BvS Batman's motivation for fighting Superman

[rogbngp]

The notion that Batman will develop intense anger at Superman for his role in the destruction to Wayne Tower just feels off to me. It really doesn't make sense:

The appearance of an extra-terrestrial race on Earth, and their attempted annihilation of the human species and terraforming of our planet... not to mention the discovery of an extra-terrestrial god-like being living among us!... is, far and away, the most dramatic event in the history of human civilization. The spectacle was witnessed world-wide.

Let us also not overlook that Superman allied with the U.S. military to literally save the entire planet that day by destroying the Kryptonian World Engine and sending the hostile alien invaders into a black hole. That would be common knowledge two years after the fact.

There would be endless discussion and obsessive review of it on television (which we do get a flavor for in the first BvS teaser trailer with narrated comments by Charlie Rose, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, et al.). Bruce Wayne has had plenty of time to review and sort out what happened there! Even in Batman's reported semi-retirement as a crime fighter in BvS it is next to impossible to imagine him not studying this.

I don't think we know whether that the fight between Zod and Superman during which Zod unleashed his heat vision took place in the Wayne Financial building itself, or an adjacent building that toppled into it. If the fight was within the Wayne Financial building, I can't imagine that Bruce wouldn't have had surveillance cameras in his own building that uploaded in real time to some sort of cloud storage to be able to view the fight between Zod and Superman that collapsed his building.

But even if not, it just seems unlikely to me that Bruce will assume that Superman somehow behaved recklessly in such a way that it resulted in the deaths of people close to him. Superman stopped Zod from destroying all of humankind. It just doesn't make sense for Bruce to fail to see the big picture here. He is the World's Greatest Detective.

In short strokes here's what I think is a better explanation for how and why will Batman develop such intense anger, distrust, and contempt for Superman:

1) Superman has established a tense and somewhat strained relationship with the government (to me that would make sense; he knows they are continuing to try to spy on him, but Superman's help is actually needed for some things only he can do--and hey, he's Superman).

2) Superman has been asked by the government to set limits on Batman. I'm not sure why yet. But if Batman has a run-in with Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad that could set those wheels in motion.

3) Amanda Waller's operation is obviously keenly interested in Supes, and the military in general wishes to study and weaponize whatever they can from Superman's biology and Kryptonian bio-tech in general.

4) Lex Luthor is obviously contracted by the military to develop cutting edge weapons technologies (filling a void left by Wayne Enterprises, which has gotten out of that game--which makes sense since Batman totally should not trust the government to begin with), specifically in this movie focusing on reverse-engineering Kryptonian technologies, including Zod's corpse. I'm hoping that Lex will create the monstrous clone "B Zero" from Zod's corpse, played by Michael Shannon, based on this Easter egg. But time will tell.

5) For all these reasons Batman is hugely concerned about what the military might do with Superman, regarding him as still rather green, naive, and capable of being controlled and weaponized (perhaps even by Waller). Batman's has state-of-the-art surveillance technologies and Bruce Wayne's insider role as provider of technology to the military gives him a unique perspective and window onto Amanda Waller and Lex Luthor.

Again, I'll be disappointed if the main motivation for Batman to view Superman as a threat is that he is "angry" at Superman for the destruction of Wayne Tower. Imho that would be lame. That's Batman having a kind of breakdown, actually. Maybe they can make it work if it is the central reason. But I'd rather see something more sophisticated than that for his motivation.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Knightfall]

Why can people not grasp the fact that Bruce isn't pissed about the Wayne Tower? He's pissed because these aliens just leveled a city, a small town and he looks to them (Including Clark) as a threat to the human race that needs to be dealt with. Geez, everyone I've come across is like "Man batman is really mad his building got destroyed."....... Honestly, I'm sure he couldn't give any less of a s*** about his building.

 

[rogbngp]

To be fair, though, both Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill have commented in interviews that that is the reason. Snyder too, IIRC. That Bruce Wayne lost people in the Wayne Tower when it was destroyed, I mean. That could be just what they have been instructed to say by the studio, of course.

 

[Gu3ree]

Right, but further, I doubt Bruce misunderstood at all, nor mistook Superman for destroying the Wayne tower with his heat vision. He knows it was Zod, but it is just because of the fact that Superman killed Zod makes Batman paranoid and suspicious. Prior to the destruction even, maybe Wayne wouldn't have been suspicious and might have been sympathetic and understanding for the damage caused.

But while Superman didn't intentionally destroy the Wayne Tower, he did cause destruction. He punches Zod flying down a building...he could have just waited for Zod to reach the top and let Zod chase him. Was kind of irresponsible.

In the Smallville battle, well, you can't help but be suspicious, an iHop may be little damage, but flying into 7-11 irresponsibly and blowing up a gas station might have people worried about whether or not you can trust a guy, even if he is good, how well can we trust that he will be careful with his power by not blowing things up?

...and punching the tall giant...Namek (forgot the name) into the railroad tracks causing explosive damage...maybe if Superman was more careful, and in spite that he saved lives in that battle...and the rest of the world, maybe Batman would be less suspicious. But if it weren't for the massive destruction that was caused, specifically a train wreck, gas station explosion to name a few, it makes sense for someone, especially Batman to be paranoid.

Superman did saves lives, and the entire world, yes, but his power and the destruction he caused makes Bruce Wayne fearful and unsure whether Superman can truly be trusted.

I don't think Batman would fight Superman because Waller manipulated him, or that the government wants Superman to stop Zod...Snyder did make it clear that this wasn't an adaptation of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.

People do have to have concerns about the destruction he caused despite the fact that he saved the entire world, looking at it from a realistic perspective.

 

[Gu3ree]

To be fair, though, both Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill have commented in interviews that that is the reason. Snyder too, IIRC. That Bruce Wayne lost people in the Wayne Tower when it was destroyed, I mean. That could be just what they have been instructed to say by the studio, of course.

I'm sure it's not just that. But when people he knew there died, that probably had to motivate batman a great deal. You would have to be mad about that, but surely he will learn that Superman didn't cause the destruction of that building.

 

[Angel0fDeath]

Right, but further, I doubt Bruce misunderstood at all, nor mistook Superman for destroying the Wayne tower with his heat vision. He knows it was Zod, but it is just because of the fact that Superman killed Zod makes Batman paranoid and suspicious. Prior to the destruction even, maybe Wayne wouldn't have been suspicious and might have been sympathetic and understanding for the damage caused.

But while Superman didn't intentionally destroy the Wayne Tower, he did cause destruction. He punches Zod flying down a building...he could have just waited for Zod to reach the top and let Zod chase him. Was kind of irresponsible.

In the Smallville battle, well, you can't help but be suspicious, an iHop may be little damage, but flying into 7-11 irresponsibly and blowing up a gas station might have people worried about whether or not you can trust a guy, even if he is good, how well can we trust that he will be careful with his power by not blowing things up?

...and punching the tall giant...Namek (forgot the name) into the railroad tracks causing explosive damage...maybe if Superman was more careful, and in spite that he saved lives in that battle...and the rest of the world, maybe Batman would be less suspicious. But if it weren't for the massive destruction that was caused, specifically a train wreck, gas station explosion to name a few, it makes sense for someone, especially Batman to be paranoid.

Superman did saves lives, and the entire world, yes, but his power and the destruction he caused makes Bruce Wayne fearful and unsure whether Superman can truly be trusted.

I don't think Batman would fight Superman because Waller manipulated him, or that the government wants Superman to stop Zod...Snyder did make it clear that this wasn't an adaptation of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.

People do have to have concerns about the destruction he caused despite the fact that he saved the entire world, looking at it from a realistic perspective.

Too many subplots in this post.

 

[matt47]

His motivation? This one line is all you need, "He has the power to wipe out the entire human race.." That's a good enough reason for not just the Batman we know, but particularly for this incarnation of Batman.

 

[AnneFan]

His motivation? This one line is all you need, "He has the power to wipe out the entire human race.." That's a good enough reason for not just the Batman we know, but particularly for this incarnation of Batman.

This.

And I think Bruce's fears will be realised via Lex manipulations.

 

[rogbngp]

@ matt47 and AnneFan,

But why would Batman fear that Superman would wipe out the entire human race? He just saved it two years prior! Apparently he is still out there doing good, heroic deeds. It looks like some people adore him from the trailer. But clearly something has happened if there is a Senate hearing with protesters expressing fear of him as an alien, and his monument has been vandalized with "FALSE GOD."

I agree with AnneFan that it will probably have much to do with Lex's manipulations. I just hope that Lex comes off as truly a genius at pitting the two against one another, because Batman getting played by some relatively simple deception would bother me.

One speculation I have read is that the scenes of Superman in which he has a kind of contorted and enraged look (including the one in which he's kneeling before Lex) is an evil twin doppelganger clone that Lex is using to create mayhem to turn the world (and Batman) against Superman. That would not really be Bizarro, though--at least as we know him--because he isn't pale and zombie-like, and he uses heat vision versus cold vision. (I'm still hoping that we'll see Shannon again as a truly monstrous Bizarro, and as a more realistically horrific one.) But, anyway, I could envision something like that as a basis for believing that Superman poses a threat to the world, I guess. It would all depend on how well it is executed.

 

[matt47]

@ matt47 and AnneFan,

But why would Batman fear that Superman would wipe out the entire human race? He just saved it two years prior! Apparently he is still out there doing good, heroic deeds. It looks like some people adore him from the trailer. But clearly something has happened if there is a Senate hearing with protesters expressing fearing of him as an alien, and his monument has been vandalized with "FALSE GOD."

I agree with AnneFan that it will probably have much to do with Lex's manipulations. I just hope that Lex comes off as truly a genius at pitting the two against one another, because Batman getting played by some relatively simple deception would bother me.

One speculation I have read is that the scenes of Superman in which he has a kind of contorted and enraged look (including the one in which he's kneeling before Lex) is an evil twin doppelganger clone that Lex is using to create mayhem to turn the world (and Batman) against Superman. That would not really be Bizarro, though--at least as we know him--because he isn't pale and zombie-like, and he uses heat vision versus cold vision. (I'm still hoping that we'll see Shannon again as a truly monstrous Bizarro, and as a more realistically horrific one.) But, anyway, I could envision something like that as a basis for believing that Superman poses a threat to the world, I guess. It would all depend on how well it is executed.

That's why I said, "This Batman". This particular Batman is just over all the death in his life, his at the end of his tether, even though Superman has been doing good that doesn't negate the fact that he still has the power to kill everyone if he chose to, and this movie will be about Superman convincing Batman that this will never happen.

 

[rogbngp]

@matt47

So this is a Batman in the midst of a breakdown of sorts, it sounds like from that description. That's actually not far from the Batman of The Dark Knight Rises.

 

[matt47]

Big difference is how/what they do in that breakdown though. Rises Bruce secluded himself. BvS Bruce is out branding people and staring at a dead friends suit with Joker taunting him. BvS Bruce is in a fever, he feels powerless. Rises Bruce was cocky.

 

[Urich Leeds]

The Wayne Tower incident is what caused Bruce not to trust Superman (and rightfully so).

What makes Bruce want to fight Superman is his encounters with him, and some unknown event in the film that caused him to turn completely against Supes

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Just an FYI Bizzaro has had the full range of Superman's powers before in various continuities and mediums. A gloss on Bizarro doesn't have to have Freeze vision or Flame Breath.

 

[rogbngp]

Big difference is how/what they do in that breakdown though. Rises Bruce secluded himself. BvS Bruce is out branding people and staring at a dead friends suit with Joker taunting him. BvS Bruce is in a fever, he feels powerless. Rises Bruce was cocky.

Maybe something like this (at the end)?

[YT]T40lwQxOqIo[/YT]

j/k

(An explicit version with F bombs exists as well.)

Yeah, I agree that it does look like BvS's Batman is a little unhinged. This will require some real finesse on Snyder's and Affleck's part. Because a lot a fans will complain if Batman isn't presented as a clear-sighted, rock steady, impeccable strategist. No doubt same as they complained about Superman in Man of Steel as being pensive, and not perfectly sure of himself. It's a fair question as to how much of a departure from a traditional core image to go. (There's multiple iterations of the character to choose from from the comic books, but there are some central ingredients to every superhero.) Snyder's seems to be skilled at getting a bit edgy with this sort of thing, though. At least judging from MoS.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Batamn can be given a mulligan if he's presented as being emotionally more than logically primed against Superman and let's remember... This isn't the Riddler pulling the wool over the Dark Knight's eyes, it's Lex Luthor, the greatest criminal mind of his time. Lex should be on the list of guys that can run roughshod over Bruce in terms of intellectual capacity.

See, this is where the BatGod thing is very similar to Silver Age Superman. Where is the drama, where are the story opportunities ect., when you make your character completely infallible, even in the context of suspension of disbelief? And don't fans also always go on about Batman being the mortal hero with limitations?

 

[InJustice]

The notion that Batman will develop intense anger at Superman for his role in the destruction to Wayne Tower just feels off to me. It really doesn't make sense:

The appearance of an extra-terrestrial race on Earth, and their attempted annihilation of the human species and terraforming of our planet... not to mention the discovery of an extra-terrestrial god-like being living among us!... is, far and away, the most dramatic event in the history of human civilization. The spectacle was witnessed world-wide.

Let us also not overlook that Superman allied with the U.S. military to literally save the entire planet that day by destroying the Kryptonian World Engine and sending the hostile alien invaders into a black hole. That would be common knowledge two years after the fact.

In spite of the fact that he helped save the world, the U.S. military still felt the need to spy on him. How is this any different from Bruce Wayne being skeptical of Superman? They both share the same position that this man has too much power and must be watched or possibly eliminated in Bruce Wayne's case.

There would be endless discussion and obsessive review of it on television (which we do get a flavor for in the first BvS teaser trailer with narrated comments by Charlie Rose, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, et al.). Bruce Wayne has had plenty of time to review and sort out what happened there! Even in Batman's reported semi-retirement as a crime fighter in BvS it is next to impossible to imagine him not studying this.

I don't think we know whether that the fight between Zod and Superman during which Zod unleashed his heat vision took place in the Wayne Financial building itself, or an adjacent building that toppled into it. If the fight was within the Wayne Financial building, I can't imagine that Bruce wouldn't have had surveillance cameras in his own building that uploaded in real time to some sort of cloud storage to be able to view the fight between Zod and Superman that collapsed his building.

Cameras are not going to catch two speeding bullets fighting in real time. Not to mention, the building gets destroyed, so who knows if the footage is even accessible? If you argue that it should have enough time to witness Zod's heat vision destroying the building, don't forget that from Bruce's perspective it looks like: 1) Wanton destruction because none of them seem to have any regard for the environment around them, and 2) The fact that they can use these powers so freely and unhinged puts lives at risk and makes a city an automatic war zone. That's a good reason to be skeptical and want to take Clark down. After all, Bruce likely thinks that Clark could end humans if he really wanted to (and he doesn't know Clark's personal story, so he won't know that he's good until Clark proves it to him).

But even if not, it just seems unlikely to me that Bruce will assume that Superman somehow behaved recklessly in such a way that it resulted in the deaths of people close to him. Superman stopped Zod from destroying all of humankind. It just doesn't make sense for Bruce to fail to see the big picture here. He is the World's Greatest Detective.

Except, Superman did behave recklessly as far as using his powers are concerned. He was inexperienced in combat at a city-scale. He was unable to contain Zod effectively, and the things he did are dangerous to human beings. As far as I remember, Superman facewalled Zod onto a building, he failed to move combat from Metropolis's streets when civilians were openly at risk. He had good intentions, but that doesn't mean he was effective.

Also, World's Greatest Detective doesn't mean that Batman is infallible. We're talking about someone who likely went through so much **** in his life in terms of losing people he loved, that he's operating more from emotion than logic so he can protect not only those he cares about, but also the entire human race. That's more interesting to explore and humanizes Batman even more so than being a know-it-all.

Again, I'll be disappointed if the main motivation for Batman to view Superman as a threat is that he is "angry" at Superman for the destruction of Wayne Tower. Imho that would be lame. That's Batman having a kind of breakdown, actually. Maybe they can make it work if it is the central reason. But I'd rather see something more sophisticated than that for his motivation.

What are your thoughts?

Did you watch the trailer? Bruce isn't angry because his tower is gone, he's angry and distrustful because he's staring down the face of someone who can end humanity in a split second, and that thought scares him.

Big difference is how/what they do in that breakdown though. Rises Bruce secluded himself. BvS Bruce is out branding people and staring at a dead friends suit with Joker taunting him. BvS Bruce is in a fever, he feels powerless. Rises Bruce was cocky.

Bruce wasn't cocky in Rises. He was purposeless. Co-operating in a lie with Jim Gordon at the end of TDK meant that there was no purpose for him in his own city. For the first time, Batman was unneeded. He tried to infuse purpose in his life as Bruce Wayne by trying to help the city through the energy project, but once that was unsuccessful (due to fear of it being easily weaponized), he returned to the vicious cycle of being a purposeless man.

 

[rogbngp]

@InJustice,

You make a cogent argument for a straight-forward interpretation that Bruce/Batman fears Superman's potential for harm.

I would take the other side of the recklessness argument, though. Most people across the globe probably watched the whole thing go down on video. That is, I would assume that the whole world watched the Black Zero event happen live on TV. Superman was mainly just trying to survive against a viscous foe who was intent on annihilating the entire human species--and indeed Zod only failed by a hair's breadth in his attempt to eradicate humans from the globe by terraforming the planet (but for Superman). This is taking place in a more real world sort of setting where our media culture's talking heads on TV have apparently been analyzing it endlessly. I think it was likely apparent to all that Superman was trying his best, even if it wasn't perfect. (Okay, I grant you, raking Zod's face into a building was not the best move to ensure the safety of the citizens of Metropolis! But in the course of the melee to knock Zod through a building may have been next to impossible to avoid.) And let's not forget that Superman is honored with a heroic statue at the monument.

I just think there should be much more to why Batman fears the damage Superman can do to humanity than the Black Zero event alone. I agree with AnneFan that Lex's machinations will provide the main impetus for it.

Personally, I would find the reasons that I listed for Batman's possible concerns about Superman compelling even before Lex launches his plot to turn the public against Superman. But I do not necessarily expect those to be featured in the movie.

 

[rogbngp]

Just an FYI Bizzaro has had the full range of Superman's powers before in various continuities and mediums. A gloss on Bizarro doesn't have to have Freeze vision or Flame Breath.

Thanks, I did not know that!

I have to admit that when I watch the second trailer and imagine the snarling, angrily twisted up Superman as an evil clone created by Lex, things do sort of fall into place.

 

[rogbngp]

Batamn can be given a mulligan if he's presented as being emotionally more than logically primed against Superman and let's remember... This isn't the Riddler pulling the wool over the Dark Knight's eyes, it's Lex Luthor, the greatest criminal mind of his time. Lex should be on the list of guys that can run roughshod over Bruce in terms of intellectual capacity.

See, this is where the BatGod thing is very similar to Silver Age Superman. Where is the drama, where are the story opportunities ect., when you make your character completely infallible, even in the context of suspension of disbelief? And don't fans also always go on about Batman being the mortal hero with limitations?

Yeah, I do agree wholeheartedly with this and we have seen it already for Superman in MoS. So it makes sense to see it done for Batman. For Superman, his Achilles heel is the head trip of the responsibilities of having god-like powers, on the one hand, and being uncertain of himself, on the other (unfortunately (?) inculcated by Jonathan Kent, although with the best of intentions to try to protect him). So the Jungian 'shadow' for him is the opposite of the supremely confident god-like character we're accustomed to seeing him as in past versions. Someone who is vulnerable, a bit lost, searching, etc. (I actually see Snyder's Superman as a tragic figure, at least initially in MoS.)

Theoretically, the Jungian shadow of Batman that can bite him in the ass is his mistrust and paranoia. And of course all of his uncontrolled rage.

It's all in the execution, I guess. One thing I expect from Zack Snyder is he'll probably find a ways to 'show' rather than 'say' this.

 

[Mainline]

The narrative that Superman actually wrecked Metropolis doesn't make sense within the context of what we've seen from Batman v. Superman.

• If someone is suspected of wrecking your city, you don't build giant statues in their honor.
• If you actually think someone is an unaccountable walking disaster waiting to happen, you don't invite them to come into the Capitol Building for a Senate Hearing.
• If Superman was actually responsible for any significant collateral the City, the USA, the Batman, and the World wouldn't sit idly by and let him rescue people from fires and floods.

Zod was the one who turned Metropolis into a battleground and the United States military was the one who authorized turning it into a war zone. Superman caused no damage that doesn't pale in comparison to the intentional evil wrought by Zod or the collateral consequences of American intervention. The US military actually fired live missiles and crashed planes into downtown Metropolis and deemed the stakes high enough to consider that acceptable collateral. The US military who have studied the whole history of human war, crafted and established protocols, and are experts in this far beyond a pacifist farmboy from Kansas or armchair critics, deemed this the proper and acceptable course.

Nothing Superman does upon arriving in Metropolis is something the US Military wouldn't have completely agreed to do themselves. The gravity well around the Black Zero and the military designating Metropolis airspace a war zone means that there would be no aerial coverage of the fight. However, there would be eyewitness, ground level, and other first-hand accounts corroborating Superman's version of events.

There's little upside to the US government aggravating or villainizing Superman unless the entire planet is united against Superman. They drive him off, it's not like he has another planet to go to, so he'll become the denizen of another country who treats him better. So instead of having this power-house call himself an American and align himself with American interests, now he's calling some other country home.

Regarding Batman, he's eyewitness to Wayne Financial falling so irrespective of any rationality, he has a deep emotional response to the level of power Kryptonians wield which makes him afraid and drives him to prepare even if he doesn't act on it. That's inline with Batman's origins. Becoming Batman is not a rational or sane or logical response to your parents dying in front of you. It's a tragic reality that this happens and people don't become Batman. However, within the mythology of the character, he takes that and stews and prepares and becomes the Bat. He doesn't go out the next day or even the next year as Batman.

Batman does not bear a specific grudge against Superman for any particular action, but he fears Superman as a power that caused in him a life-changing emotional response, a terrifying powerlessness that was the same as when the gunman taking his parents did. Batman doesn't deal with that in the sane or logical way, like starting a dialog or getting therapy for his treatment, he prepares and builds up his tools and weapons for dealing with his anguish.

Then, likely, something happens during BvS which precipitates their conflict and allows Batman to use his preparations.

If Batman is boiling with rage over Wayne Financial falling at Superman. I don't think he stands there calmly looking Superman in the eye two years after the event. I think he's content to prepare and bide his time until something in BvS convinces him to use those preparations.

 

[Guts]

This is Bruce's motivation.
[YT]3jYcW1nEsGk[/YT]

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

The narrative that Superman actually wrecked Metropolis doesn't make sense within the context of what we've seen from Batman v. Superman.

• If someone is suspected of wrecking your city, you don't build giant statues in their honor.
• If you actually think someone is an unaccountable walking disaster waiting to happen, you don't invite them to come into the Capitol Building for a Senate Hearing.
• If Superman was actually responsible for any significant collateral the City, the USA, the Batman, and the World wouldn't sit idly by and let him rescue people from fires and floods.

Zod was the one who turned Metropolis into a battleground and the United States military was the one who authorized turning it into a war zone. Superman caused no damage that doesn't pale in comparison to the intentional evil wrought by Zod or the collateral consequences of American intervention. The US military actually fired live missiles and crashed planes into downtown Metropolis and deemed the stakes high enough to consider that acceptable collateral. The US military who have studied the whole history of human war, crafted and established protocols, and are experts in this far beyond a pacifist farmboy from Kansas or armchair critics, deemed this the proper and acceptable course.

Nothing Superman does upon arriving in Metropolis is something the US Military wouldn't have completely agreed to do themselves. The gravity well around the Black Zero and the military designating Metropolis airspace a war zone means that there would be no aerial coverage of the fight. However, there would be eyewitness, ground level, and other first-hand accounts corroborating Superman's version of events.

There's little upside to the US government aggravating or villainizing Superman unless the entire planet is united against Superman. They drive him off, it's not like he has another planet to go to, so he'll become the denizen of another country who treats him better. So instead of having this power-house call himself an American and align himself with American interests, now he's calling some other country home.

Regarding Batman, he's eyewitness to Wayne Financial falling so irrespective of any rationality, he has a deep emotional response to the level of power Kryptonians wield which makes him afraid and drives him to prepare even if he doesn't act on it. That's inline with Batman's origins. Becoming Batman is not a rational or sane or logical response to your parents dying in front of you. It's a tragic reality that this happens and people don't become Batman. However, within the mythology of the character, he takes that and stews and prepares and becomes the Bat. He doesn't go out the next day or even the next year as Batman.

Batman does not bear a specific grudge against Superman for any particular action, but he fears Superman as a power that caused in him a life-changing emotional response, a terrifying powerlessness that was the same as when the gunman taking his parents did. Batman doesn't deal with that in the sane or logical way, like starting a dialog or getting therapy for his treatment, he prepares and builds up his tools and weapons for dealing with his anguish.

Then, likely, something happens during BvS which precipitates their conflict and allows Batman to use his preparations.

If Batman is boiling with rage over Wayne Financial falling at Superman. I don't think he stands there calmly looking Superman in the eye two years after the event. I think he's content to prepare and bide his time until something in BvS convinces him to use those preparations.

Bravo sir. This is what I have been saying for awhile. The Zod attack on Metropolis, Bruce being there, witnessing it and having no way to stop it all, this brought him back to that moment when his parents died I think. It's possible it's written that Bruce is emotionally spotlighting Superman for things out of his control. I really doubt even once the dust settles and all the information comes to light clearing Superman, that Bruce takes a deep breath and let's that emotion, that moment go. This is likely not about logic, it's emotion. Add in a Bruce that has lost Robin (Dick?) and possibly Gordon (no proof yet but... You never know) and let the Manor go to ruin over it perhaps... Well he's a Batman with more turmoil under the surface than usual I suspect. This could make him an easy mark for Luthor to goad into a confrontation. If Lex can set something up where Bruce's emotions and his rationality are in agreement then I think you have a Batman that easily sees himself as the one person that can stop this alien God on Earth. Some incident where to the world it seems Superman has done something unredeemable and Bruce wouldn't take a lot of time to consider all the angles, he'd act to end such a monumental threat.

 

[Bathead]

Why can people not grasp the fact that Bruce isn't pissed about the Wayne Tower? He's pissed because these aliens just leveled a city, a small town and he looks to them (Including Clark) as a threat to the human race that needs to be dealt with. Geez, everyone I've come across is like "Man batman is really mad his building got destroyed."....... Honestly, I'm sure he couldn't give any less of a s*** about his building.

He's not pissed because he lost a building, but the people that worked for him who died there. Why wouldn't he be pissed about that?

 

[matt47]

Bruce wasn't cocky in Rises. He was purposeless. Co-operating in a lie with Jim Gordon at the end of TDK meant that there was no purpose for him in his own city. For the first time, Batman was unneeded. He tried to infuse purpose in his life as Bruce Wayne by trying to help the city through the energy project, but once that was unsuccessful (due to fear of it being easily weaponized), he returned to the vicious cycle of being a purposeless man.

He kinda was, he thought he could easily take on Bane.