The Real Story of Batman’s Uncool Reign Is Smarter (& Darker) Than DC’s Recon

One of the most famous pictures Batman Learning is that the Dark Knight does not kill. No matter what, no matter how many people the Joker kills, Batman refuses to stoop so low as to become a killer just like his worst enemies. However, this rule not to kill is not only a fundamental piece of Batman’s mythos – It is one of DC’s first ever recons.

Batman’s no kill rule has been around for decades, but it wasn’t there at his debut. The first instance of Batman revealing that he and his companions do not kill is in the pages of Batman #4 By Bill Finger and Bob Kane. When Batman and Robin are dueling pirates with swords, Batman instructs Robin to use the flat side of his blade, so as not to kill anyone.

Robin responds in the affirmative, as if this is a rule that has been in continuity for a while – the very stuff of a good recon. In fact, before Robin came on the scene, Batman is killing criminals left and right.

Batman doesn’t kill…right?

Batman’s first kill has major Joker symbolism

Batman was first introduced in 1939s Detective Comics #27 By Bob Kane and Bill Finger, as the dark answer to the sensational Superman of Action comics. Although today’s Batman has changed in more ways than can be counted, the most iconic aspect of his character is that, despite his dark nature, he vows never to kill. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

In this very first appearance, Batman faces his first villain and Push him into a cauldron of acid, commenting that this is “A fitting end for his kind.” The Joker symbolism that bubbles to the surface is replete in its very first issue. Batman goes on in the next issues to trap the so-called Doctor Dead in a burning building and then, at another time, to snap a man’s throat. Batman is also seen using guns quite regularly. So what happened to this version of the vigilante Batman, who had no qualms about taking the law into his own hands?

Why DC Retconned Batman’s Past of Brutal Justice

Batman gets his own title and a sidekick to boot

From a noir detective to a superhuman space hero beyond Gotham, Batman has gained ground as an icon of justice who acts on the edge of mercy. But the true backstory is that Comic editors Bob Kane and Bill Finger took away from Batman’s harsh version of justice when Batman finally got his first title. Very quickly, Batman got his sidekick, Robin, and from there he turned into a holy paragon for several decades – until the pendulum swung back, that is.

While Batman #4 provides the first example of Batman not killing, it does it in the classic Recon way, pretending that’s the way it’s always been for the reader. After 80 years of this, DC is practically right. But the history of Batman killing is there, and DC’s reasons for changing this practice are the same reasons Batman himself stopped killing: In order to be a better role model for a future generation. This is a much more compelling take on the character, and DC would be foolish to let it slide through just another timeline change, the first of many, in fact.

Robin is the reason Batman turned from a killer to a hero

Batman is transformed from a vigilante to a role model with Robin

Just like with his son, Damian Wayne, who has killed several times, Batman’s history shows that A hero who has killed before and then vows to be better and never kill again is a more compelling hero than one who has never crossed any kind of line. Batman’s timeline shows that his practice of killing winds up by the time Dick Grayson arrives on the scene. This is another important aspect of the mystery, as it shows that Batman sacrifices his ultimate form of revenge in order not to drag Robin into the darkness that shrouds him.

Batman also recently gave the smartest reason yet for his no-kill rule. It’s not just about not wanting to cross a line; Batman knows that he inspires others to follow in his footsteps – If he kills, Batman inspires others to do the same. This can be traced all the way back to when he adopted Robin as his sidekick. Bruce Wayne realized that he was training a boy to follow in his footsteps. He decided to train Dick Grayson along the path of light instead of the path of death in a major, fundamental shift to his noir, action pulp character.

DC should keep the real story of Batman’s kill record

Batman’s murderous past makes him a more compelling character

Robin’s place in this recon is essential, as it means that Robin made Batman a hero. As stories continue to be created, for example The Bat-Man: First Knight By Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins, showing the inner life of Batman’s first days, there is a prime opportunity here for true storytelling that reveals the darkest parts of Batman in the beginning and just how he pulled himself back from the brink of darkness. Nightwing’s light-hearted nature is something every fan is familiar with – but only imagine seeing The first moment Bruce Wayne brings Dick Grayson home, and it saves Batman from the darkness instead.

Even further, if the Joker is the memory of Stryker (Batman’s first villain he pushed into a vat of acid) coming back to haunt him thematically, the story of Batman’s murder can only get more complicated – and darker. . No wonder Batman will never kill the Joker, because the Joker is the face of Batman’s failure to kill once before. Show fans the real Batman, and his entire storyline will finally make sense instead of the stuttering re-telling of many different Batmans.

Batman doesn’t kill – anymore

DC should let Batman be the paragon of redemption

This is a heavier and much more thematic story arc than any other light-out. DC should embrace the Dark Knight’s darkest past, because it makes him much stronger. Most criticisms aimed at characters like Superman are that he has no depth to him. Batman has more depth than most characters, but if He, as a dark vigilante, has never killed, then he is missing one of his biggest moments for complexity. At a time when members of the Bat-Family are breaking the rule of no killing, it is more important than ever for Bruce Wayne to admit the truth and become the role model he was meant to be.

The story is there, and it’s much more interesting than any recon. As with any story, the truth is more interesting than the fiction, and DC should embrace the truth of Batman. It will only make fans love him more as a father figure who has chosen life instead of his murderous past. Sure, everyone knows these Batman don’t kill – At least anymore.