Like, keep the villains human enough they’re still likable. Like, maybe Crane uses his fear toxin but is uncomfortable with killing. Joker thinks nothing matters, but still hates Nazis (canon thing, just ask Red Skull). Don’t make Croc a cannibal.
I’m not asking to make it kid friendly, just make it less hostile to people like me who can’t handle blood and gore.
How often do Batman comics do gore?
it’s not so much gore as it is excessive violence. in significant detail. Which is kind of what i meant by a softer touch. Kind of the converse of BatMoebius giving the whatfor to that Joe Chill.
A more cerebral Batman would be interesting. But getting caught up or lost in the mission should still be a facet. to me, that means the all nighters of research or learning particular skills for the next “big bad”. Not that he is so disciplined that he cannot lose control and almost kill a perp. But more of a thinking Batman, listening and assessing. Willing to try other options if a beat down proves to be not the best option.
What do you consider ‘excessive violence’?
I’d consider most of the things that happened in the first few years of New 52 Batman-related books to fall under “excessive violence and gore.” I mean, come on. The Joker had his face cut off and then wore it as a mask. What is this, Hellraiser?
Actually, the cutting off of faces I would classify as gore, but that’s just me. I was also speaking generally, given the connotation(s) of the topic.
Like a struggling pearl diver?
First and foremost, I don’t think Batman would ever just murder Joe Chill. He would take him down, and he would be tried, and hopefully justice would be served.
I think Batman goes above and beyond to help all of the villains he takes down. Look at how often he has tried to save Harvey Dent, every incarnation of the character Batman has worked, pleaded and done everything possible for this man. The Joker murdered Jason Todd, and put Barbara Gorden in a chair, and yet the Batman still tried to rehabilitate him. I can go on, but the point is, its been made clear Batman isn’t just lock them up and throw away the key {well except for KGBeast lmao) but definitely has tried to help those in Arkham.
I have to disagree with the tonality of Batman shifting to a lighter tone. Batman is the embodiment of a heroic darkness. So he permanently injured a henchmen? The same murdering henchmen that has constantly escaped justice lol? The reason Batman has an oath of not killing isn’t good writing, it’s the opposite. Batman doesn’t kill people because he has the most interesting villains and it would be too foolish to waste their potential. The only moral authority he answers too is the Comic Code Authority, and the fact he has this god like power to prevent anyone evil from meeting certain doom even in explosions, or falling off buildings is laughable. “My car is driving 170mph, but an electric current zapped that henchmen, before impact, hurling him through a building! He’ll be fine! Those two goons I punched off a zeppelin fell into the Gotham harbor! Water saves you from death!”
The Joker cutting off his face was pretty grisly, but it got the world talking. Made some casual fans into comic fans, and I don’t think there has been a comic story as talked about since.