Is it just me or has Batman lost all of his mystique over the last several years? Lately, he loses most fights so the writers can hammer the concept of family into the ground. Family family family. We get it. and his identity is one of the worst kept secrets in the DCU. I personally like Morrison’s unbeatable version (to a reasonable degree) and I like the urban legend angle. I hope they bring that back in the next inevitable reboot.
DC continuity is a bigger mess than ever so some of these might have been retconned, but think of how many villains know his identity.
Joker, Catwoman, Riddler, Hush, Bane, Luthor, all Metal versions, Ras, Talia, Amanda Waller, Raptor, there was a forgettable villain in Detective recently who knew, Two-Face. The First Ally (?). The awful creations Gotham and Gotham Girl. Presumably Penguin could figure it out since he now knows Jason Todd is Red Hood (and probably that he was Robin). Plus all of Jason’s shady allies/henchmen. I think some of Bane’s crew in King’s run know but it’s probable that they do given the depth of his plan. Maybe this was undone in Grayson but ANYONE with Google after Dick was unmasked in Forever Evil. Spyral. Likely The Court of Owls. The Colony. In the old days Hugo Strange, Nocturna. It seemed like he kept it secret from Clayface in Tec. Deathstroke knows I think.
I even miss it when most heroes didn’t know. Certain ones deserve to know but it seems like they all do now. Also, any civilian in earshot of a JLA battle since they don’t use code names. Anyone even loosely associated with the Bat-Family. Except poor Gordon. Even if he has figured it out it’s just disrespectful at this point.
I remember that Batman would hide from news crews and he recently testified before open Congress in the new Justice League.
I’m sure I’m missing many more. Maybe be some were retconned or ignored but it’s way too many. Especially when the core rogues gallery knows.
Make Batman Great Again.
I’ve never heard someone complain about Batman not being OP enough. As far as I can tell he loses almost no battles. And, sadly enough, DC hasn’t been trying to push the concept of a Bat family for the better part of the last decade. They’re rarely together anymore and they’re all in their own books doing their own thing.
Of course the Batmen from the dark multiverse know his identity, they’re him. But aren’t all of them but the Batman Who Laughs gone now? I’m sure someone will bring them back eventually but for now they don’t matter.
And while I did enjoy the more mysterious Batman who existed in some continuities, it made absolutely no sense. You mean to tell me people didn’t believe that a super prominent member of the Justice League existed? What!?
I agree too many people know who he is, but it’s kind of hard to address that since finding out someone’s secret identity is an interesting threat and it’s hard to make someone forget. I remember Riddler had figured it out once, and they just had him beaten senseless by Hush or somebody until he forgot. Kind of awkward. It might be interesting to see some storyline built around him rebuilding the secrecy via trickery or mind alteration or time hopping or something. Seems like it could make for a pretty epic tale and clean up the problem.
I have no sympathy for the, “Make Batman more OP,” argument. I’d like Bats to be fairly human, and I feel like almost everybody writes him as being amazing at everything and capable of going toe-to-toe with any threat. I’m going to bail before I get too ranty. I have a thread on this forum about Snyder’s Bats being too OP if you want some more thoughts.
Detective Comics Rebirth actually focuses a lot on the Bat Family. I highly recommend Tynion’s run.
@BatWatch Thanks for the suggestion, but I have already it. What I meant is that the more prominent members like Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, and Jason Todd are never there. Besides Tynion’s run Tim Drake is almost never with Batman. And even the current Robin rarely appears in the main Batman titles. All of the major characters are doing their own thing.
I guess for “family” in my argument I mean those beyond the core that are around a lot. Black Lightning, Clayface, Batwoman, Orphan, Spoiler, Duke, Huntress.
I agree the others are too removed. I like him having the family I just feel like it’s been done to death highlighting that he needs it.
Apparently it’s just in my head but I feel like he is constantly getting whupped or hacked or snuck up on or outmaneuvered and needs saving. I don’t necessarily want god Batman but I do like the one that can hold his own with metas and is one step ahead. He’s genetically human but he is also more.
I really really wish this app had a way to look at threads while responding so I could remember what I wanted to reply to. Something about being a prominent JLA member . . . Maybe I invented it in my head but I thought he always hung back during public JLA events.
The happiest I have been with the character was in Kings of Fear #1 when he stops the Arkham breakout. Or when he goes to Arkham to ask questions after the death of a loved one. SPOILER Spoiler -(LT). He was intimidating and capable. He used to be feared and now he’s just a guy in a mask.
For me, he has been deconstructed to the point of being boring.
And I saw the other OP thread. It’s a fine line but I like capable/prepared OP not necessarily silly over the top OP.
And more people knowing his id include the characters from the two Eternal series. Trickster. Mother or whoever she was. Yes the Dark Knights know it for obvious reasons I was just caught up in listing.
Maybe he can make a deal with Meph . . . Neron.