Warning: Spoilers for Batman and Robin #17!There's a acquainted debate between Batman followers about whether or not the Darkish Knight and Robin's efforts to wash up Gotham make town a greater place, or whether or not the Dynamic Duo's presence forces essentially the most horrific criminals to rise to their stage. As tensions rise between the 2, Damian Wayne calls Batman's efforts basically flawed, questioning why Batman can by no means treatment Gotham of its illness.
Batman and Robin #17 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javier Fernández finds Robin nonetheless haunted by the accidents inflicted on civilians in the course of the Memento assault, primarily as a result of he behaved coldly in direction of one of many victims moments earlier than the assault occurred. Impressed by the writings of Dr. Thomas Wayne, Robin assaults Batman in frustration.
"You win. That's your superpower. You dominate", Robin accuses. "However we are able to't... treatment something.“It's a damning indictment of how Batman's want for management doesn't essentially clear up the issues in Gotham.
Batman's want for management is destroying Gotham
Batman and Robin #17 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Javier Fernández, Marcelo Maiolo and Steve Wands
Sooner or later in Batman's historical past, the character's tendency to have a particular problem-solving machine available or to miraculously deduce the reply to a thorny state of affairs has develop into the hallmark of absolute management of up to date Batmanas demonstrated by your contingency plans after contingency. When left unchecked, this want for management turns right into a catastrophe.
A brief record of notable incidents consists of Batman's Brother Eye spy satellite tv for pc, his murderous synthetic backup character "Zur-En-Arrh", and the strolling nightmare that's the Anti-Batman robotic Failsafe. By now, Batman's want for management it arguably overshadowed each different side of the character.
Robin argues that Gotham by no means improves as a result of Batman's roots are flawed.
However as Robin factors out in Batman and Robin #17, having management shouldn't be the identical factor as being cured. Batman has confirmed himself adept at controlling Gotham on just about each stage, funding varied causes and initiatives as Bruce Wayne and policing the violence-prone streets as his vigilante alter ego. Robin argues that Gotham by no means improves as a result of Batman's roots are flawed: that all Bruce is aware of easy methods to do is dominate and managementnot treatment. Robin adopts Thomas Wayne's perspective as a health care provider, citing that Bruce's struggle on crime is a technique of controlling, not curing, Gotham's illness.
Batman desires to alter – however can he?
Batman and Robin #17 Foremost Cowl by Javier Fernández and Dave McCaig
As acknowledged beforehand, this argument shouldn't be new. Batman seems to have realized his lesson from Failsafe and is admittedly extra conscious of his tendencies: his new base at Pennyworth Manor embodies his try to maneuver from seeing Gotham as a battlefield to be gained to seeing town as a household to help. The query at hand is whether or not Batman will be capable of overcome his “superpower” of having the ability to dominate any state of affairsgiving up sufficient management over Gotham to keep away from suffocating town in his makes an attempt to put it aside.
Gotham Metropolis is one among DC's most tough places to research, not to mention defend, with quite a few arguments over whether or not Batman's presence is Gotham's salvation or doom. What's honest to say is that Batman's want for management has traditionally led to extra hurt than good, with Gotham usually bearing the brunt of his domineering tendencies. Batman is undeniably a pressure for good, however robin makes some extent of claiming that Gotham may gain advantage extra from a healer's contact.
Batman and Robin #17 is now obtainable from DC Comics.