How many "sides"/"faces" are there to Bruce Wayne / Batman?

[Gale]

I say two.

Bruce Wayne the billionaire playboy is a mask and doesn't deserve to be called a face or side because he's a complete lie and doesn't reflect any part of his true personality.

Bruce the Real One witnessed his parents murder thus has the compassion to be a father figure to his Robins (and their alter-egos of course), a philanthropist, and keep his family's business going.

Batman is his darker side who through Bruce has the pain and drive to do what Bruce can't do as an ordinary person. He serves as a hero to Gotham and a knight for justice.

The two latter are who he is just different sides that cannot exist without each other whilst the former is the only mask Bruce actually has, but is as important as the latter two because it keeps his identity safe.

 

[Batman, Inc.]

Fundamentally, there's just one side to Bruce Wayne. Any other side(s) died on the street with his parents.

There is no billionaire playboy. He doesn't exist. Its an act to distract people. The billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne is a psyops campaign orchestrated by the real Bruce Wayne. He's an illusion for the benefit of villains and the public.

The private Bruce Wayne and public Batman are the same character ... same abilities, same obsessions, same temprament. Angry. Obsessive. Tough. Single-minded. He puts on the cowl to hide his identity and instill fear into enemies ... but he's the same guy with or without the cowl.

Honestly, that's the only way the character can work. He's obsessed with his crusade. He can't be written as a part-time crusading vigilante without the whole thing falling apart. He's on a full-time crusade ... the billionaire playboy facade is a just means to an end.

KBZ

This.


Batman is the REAL one and only personality. Bruce Wayne died with his parents and Batman was basically born that night. The public Bruce Wayne is a totally phony personality so it doesn't count. THAT is the real mask. In fact, I think there have been instances before in the mythos where Alfred basically has to coach Bruce on acting normal and like a billionare playboy type. Bruce Wayne's voice, mannerisms etc. are what is manufactured. I always saw his Batman voice and mannerisms as being the real him, not an act put on to distance Batman from Bruce. Its the opposite of Bale's interpretation, really.


Bruce Wayne is the fake persona put on to distance himself from the REAL person, which is Batman. The only thing that separates Batman from the 'REAL Bruce Wayne' persona that people like to refer to is that Batman is just a theatrical 'amplification' of that true person in order for Bats to be able to better intimidate criminals and therefore accomplish his mission. Even though there is an element to the Batman persona which is putting on a bit of a show, its still basically the same real guy as private Bruce. I don't see Batman as a separate 'persona' from the real private Bruce like many do.


That's my take.

 

[CLARKY]

Well I think this is a pretty interezsting question : how many faces has Bruce Wayne/Batman. Only the fools would say 2!! Ha!
I think he has 18 faces in fact.
Bruce alone, bruce/alfred, bruce/parents, bruce/1st Robin, Bruce/second robin, Bruce/third robin, Bruce/Stephanie Brown, Bruce with the bat family, Bruce with girls, bruce with Joker, Bruce with monsters criminals, Bruce with Normal criminals, Bruce/Superman, Bruce/Justice League, Bruce/Outsiders (close to Bruce/batfamily but different), Bruce with Gordon and finally the last one : Bruce himself alone with batman not being batman but being the vigilante he is without believing the hero is not part of him.

But just in MY opinion only (and I'm aware that in Noaln's batman there are 3), I just see 2: Fake Bruce Wayne and Batman. Bruce is batman. Batman is just bruce in action, while he can stay calm with Alfred or Robin. So just 2 Bruces main faces.