A PLAN GONE WRONG

As a human, Batman has many flaws. From his psychological issues to his obvious physical limitations, he is not perfect by any means. Surrounded by superhumans like Superman who is virtually unstoppable, Batman needs to be extremely resourceful to be successful. He also needs to be ready for anything, making him the most prepared superhero with a counter to every scenario that may play out.

However, on many occasions, Batman has failed. The murder of his parents led him to don the cowl in his search for justice. He made a promise on that fateful night when those closest to him were taken away, to never be helpless again like that boy in Crime Alley, surrounded by his mother’s scattered bloodstained pearls. For the DC Universe’s most prepared superhero, how then, is it that this has happened again and again. Perhaps, it is his compassion for others like him that inspires Batman to lead them down the path of vengeance.

Batman takes on a partner early in his crime fighting career. He witnesses Dick Grayson become an orphan when his parents are murdered in a gymnastic accident orchestrated by Tony “Boss” Zucco. Dick becomes Robin, the world’s first superhero sidekick, when Batman takes him under his wing.

He later breaks away from Batman and remakes himself as Nightwing, following in the footsteps of his mentor. He has a successful crime fighting career himself in Bludhaven, worthy of succeeding the Dark Knight’s legacy. All is well and good when things go right, but they don’t always go as planned like in the Death in the Family’ storyline.

Jason Todd is killed by the Joker and Batman once again is helpless to prevent someone close to him from harm. Batman then feels responsible for leading Jason down his familiar path of vigilantism, but it doesn’t stop him from making the same mistake as his future companions. Many others close to Batman have been targeted and have fallen after he lost Robin to Joker many years ago.

Actually, most of Batman’s sidekicks are killed during Batman’s watch as well as others that are related to Bruce Wayne. Barbara Gordon is paralyzed by the Joker in The Killing Joke. Even Alfred, his mentor and closest friend, could not be saved by Batman in recent events. As you can see, being in the Batman family is clearly dangerous. As much as he would like to avoid collateral damage, perhaps without his circle of collaborators, Batman couldn’t be as prepared as he needs to be. In his search for justice, he often uses the help of those around him to compensate for his lack of superpowers, drawing in a network of people that are often put at risk so that Bruce Wayne can battle crime. However, having a cast of characters close to him gives his enemies an opportunity to strike when Batman himself is hard to reach. His need to protect others draws him closer so that his enemies can access Batman when he is most elusive. Batman’s greatest tool, his obsession with preparation, may be his greatest weakness after all.

BY DAVID WEBER