Is the Bat Family being clean housed and is that good?

Question

I think the Bat family was becoming overly complicated and overly crowded. Batman is supposed to be the ominous loner. Oracle had become a secratary to Batman whom Batman was dependent on. I think this was damaging the development of both characters. Dick should have drawn the line in the sand a long time ago and become his person. He became nightwing and everything but he kind of turned into a whinny and disgruntled sidekick. I think its a good thing they didn't kill him off but he needs to totally become his own person with his own rules. Tim seems to be more motivated and better suited to secceed Batman. Cassandra needed to move on and not become a Robin. I just think it was time to simplify the Bat family and bring Batman back around to his dark roots and I'm glad there not doing it by just killing everyone off. Jason's death as well as his return added to batman's dark nautre and I think the same can be done by downsizing the family without everyone dying.

Answer 1

I think it's a good move. I think DC suffers from too many ties. Everyone seems related. You have the Justice League members, then you have separate titles for these members, then these members appear in other groups... so everybody knows everybody else.

This differs from Marvel, where it sometimes feels like each team and each hero is acting within a world unto themselves (plus they have so many more characters).

Batman and his extended family often appear everywhere and also together. Even Nightwing, who's good enough to be a stand-alone character (strong, confident, able to handle tough situations) remains under the Batman shadow. This has the effect of lessening the character. I'd like to see the whole extended family of charcaters break a little more from the Batman persona because until they do, they'll feel like second-fiddlers to the top characters.

Answer 2

It’s possible, and both good and bad could come out of it. Let’s look at how these things could happen.

Many people aren’t aware that Batman’s popularity did not start to really take off until Robin came along. He was the grim avenger of the night, but people understood that he was not that much different from the bad guys he fought. Think of it—an obsessed man, sick twisted, determined not to let others suffer as he had. Is that noble and admirable, or was he just helpless in the grip of his anger at the man who killed his parents? Was Batman doing the right thing or was he just acting out his own form of anti-social behavior, not really any different from those who break the law in OTHER ways…? (emphasis intended.)

Picture a guy who hangs out in dark alleys, wears a fearsome costume, swoops down on people and beats them up. The largest difference between Batman and a costumed criminal is that he goes after lawbreakers. What would happen if he couldn’t find any lawbreakers to take out his anger on…? Would Batman start going after law-abiding citizens…? I seriously doubt that he would steal or kill, but would the frustrated child inside him attack other families, thinking “You’re not grateful enough for surviving!”

Introducing Robin changed all that. It made Batman sort of a family man, a likable figure. Yes, he was still driven, but now the reader could be shown his tender compassionate side as well. Batman became someone we could trust.

Other comics quickly caught on. Robin was only the first kid sidekick. Soon, there were many more.

Now, as to Oracle and the rest, it should be clear that Batman can’t function as well as he does without a support staff. You forgot to mention Alfred, but he was the second.

(In the sixties, they got rid of Alfred because of disgusting rumors that Batman, Robin and Alfred were homosexual. This totally ignored the reputation of ‘PLAYBOY’ Bruce Wayne, and was just the sour-grapes of those who WISHED that Batman was homosexual, and that they were Robin. They brought Alfred back, later. Aunt Harriet, who was brought in to replace him as their domestic, was only good for comic relief. Since she did not know Batman’s identity, she actually made things more difficult for them, snooping around and trying to run their lives and regulate their schedules, and setting him up with dates that she hoped would lead to serious romantic relationships.)

I felt sad when Jason was killed. (I didn’t vote for it.) He honored the role of Robin. [If you get the chance, read the classic story, For the Man Who Has Everything. As Robin, Jason saved Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. That’s a pretty good track record, for someone who was Robin for such a short time! It was truly his finest hour.] It seems that Jason was just not popular with those who did not want Dick Grayson to grow up and become his own man. But he did well. I am disgusted that they would bring him back as a villain, and I wish they had let him rest in peace.

It isn’t necessary to kill people off. Tim’s girlfriend, I forget her name (Prowler?) got hurt and retired when she realized it was too much for her. Cassandra may well move on, or she may be back someday. Even the best of heroes need backup sometimes. I’m happy that Dick and Babs got together at last. I think that now he is much more happy and comfortable with his Nightwing role (as he put it, to be a crime fighter where his name wasn’t always preceded by ‘Batman and’.) Dick always loved Babs, he just couldn’t express it very well. She is fortunate to have someone who cares about her so much. (Granted, I think they should not have shot and crippled her, but then, I hold the writers responsible for the Joker’s deeds.)

I agree that the Batman family can be streamlined without having to kill people off. I am going to speculate a little here. When Batman let Cassandra take on the mantle of Robin, he was putting out a subtle message that she was his partner. Not just a mysterious figure who also used the Bat motif (it isn’t as though he had it copyrighted or registered as a trademark, oslt!) perhaps against his wishes. So he is protecting her, by giving bad guys some second thoughts: if they attacked Batgirl, who knows whether Batman would care. But if they attack Robin, they KNOW Batman will be after them!

I hope that covers everything you were wondering about. If you need more info, ask again.

4 JAN 07, 1724 hrs, GMT.

Answer 3

I miss Harold...I thought he was good for Batman. He created all the cool stuff...and in return he got a good home and protection. Course that was years ago...so what do I know.