WHAT?! Batman almost SHOOTING someone????

[circa81]

I was reading on wikipedia about the infinite crisis thing, which I didn't read for various reasons. (One reason being that these ultra cosmic stories screw with my head when I try to fallow the story line, although I still say that having Superboy Prime bring Jason Todd back to life by pounding on the walls of reality is REALLY stupid) I was reading a summary when it came to a part where Batman was about to SHOOT Alexander Luther with a GUN! How in the name of God did Batman of all people ever get into THAT position?!

 

[Canadian Rider]

Interestingly when Batman first started out he used a gun ... and he killed badguys. He was very much like the Shadow in that way.
They decided to lighten him up and shortly after he stopped using a gun and Robin appeared.

I have always been fascinated with how he has always been portrayed as hating guns and yet ... so they retconned that part of the story to just make it go away. Weird huhn?

 

[CConn]

Batman nearly shot Joker in Hush, and even though it's out of continuity now, he almost shot Joe Chill in Year Two, so this isn't really a new situation for Bats.

 

[circa81]

I knew that Rider.

 

[Canadian Rider]

Sorry Circa ... I was commenting more on how they changed him. I type too much ... thinking ... typing ... keyboard diarehea.

 

[Dope Nose]

my memory may be a little fuzzy but I seem to remember Alexander Luthor blasting Nightwing. Bruce thought Dick had been killed and grabbed the gun in a fit of rage.

 

[Comic Book Boy]

Batman nearly shot Joker in Hush, and even though it's out of continuity now, he almost shot Joe Chill in Year Two, so this isn't really a new situation for Bats.

Batman never almost shot Joker in HUSH, he almost beat him to death, but he never held a gun.

 

[storyteller]

You kinda have to read the damn story..........I mean theres a valid reason why batman pulled a gun(and also didnt shoot)

Alexander had nearly fatally injured nightwing and was responsible for all hell breaking loose, he picked up a gun that was on the ground and pointed at alex but with the help of wonder woman realized the trash didnt deserve death at batmans mask. It was less batman and more bruce since his mask was about to fall off.

 

[CConn]

Batman never almost shot Joker in HUSH, he almost beat him to death, but he never held a gun.

Oops, my mistake.

Simply put, Batman coming close to violating his most sacred of oaths.

 

[Bat-Hombre]

In "The Cult" he killed a policeman.

 

[dude stannis]

I don't recall him killing anyone while "under the influence" in the Cult.

 

[Qoèlet]

"I don't recall him killing anyone while "under the influence" in the Cult."

He did. Thought it was Two-Face, rolled out of the way of his gunfire, then shot him, realizing something to the effect of "Hey, since when do I carry a gun? Oh well".. then it turned into Commissioner Gordon. Then he snapped out of it and remembered he was raiding a Mafia Don's place with the Underworlders. He saves another of the Underworlders in the raid, and the man he disarms in the process is then stabbed to death... so you might blame that death on him too.

He didn't kill a police officer, though. He just punched one later in the story.

 

[Mr.Dent]

I actually understand him for doing it since he thought Dick had been killed. He's only human. And for those who read the Elseworld book "The Nail", he actually DID beat the Joker to death......On camera..

 

[circa81]

I don't suppose anyone has any of the panels to post?

 

[Ibn]

I actually understand him for doing it since he thought Dick had been killed. He's only human. And for those who read the Elseworld book "The Nail", he actually DID beat the Joker to death......On camera..

I don't understand why cats get so bent out of shape everytime the guy almost kills somebody (or for that matter, kills someone). I mean there is only so much a man can take. Guy loses his parents at age what 9, loses an adopted son to violence, thinks he loses his actual son to violence while Talia's pregnant, feels responsible every time somebody else is killed on his watch, then has to deal with the fact that Dick, who he raised as his son, might be dead at the hands of some little prick with a god complex who is laying right in front of him. If it wasn't for wonder woman, who knows. I think I have a pretty strong will, but I would have damn sure blasted his ass away and let the league forgive me like they did WW. Just my thoughts.

 

[The Last Meatbag]

Batman nearly shot Joker in Hush, and even though it's out of continuity now, he almost shot Joe Chill in Year Two, so this isn't really a new situation for Bats.

If Hush is out of continuity, then is The Red Hood out of continuity now too?

 

[Mee]

If Hush is out of continuity, then is The Red Hood out of continuity now too?

I think he was talking about the Batman: Year Two thing.

 

[Qoèlet]

I don't understand why cats get so bent out of shape everytime the guy almost kills somebody (or for that matter, kills someone).

Maybe because Batman's defining characteristic, the thing that makes him a hero, is the sheer, limitless force of his will. He makes an impossible vow, to rid Gotham of the evil that killed his parents, and then he goes right ahead and devotes his every waking hour to accomplishing that goal, knowing damn well he doesn't have a chance. His unwavering devotion is what makes him... well, Batman.

It is important to see that he is still human, that he is tempted and that he struggles. Otherwise there's no point: perfect heroes are boring. So yes, the times when he almost kills, almost crosses the line, aren't only acceptable: they're essential. But he cannot cross that line. If he did, he would be turning his back on what makes him Batman, and if he was "forgiven", that's only saying that it's okay to give up every now and again... and we all know that Batman would never agree with that.

 

[Superman: Idols]

I think he was talking about the Batman: Year Two thing.

And since Joe Chill is back in the fold, maybe "Batman: Year Two" is as well.

 

[Aristotle]

I think a lot of what that part of Infinite Crisis was intended to do was underscore the way Batman had been pushed right up to the edge.

 

[Qoèlet]

And since Joe Chill is back in the fold, maybe "Batman: Year Two" is as well.

I don't see how Year Two could possibly be brought back into the fold, unless it was explicitly done in bringing Joe Chill back in. Chill is, after all, murdered in Year Two and is never arrested for the Wayne murder before that. So if Year Two is back in, the only way Joe could be included in a Batman story would be to explicitly bring up the plot of Year Two.

 

[CConn]

...Joe Chill is back in the fold?

 

[The Shredder]

...Joe Chill is back in the fold?

Yeah, he's now been written as being captured after murdering Wayne's parents. Like in Batman Begins.

 

[circa81]

So I guess no one has any of the panels to post?

 

[Qoèlet]

Yeah, he's now been written as being captured after murdering Wayne's parents. Like in Batman Begins.

Hmm. When and where did that get done?
In any case, that version of events would preclude Year Two, because the whole point was that Chill had never been captured, and Batman finally had a chance to get him, merely having remembered his face up until that point. If he was arrested, Bats would have had plenty of opportunity to kill him before that... if he really wanted to.