This is awesome and full of win. (Insert long ramble about modern mythologies and how characters become part of public culture, which segues neatly into an angry rant about copyright and trademark, so not writing that part out.)

Actual comment: I don't think that when Batman goes grim & dark they've missed the True Bat-Nature (although some authors do), but that Batman needs to come out of that, that he can't *stay* grim and dark but has to get the boot-to-the-head from the universe that being only angsty and violent means he's doing it wrong, that the "endless quest for JUSTICE" has to include enjoying life, too.

(Other actual comments may happen later when I have more time.)

You should submit this to dc_fandom and make_it_meta so that more people will read it. Because it's awesome.