me Captain America, my first childhood crush, Spider-Man swinging through Queens with the occasional threat of putting dirt in someone’s eye, or the Guardians of the Galaxy saving the universe with a suspiciously perfect soundtrack, and I am golden. 

DC, however, has always been more complicated for me. I liked DC. I respected DC. I even had my seasons with DC, especially Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and the wonderfully campy Adam West era (special shoutout to shark-repellent Bat-spray). And then Justice League happened. So, I wished Gotham well and went back to my cozy little Marvel corner, where the characters felt lived-in, the stories felt colorful, and it was all very nostalgic. 

When I picked up Batman & Faith: Essays on the Dark Knight and the Soul from Voyage Comics, I expected to appreciate it from afar. I thought it would be an interesting collection for “serious” Batman fans who know every Robin, every timeline, every villain origin story.

Instead, I found a book that uses Batman to explore the battle for the human soul.

The Batman & Faith Lowdown

Voyage Comics is a Catholic publisher creating comics, books, and graphic novels that bring faith and storytelling together. Their work explores saints, superheroes, fantasy, family-friendly adventure, and the deeper truths hiding inside beloved stories.

Why? Because Catholics and stories go hand in hand. We are people of the Word made flesh. We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. Art matters. Beauty matters. Stories matter. When we read well and pay attention, we can learn to recognize echoes of God’s truth, goodness, and beauty in unexpected places. Even under a cowl in Gotham City.

Batman & Faith is a collection of essays that explores the Dark Knight through theology, philosophy, Scripture, Catholic teaching, and pop culture. The book is organized into Gotham-coded sections, including The Batcave, Arkham Asylum, Wayne Manor, and Gotham Docks.

The essays consider Batman’s villains through the lens of heresy, Catwoman alongside the woman caught in adultery, Bruce Wayne’s suffering in conversation with Boethius, and the Bat-Family through questions of fatherhood, identity, communion, and belonging.

There is even an essay on Adam West’s 1966 Batman as a reflection on human dignity, which was a personal favorite. In my family, we quote, “What weighs six ounces, sits in a tree and is very dangerous?” “A sparrow with a machine gun!” regularly. 

The reflection points out that West’s Batman is willing to put himself in harm’s way not only for human life but also to protect animals as fellow creatures of God. As the author writes, many Catholics can understand the impulse to “treat animals with dignity as fellow creatures made by God.”¹ As a gal who chose Saint Francis of Assisi as my Confirmation saint because I have always loved animals, I could relate.

Yes, it is campy and silly. Yes, there are absurd one-liners. But beneath all that theatrical charm and the “some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb” is a hero whose respect for life, creation, and the dignity of the person reflects our collective Catholic heartbeat.

Batman Is No Saint

Batman is wounded, intense, emotionally unavailable, and probably in desperate need of both sleep and a very patient spiritual director. He turns grief into mission, but not always in the healthiest way. And yet, he keeps choosing to fight for something beyond himself.

That’s where Batman becomes interesting from a Catholic perspective, according to this collection of essays:

What do we do with our wounds?

Can justice exist without mercy?

Can suffering become something other than bitterness?

Can darkness be entered without being surrendered to?

The saints are real people with wounds, weaknesses, fears, and temperaments. Holiness is not the absence of struggle. Holiness is the repeated surrender of the struggle to God.

In the essay “Caped Crusader: The Dark Knighthood of Batman,” author Kaleb Hammond writes: “Batman likewise operates within darkness in order to enlighten it.”²

The Consensus?

You do not need to be a lifelong Batman expert to appreciate Batman & Faith. Dedicated fans will enjoy the references, but the deeper questions are universal.

Good stories will always point us toward Him, after all.

You can explore more Catholic comics and books from Voyage Comics here, and you can purchase Batman & Faith online through their shop here.

1. Mike Schramm, Managing Editor, Batman & Faith: Essays on the Dark Knight & the Soul, 45-46. ↩︎
2. Schramm, 28. ↩︎

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With over eight years of experience and a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing, Marge Hynes is a dynamic writer whose portfolio spans SEO-driven copywriting, journalism, and marketing—a versatile skill set that allows her to craft compelling content for Paloma & Fig’s projects.

Marge’s Catholic faith serves as the cornerstone of her work. She approaches storytelling with thoughtfulness and a deep appreciation for the Lord’s own creative power. Her love of the written word shines through in every project, helping clients articulate their message with clarity, heart, and purpose.

When she’s not writing, Marge can be found leading praise and worship, diving into theological books, or exploring the great outdoors with her loyal dog, Augustine (Auggie for short).