Batman finally loses his cool, begging a surprising hero to save him

Summary

Batman asks Green Lantern Guy Gardner for help against an alien attack in The Invader, Part 2.
Batman’s vulnerability and panic during the psychic attack seem out of character.
Batman calls out to Guy Gardner, of all people, chips in what might have been a rare show of vulnerability from the Dark Knight.

The cool and collected Dark Knight is no more, like Batman Bed Green Lantern Guy Gardner to help save him from an overwhelming alien attack. No, this isn’t clickbait or a twisted interpretation of a scene – Batman literally begs Gardner to save him when he gets in over his head. Now, it’s up to fans to decide if this is a gross mischaracterization of Batman or a much-needed display of character vulnerability.

Batman should be well versed in calmness in such situations and, at the very least, be able to stop himself from punching himself in the head.

Joshua Hale Fialkov, Lisandro Estherren and Patricio Delpeche’s Batman and Green Lantern-centric story continues in The Invader, Part 2One of five stories featured in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14. This installment sees Batman and Green Lantern investigate a mysterious UFO crash landing as they search for the spacecraft’s missing occupantWhich poses an extreme risk to the human population due to its radioactivity.

Bruce and Guy end up separating, with Batman continuing the hunt for the space creature while Green Lantern helps an injured civilian. Despite Batman’s belief that it is better to work alone, he soon realizes that he is in over his head.

Batman asks Green Lantern Guy Gardner to save him from an alien psychic attack (and it makes zero sense)

Batman The Brave and the Bold #14 Bruce calls out to Green Lantern Guy Gardner

in The Invader, Part 1Fans saw Batman endure a psychic assault from an alien, which dredged up his most haunting memories. In Part 2, the Dark Knight suffers another psychic attack as he tracks down the alien again. This time, the stranger forces him to see himself surrounded by his rogues gallery, who argue with him about his parents’ death. This causes Bruce to panic and start punching his protective hazmat helmet while exclaiming, “Boy! Please! I need backup! Boy! … please… help…” The reaction is a far cry from the usually cool and collected Dark Knight.

Bruce’s reaction is shocking because he has faced many high-pressure situations without panicking to such a degree. This behavior seems out of character for the Dark Knight, who has experienced various attacks on his mind, most notably Scarecrow’s fear toxin. Like the alien’s psychic attack, Crane’s fear toxin induces nightmarish hallucinations. Of course, a psychic attack and fear toxin are two different things. However, they both have a similar effect on the mind, meaning Bruce should be well versed in staying calm in such situations and, at the very least, able to stop himself from punching himself in the head..

If DC was going to show a sensitive side to the Dark Knight, they should have chosen no hero but Guy Gardner

Batman The Brave and the Bold #14 Bruce calls to Green Lantern Guy Gardner p2

Another potentially controversial aspect of this scene is Batman begging for help from Guy Gardner of all people. Narratively, it makes sense since the two are working together, making Guy the closest hero and already linking up on cams with Batman. However, if Bruce had been put in a position to ask for help, it would have been more believable and emotionally impactful to see him call himself a hero with whom he has a closer bond. So, what do you think? was Batman Request Green Lantern A creatively daring story or just plain character?

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 is available now from DC Comics.