Notice! Contains spoilers for Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18!
It seems that Batman it is a truly unstoppable force of nature. That no matter what crime or problem he faces, he will always be able to solve it. That’s why it’s so surprising that DC is confirming that Batman’s greatest weakness is something as simple as aging.
Bruce Wayne’s greatest weakness was exposed in Batman: The Brave and the Bold The story “Doubt” from number 18, by Christian Ward and Patric Reynolds. This story introduces a new villain, known as Benjamin Blik, and the big thing that makes him dangerous is his ability to inspire doubt in anyone he meets with just a few well-placed words.
Batman is a pretty stoic person and it’s hard to imagine him giving in to self-doubt, but when he’s affected by Benjamin’s powers, he immediately starts stressing about whether he should continue being Batman. But the surprising thing is why He’s stressed about it. It’s not his concern whether he’s making a difference in Gotham or not, it’s that he’s simply getting too old.
Batman’s aging has been a recurring plot point
Batman: The Brave and the Bold “Doubt“by Christian Ward, Patric Reynolds, Luis NCT and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Considering Batman dedicated his life to protecting Gotham City, he may have doubts about a lot of things. Whether he is truly making a difference or whether the life he has chosen is worth it are things he has expressed doubts about in the past. He also doubted that his treatment and decision to bring the Robins into this life were correct. With a supervillain who can inspire doubts about his powers, there are several different paths they could have taken, but instead they returned to a plot point that keeps coming up for Batman.
Batman is someone who seems to always be there, but he’s still just a man and he’s getting older.
Batman has never really been in danger because of the villains or the situations he ends up in. It’s almost always his age. There is tens of stories that cover this, including things like the first episode of Batman Beyond like this The Dark Knight Returns. Both had plots that revolved around the idea of ​​a Bruce Wayne who was getting too old to protect Gotham City, and the idea is being revisited in Detective comicswhere Batman will be tempted to use a serum to solve his age problem. Batman is someone who seems to be always present, but he’s still just a man and he’s getting older.
Bruce will end up being too old to be Batman
Age is the one thing Batman can’t defeat
The reason characters like Superman and Wonder Woman are so incredibly powerful isn’t just because they can fly through the air or lift mountains with ease. It’s the fact that they will never stop doing this. DC recently revealed that Superman will be one of the last living beings in the universe, long after everyone else has died. This is a luxury that Batman simply doesn’t have. After a few decades, his body will be exhausted and he will need to find a way to reverse his aging or give up the hood. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that getting older is from Batman biggest doubt.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18 It’s on sale now at DC Comics!