The Dark Knight Rises Anyone else not like the 8 year exile plot?

[craigdbfan]

This is my first post, and I will preface it by saying how much I have enjoyed reading your comments. Batman means a great many things to different people, and my response is personal in nature. It has led me to view Bruce and his injuries in a different light.

A year ago, my parents died within a month of the other. At this point in my life, I was in the best shape of my career, completing several High Intensity Workout programs with astounding success. Their death hit me like Rachel did Bruce. I was debilitated within weeks, racked with grief and depair. I lost the will to workout much less live.

I had panic attacks, phantom pains in my abdomen (my mom died of stomach cancer and dad cancer to), and began to fear death. I am a single dad and have no help whatsoever from the mother of my son. I feared I would die and leave him alone. He was all I had left to fight for.

Two months later I injured my shoulder lifting a box of books at work. Since that day, I have had one surgery, which failed, and have little use of my arm. I could barely get out of bed, and limped around in pain. This past week they fired me (legally) and the Doctor said I was permanently disabled.

Was I injured? Of course, but my mental fatigue and scarring debilitated me further. Grief and stress are just as deadly as any physical injury. Now, given the bad news, I am fighting back, for the sake of my son, who in this story is akin to Gotham. I would die to protect or safeguard his future. I live only for him now, so that his life is good. He is my greatest achievment.

My arm is still damaged beyond repair, but I am trying and seeing success in fixing the rest of my body. Once I was able to break the mental chains I had wrapped myself in, then I was able to overcome the phantom pains and fears I had conjured for myself.

I may never be 100%, and may never use the arm again, but I will do my best, and that belief allows me to ignore the pain I feel on daily basis; mind over body.

I think when Bruce learned the truth about Rachel, he was released from that metaphysical prison he had constructed, and while he was still in immense pain, he overcame it.

Bane broke him, but in that despair he saw what was important; Gotham and the image of Batman he had intended; anyone could be Batman. Anyone could be a hero.

Like an aging sports star fending off the younger rival, he had one last hurrah in him before the end. Overcoming the pain, he defeated not just Bane, but his past grief, and in the process made the Batman immortal, in ways that Ras Al Ghul had hinted at; legend.

Well, that is my two cents worth on the subject. I look forward to interacting further with all of you.

Welcome to the hype Ra's. That's a really great story there and I'm glad that you've been able to heal one step at a time.

I agree with you completely too. Sure I had my problems with this movie but seeing a movie touch someone that much and for you to be able relate with it in such a way is something really quite special.

Can't wait to hear more from you.

 

[BatmanGoesToRio]

I too am disappointed that both Batman and Bruce Wayne disappeared for those eight years.

It would have been fantastic if Bruce Wayne had become a recluse, falling deeper into his Batman persona because of the events of TDK. He would still be operating as a crime-fighter but as a wanted vigilante; by the time we see him in TDKR he would be experienced, fully-established and as close to the Batman of the comics as possible within the restraints of Nolan's world.

I believe it would have made the first encounter with Bane even more thrilling since Bane would have been fighting Batman in his prime rather than a Batman who had just come out of retirement.

This! Thank you!

 

[Tojo]

Bane fighting a past it Batman was not only vital to the story, but also made sure there was much more at stake than if he was in his prime. Furthermore, it makes no sense for a man pushing 40 to be in his prime, especially after a decade of running around rooftops beating criminals to a pulp.

The story implicitly states that he retires because the city didn't need him anymore. This is one thing in the movie that did work for me. However, I only wish that he hung around for 1-3 years more after TDK, and faded into retirement rather than making an outright decision after Dent dies to quit. He'd have to have been sure that crime was pretty much done in the city. He would have still been on the streets making sure.

 

[Shpati]

I agree, but I think Nolan forced this just to make sure no one tries to continue his trilogy with a Returns plot.

Plus, it made sense how and why Bane was able to destroy Batman in the sewers.

 

[Green Ghoul]

He quit because the city was cleaned up and his mission was accomplished. He became a shut-in because Rachel was killed. Notice how quick he was to get back into Batmanning once the opportunity showed itself.

Agreed. That's why I appreciate the story for what it is. It's an Elseworlds tale where Batman had actually cleaned up Gotham. I think that's why some are having trouble relating with the character this time around. Nolan took the story to a place where it's never been before in the mythos. It's kind of hard to determine what the protagonist would do when the setting and rules have changed.

I also like that the trilogy has a beginning, a middle and and an ending. Each installment has the setting evolving and protagonist adapting. It's something we're not used to because the comics are ongoing. DC would have a problem if they had Batman's mission making a positive difference, so for us, the comic readers, Gotham will always be crime-infested and Batman will always be fighting crime. Nolan's trilogy is nothing more than an interpretation that went to the next level with the source material.

 

[Red Mask]

So when did Nolan's fans start turning against him?

 

[Tojo]

Agreed. That's why I appreciate the story for what it is. It's an Elseworlds tale where Batman had actually cleaned up Gotham. I think that's why some are having trouble relating with the character this time around. Nolan took the story to a place where it's never been before in the mythos. It's kind of hard to determine what the protagonist would do when the setting and rules have changed.

I also like that the trilogy has a beginning, a middle and and an ending. Each installment has the setting evolving and protagonist adapting. It's something we're not used to because the comics are ongoing. DC would have a problem if they had Batman's mission making a positive difference, so for us, the comic readers, Gotham will always be crime-infested and Batman will always be fighting crime. Nolan's trilogy is nothing more than an interpretation that went to the next level with the source material.

I agree. The whole trilogy had a marvellous concept, which was totally logical and original. I may have problems with the execution of the concept in the third act, but it is a great idea overall. Nolan dared to ask the question 'what if'? Some fans stick too rigidly to what they think Batman would or should do, like there are rules or something.

 

[Golgo-13]

I feel that the existence of the Batcave alone signifies that Bruce was running around in his tights for a while longer after The Dark Knight. Guess there were just no "confirmed" sightings of the Batman. Probably because Gordon had his ways of ensuring the police would never be on Batman's tail.

I think that fact that Bruce had the batcave up and running showed, as Alfred said, Bruce was waiting and hoping for thinks to go bad again.

 

[Street Vendor]

This is my first post, and I will preface it by saying how much I have enjoyed reading your comments. Batman means a great many things to different people, and my response is personal in nature. It has led me to view Bruce and his injuries in a different light.

A year ago, my parents died within a month of the other. At this point in my life, I was in the best shape of my career, completing several High Intensity Workout programs with astounding success. Their death hit me like Rachel did Bruce. I was debilitated within weeks, racked with grief and depair. I lost the will to workout much less live.

I had panic attacks, phantom pains in my abdomen (my mom died of stomach cancer and dad cancer to), and began to fear death. I am a single dad and have no help whatsoever from the mother of my son. I feared I would die and leave him alone. He was all I had left to fight for.

Two months later I injured my shoulder lifting a box of books at work. Since that day, I have had one surgery, which failed, and have little use of my arm. I could barely get out of bed, and limped around in pain. This past week they fired me (legally) and the Doctor said I was permanently disabled.

Was I injured? Of course, but my mental fatigue and scarring debilitated me further. Grief and stress are just as deadly as any physical injury. Now, given the bad news, I am fighting back, for the sake of my son, who in this story is akin to Gotham. I would die to protect or safeguard his future. I live only for him now, so that his life is good. He is my greatest achievment.

My arm is still damaged beyond repair, but I am trying and seeing success in fixing the rest of my body. Once I was able to break the mental chains I had wrapped myself in, then I was able to overcome the phantom pains and fears I had conjured for myself.

I may never be 100%, and may never use the arm again, but I will do my best, and that belief allows me to ignore the pain I feel on daily basis; mind over body.

I think when Bruce learned the truth about Rachel, he was released from that metaphysical prison he had constructed, and while he was still in immense pain, he overcame it.

Bane broke him, but in that despair he saw what was important; Gotham and the image of Batman he had intended; anyone could be Batman. Anyone could be a hero.

Like an aging sports star fending off the younger rival, he had one last hurrah in him before the end. Overcoming the pain, he defeated not just Bane, but his past grief, and in the process made the Batman immortal, in ways that Ras Al Ghul had hinted at; legend.

Well, that is my two cents worth on the subject. I look forward to interacting further with all of you.

Superb post. Welcome to the Hype!

 

[RakuMon]

That could work. It could also have been an interesting angle to play with the idea that he became so much into being Batman that he somewhat neglected his duties as Bruce Wayne and was perceived as a hermit...which they did anyway.

Agreed. That would be a better explanation for why the Wayne Foundation stopped funding the orphanage. Bruce was too busy being Batman all the time that he forgot how to be the public persona of Bruce Wayne.

 

[Rogue Kira]

O.K, i get that he had to go into hiding after the Harvey Dent incident..but why 8 years?

And why is Bruce walking around with a cane 8 years later, as if his ordeal with Joker and Two-face happened last week.......? He's been injured for 8 years? What kinda injury lasts that long?

Plus, wouldn't ppl put two and two together that Batman has disappeared and so has Bruce Wayne.....

I would have liked it better if during those 8 years they would have mentioned bats facing off against Penguin and Riddler,etc...it saddens me that Nolans Batman has only faced off against Crane, Ra's, Joker, Bane and Catwoman...

8 years seems way too long of a hiatus...

I would like to state for the record I Love All three of Nolan's films especially the second one and these problems did not at all get in the way of them being awesome films.

I agree 8 years way too long, five year would have been fine . If you think about it he wasn't Batman for a sustained amount of time i mean BB is basically a year,TDK is not even a year and he quits . So how is he battled scared and lacking cartilage in his knee he wasn't even batman for a collective time of 5 years. atleast that is what i think but they made it work so kudos.

 

[Demon Hunter]

This is my first post, and I will preface it by saying how much I have enjoyed reading your comments. Batman means a great many things to different people, and my response is personal in nature. It has led me to view Bruce and his injuries in a different light.

A year ago, my parents died within a month of the other. At this point in my life, I was in the best shape of my career, completing several High Intensity Workout programs with astounding success. Their death hit me like Rachel did Bruce. I was debilitated within weeks, racked with grief and depair. I lost the will to workout much less live.

I had panic attacks, phantom pains in my abdomen (my mom died of stomach cancer and dad cancer to), and began to fear death. I am a single dad and have no help whatsoever from the mother of my son. I feared I would die and leave him alone. He was all I had left to fight for.

Two months later I injured my shoulder lifting a box of books at work. Since that day, I have had one surgery, which failed, and have little use of my arm. I could barely get out of bed, and limped around in pain. This past week they fired me (legally) and the Doctor said I was permanently disabled.

Was I injured? Of course, but my mental fatigue and scarring debilitated me further. Grief and stress are just as deadly as any physical injury. Now, given the bad news, I am fighting back, for the sake of my son, who in this story is akin to Gotham. I would die to protect or safeguard his future. I live only for him now, so that his life is good. He is my greatest achievment.

My arm is still damaged beyond repair, but I am trying and seeing success in fixing the rest of my body. Once I was able to break the mental chains I had wrapped myself in, then I was able to overcome the phantom pains and fears I had conjured for myself.

I may never be 100%, and may never use the arm again, but I will do my best, and that belief allows me to ignore the pain I feel on daily basis; mind over body.

I think when Bruce learned the truth about Rachel, he was released from that metaphysical prison he had constructed, and while he was still in immense pain, he overcame it.

Bane broke him, but in that despair he saw what was important; Gotham and the image of Batman he had intended; anyone could be Batman. Anyone could be a hero.

Like an aging sports star fending off the younger rival, he had one last hurrah in him before the end. Overcoming the pain, he defeated not just Bane, but his past grief, and in the process made the Batman immortal, in ways that Ras Al Ghul had hinted at; legend.

Well, that is my two cents worth on the subject. I look forward to interacting further with all of you.

Wow, man, what a story. Welcome to the forums. It was both sad and refreshing to hear your story and see someone who has been affected so deeply by The Dark Knight Rises.
I haven't gone through any of the difficult stuff you've been and still I was deeply touched by Bruce Wayne's story. I can't imagine what it was to relate to a movie on such a personal level.
So all this said, would you say Rises was your favourite of the trilogy?

 

[Lord]

What's not to like about the 8 years exile plot? It's just like with Superman Returns...........wait

 

[sly]

The 8 year exile of Bruce Wayne not being Batman is my biggest issue with Nolan's trilogy. I think it was a bad decision. That and having Michael Caine cry so much in Rises.

 

[Golgo-13]

I would like to state for the record I Love All three of Nolan's films especially the second one and these problems did not at all get in the way of them being awesome films.

I agree 8 years way too long, five year would have been fine . If you think about it he wasn't Batman for a sustained amount of time i mean BB is basically a year,TDK is not even a year and he quits . So how is he battled scared and lacking cartilage in his knee he wasn't even batman for a collective time of 5 years. atleast that is what i think but they made it work so kudos.

I LOVE these films too..but in actuality, he wasn't even Batman for more than a year!

In BB he was batman for maybe a month..if that. The time between BB and TDK was said to be around 7 months. The events of TDK was, lets say a month...if that. Then he comes back 8 years later in TDKR, is Batman for a few nights, gets imprisoned comes back the day the bomb is set to go off and is Batman one last time.

This is why i not only disliked the 8 year hiatus but also the fact that he wasn't active at all during those 8 years.

 

[Lord]

The 8 year exile of Bruce Wayne not being Batman is my biggest issue with Nolan's trilogy. I think it was a bad decision. That and having Michael Caine cry so much in Rises.

Come on, Michael Caine crying was heartbreaking

 

[COMPO]

I think it would have been better if instead of the exile he kind of kept going being Batman even with Gotham being okay. Alfred tells him about Racheal to stop him fighting Bane. He questions his mission and is beaten by Bane and then comes back believing in himself

 

[Red Mask]

I watched it again yesterday on IMax for my friend's birthday. Yeah, he stopped being Batman during that 8 year absence. He didn't fight any Penguins or Riddlers in secret during that time. That's how it was written, that's how it was done.

 

[Resistance61513]

I, personally, hate when stories try and do the time gap plot. In my opinion, it detracts from the story immensely! If you want to build solid character development, it's best to show trials and tribulations.

Probably the best example I can give is on a game called "Resistance 2". Resistance 2 begins immediately after the events of the first game. However, after the first level, there is a two year gap that occurs. When the player receives the reigns in the second level there is a ton of story they are feed.

The main character, who is the first ever known human to successfully resist the alien virus and retain both alien/humans traits, is plunged into a special team called The Sentinels. The Sentinels are comprised of other humans who share a similar resistance to the virus. There are three other Sentinel characters that make up your specific team. Hawthorne, Warner and Capelli.

This was one of the biggest gripes I had with the game. Not only are you forced into being squad mates with these characters, there are no emotional ties to any of them! You didn't see the relationships develop between the characters. The player was immediately thrown into "acceptance" mode with no real thought.

I feel it would have definitely made more of an impact on the player, had the writer chosen to scrap the two year gap plot, and show the player rather than tell the player. I feel this is often the case with a lot of time gap plots. Writers somewhat paint themselves into a corner and often never fully realize their vision.

I feel this comes full circle with Nolan's Batman. Giving him a eight year hiatus was a terrible decision. The viewer is immediately thrown into accepting the fact that this is not the same Bruce we saw at the end of Knight. Rather than seeing the trials and tribulations of the character, we are merely told of them. It doesn't really resonate well on an emotional scale when dealing with character development.

It then often times, as many have already explored, opens a ton of various plot holes. Time gaps are just never cohesive. I feel there were a few lost opportunities because Nolan decided to take this route.

 

[deadshot daquir]

O.K, i get that he had to go into hiding after the Harvey Dent incident..but why 8 years?

And why is Bruce walking around with a cane 8 years later, as if his ordeal with Joker and Two-face happened last week.......? He's been injured for 8 years? What kinda injury lasts that long?

Plus, wouldn't ppl put two and two together that Batman has disappeared and so has Bruce Wayne.....

I would have liked it better if during those 8 years they would have mentioned bats facing off against Penguin and Riddler,etc...it saddens me that Nolans Batman has only faced off against Crane, Ra's, Joker, Bane and Catwoman...

8 years seems way too long of a hiatus...

i agree ... that it could just be a coincidence, but the avg gotham citizen prob won't

i guess bruce could play it off as he's a high profile person, he doesn't want to be a target, so he's laying low.

HOWEVER

the major difference is that bruce is almost the opposite of batman, preferring to be the center of attraction, showboating his wealth and being awkward (in contrast to being dark and powerful)

hmm, batmans in hiding ... and so is bruce

if gotham's tabloids are worth anything they should've put it together, lol

 

[Jack Ups]

You know when thinking like a fanboy, even thought im happy with the ending and how everything turned out, I like to think maybe in that 8 years....maybe just one time he put on the cowl to fight Joker. Just for fun at least.

 

[Deserana]

I love the concept of the 8 year gap and it was perfect to be after the events of TDK so didn't bother me in the slightest.

 

[chumchees]

It makes no sense. Even after reading some of your plausible explanations, it still makes no sense. What was he doing for 8 years? Sitting at home talking with Alfred.

 

[Deserana]

He was still in the public eye for a while. He was behind the fusion reactor and also the WE money for the orphans only stopped for a couple of years. He likely just got worse and worse and was probably only a recluse for 3/4 years not the whole 8.

 

[Baron Bifford]

I'm not sure why he took the fall for Dent and went into hiding in the first place. If they could blame Batman for the murders, they could just have easily blamed the Joker (or one of his henchmen).