Batman's Disappearance?

[.:Mattness:.]

Call me stupid, but I was a bit confused by the whole plotline of what happened on the night when all hell broke loose. Batman (the leader of the pack) failed an attempt to defeat the Joker. Joker sent someone to kill Catwoman, and went to kill Batgirl himself. But what about Batman? Why didn't the Joker go after him, and send a different person to kill Batgirl? I mean, Batman was Joker's main threat, if I'm not mistaken. And then Batman just... quit? After all his been through, after all the loss he's faced, he quits? Maybe I missed something, but it just seems kinda out of character for him to hang up the cape and mask because Catwoman was killed and Batgirl was paralyzed from the waist down. Can someone offer me some insight? ::grins::

[Ted]

Here's the thing, no one can really say why he left. Barbara guessed the Joker was trying to drive Batman mad. Bats maybe did what Barbara did - up and went in for the night, as she was, showering and relaxing after a fight. Or perhaps he was out for another sweep elsewhere in the city. Joker never would've beaten Batman, because Bruce never would've answered his own door - Alfred would have. So pretend Joker went for Bruce and shot Alfred at the door - what would we do next, head for Bruce himself, no? The show has never said that Joker even knew Batman's real identity, or he probably would've gone after him, but Batgirl may have been easier to find. But pretend that Joker knows who Bruce is and is going after him... I think Bruce probably has enough security set-up around his Manor to know the Joker himself is coming into the house and has shot someone, whereas Barbara simply had a little apartment - and now she's learned from her "mistake" and has security at the tower.

To answer your question, none of us are inside Batman's head or can say what happened inside of him that night - but I think the fact that he couldn't protect the woman he loved AND the semi-daughterish protege might've really gotten to him. Yes, he had a drive to fight - but when that fighting leads you to such pain and loss, what's your motivation? Is it okay to ask someone to keep fighting after such awful personal loss? Not all superheros work alone, fight alone, survive alone - they have people around them and the fact that they can't save the people closest to them probably really gets to them, since they can save random strangers but not those they love. Helena had these same feelings in the pilot episode.

[capedcrus8r]

It does seem a bit far-fetched, but Joker wanted to hurt Batman. He knew that killing Catwoman and Batgirl would wound him in a way that would be more detrimental to his already damaged psyche. Batman had no true love as Bruce Wayne. He couldn't because of his "really aggressive hobby." The only woman he ever really loved was Catwoman. Once she died it affected him incredibly...not since the loss of his parents had he been so damaged. He just could no longer live with it. And I'm sure he felt the guilt that his life as Batman was what caused her death.
So it's not totally without reason that he would leave that life.

Although what I don't know is does Bruce know about Helena? I would assume he does since Alfred knows and Barbara said the "trust paid for all the computer equipment." I assume it is Helena's trust.


I wouldn't be surprised though, should this show be renewed, if at some point Mr. Wayne makes his appearance. (Think "Alias" with metahumans and masks....heehee)

[.:Mattness:.]

::Nods:: Good points there about why Joker wouldn't have gone after Batman. The thing about him leaving Gotham is still puzzling me. I understand that he lost two very important people in his life that night, but isn't great loss the whole reason he started being Batman in the first place? I would've thought that it would have affected him greatly, yes, but that he was have overcame and been driven to fight even more than before. That's just my opinion, of course, and I see what you're saying, that he could have reached his limit and decided that he was tired of losing people who were close to him. But, I dunno. Perhaps they'll clear these things up in a later episode...

EDIT: Didn't it say in one of the episodes that Batman didn't know about Helena? Another thing that confuses me. How could he not know? And why wouldn't Helena try to contact him? I know she doesn't like the way he did certain things, but yeah. ::shrugs::

[giggle_box_sam]

Yeah, it would be really sensational if Mr.Wayne made an appearance. That would be something that would save the show from being cut at the end of season one. :) I also entirely agree with you about his pain. If you lost the love of your life for a cause that seems tiring after so long, wouldn't you hang up that that mask and give in to a normal life? I know I would and to add the endangerment of Barbara's life, that's a lot of pain there.

[BoPRobinII]

I see Batman's departure as being the result of Bruce losing faith in both himself (his ability to keep those around him safe) and his cause (fighting crime) due to having five people he cared greatly about either killed or injured because of the Joker (this assumes that BoP follows the Batman origin story presented in the Movie-verse, and that the BoP-verse's second Robin, Jason Todd, meets his end at the Joker's hand, as happens in the comics).

[giggle_box_sam]

Well said but nonetheless, I hope we get to find out that it's a bit more to it than we think because then it would ruin the suspense and drama ;)

[jhowlett]

Hey Mattness...

Here are things to consider...

In DC Comics

it was Joker who killed Robin
it was Joker who shot Barbara Gordon


In Batman the Animated Series (return of the joker movie)

it was Joker to sorta killed Tim Drake

So it isn't far fetch that Joker who do things himself...'coz frankly thats the only way he could defeat Batman...by hurting those close to him for him to feel helpless.

[AngelQueen]

Mattness said: Didn't it say in one of the episodes that Batman didn't know about Helena? Another thing that confuses me. How could he not know? And why wouldn't Helena try and contact him?

Helena wouldn't try to contact him because, as she stated, she sort of blamed him for Selina's death. And as Barbara told Alfred, she isn't going to accept anything that is connected with the Wayne fortune. Basically, she wanted nothing to do with her father.

Mattness, you're right, Batman didn't know about Helena, at least not before the final showdown with the Joker seven years ago. After he left Gotham, he might of found out.

Of course, that leads to a whole different set of questions. Why didn't he come back? He knew he had someone here who would probably need him.

Well, Bruce is infamous for blaming himself for everything. He blamed himself for his parents' death, he blamed himself for Jason Todd's murder, and he blamed himself for what happened to Selina and Barbara. (Heck, even in the Animated Series-verse, he blamed himself for what happened to Tim Drake at the Joker's hands in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.)

So perhaps he didn't feel himself worthy of even looking into the eyes of his daughter, after everything that had happened to her because of him. Mayhap he was even a bit afraid of what else he'd see in those eyes. Like a piece of himself, maybe. After all, it was the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne that created the Batman. One could say that it was the murder of Selina Kyle that created the Huntress.

I guess when you come down to it, Bruce might have been so filled with guilt that he just couldn't face his own daughter. Even though that, as we know, there was nothing he could have done to prevent what happened that night.

Not that that matters to Bruce. He was always willing to blame himself whenever something bad happened. *sighs and hugs Bruce* He really needs to stop the obsessing.

Well, I hope that helps a little. Maybe in some future episode they'll answer the many questions that Bruce's disappearance brings up. *hopes*

AQ

[giggle_box_sam]

Well said. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to look into your child's eyes and hear her says she blamed him for her mom's death. That would be so horrible and I hope that the show does read this because it's a great plotline or fanfiction idea ;) *looks around to see if anyone gets hint*

[AngelQueen]

giggle_box_sam said:I hope that hte show does read this because it's a great plotline or fanfiction idea.

*giggles* Well, I did do a small vignette from Bruce's PoV, taking place after he left New Gotham. It's called One Hears Things... and it's over in the Fanfiction forum. If you're interested, it's there waiting.

[/SHAMELESS PLUG]

AQ

[giggle_box_sam]

I don't have too much time right this moment but maybe tomorrow I'll have time to read it. I waited to the last minute to do a 3 page report on the Jews...it absolutely is horribly boring...:(

[lizziemackenzie]

As far as that night is concerned, the Joker didn't shoot Batgirl, he shot Barbara Gordon-- the daughter of the Police Commissioner, James Gordon. She just happened to be Batgirl.

IMHO, Bruce left because it's the last straw. He couldn't handle it any more. By this time, (I'm going comicverse in this, combined with references that have been made) he's had three Robins here and gone, one killed by the Joker. The first Robin is now Nightwing and lives in Bludhaven. The existence of Tim Drake is questionable because there is no support of either his existance or his non-existance.

Both BoP TV and comic fan,
Liz

[Dragonfly]

*giggles* Well, I did do a small vignette from Bruce's PoV, taking place after he left New Gotham. It's called One Hears Things... and it's over in the Fanfiction forum. If you're interested, it's there waiting.

lmao! A little self-promotion huh? Nothing wrong with that. ;)

I have to admit the idea intrests me quite a bit. (Kinda like the whole deal with Paige and Piper and Pheobe's dad in Charmed.) Wouldn't Bruce want to try and see, Helena, talk to her even? I don't know. I'll have to head on over there and read that. :)