Playing with Batman : ((De-)Constructing Transmedial Characters in the Lego Batman Movie)

This paper explores the role of three core principles in the construction and deconstruction of transmedial characters: irony, plasticity, and playfulness. By using the LEGO BATMAN MOVIE as its central case study, it is argued that the film offers a meta-perspective on the divergent and inconsistent media history of the Caped Crusader—one that invites recipients to play with the various building blocks of his character. The essay also analyzes the narrative and aesthetic means by which the film addresses the materiality of Lego bricks, the intertextuality of various media franchises, and the role of recipients as potential constructors or master builders. By that, it is suggested that the film is not only a tribute to Batman as a transmedial icon, but also an exploration of the importance of the core principles mentioned above in the construction and deconstruction of characters across media.