As much as we all love Batman, we have to admit, the guy has had some pretty wild moments in his history. It’s to be expected, after all. The Dark Knight has been around for nearly a century at this point, and in that time, he’s had some of the best and most defining stories in the superhero genre. But even someone as hyper-competent as Batman doesn’t always bat a thousand. In fact, as any fan of the character could tell you, there have been some wildly controversial moments for the Caped Crusader.
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Admittedly, his overall history is very good, with stories like Batman: Year One or The Dark Knight Returns still looked back on as rock-solid classics. But every once in a while, something would happen that displeased readers in some way. Whether it was a promised wedding that didn’t actually happen or a Batman ally being made to suffer, there’s no short supply of moments that make Batman’s history look a little less favorable. Read on to discover 7 moments that many Batman fans still look back on in shock.
7. The Bat-Wedding That Wasn’t
If you remember the Rebirth era of Batman, you remember how much the wedding between Bruce and Catwoman was. Batman #50 was supposed to feature the nuptials between the two lovebirds, and DC Comics went hard in advertising that, sending out mock invitations and even did a miniseries prelude. And yet, the actual issue doesn’t feature a wedding, and instead ends with Batman being left at the altar. Fans and retailers alike were furious, and while a wedding was seen in Tom King’s Batman/Catwoman series, it was too little, too late.
6. The Joker’s Radical Makeover
There were a lot of questionable things in the New 52, and for my money, the Joker’s redesign for “Death of the Family” was one of the most questionable. After having his face cut off at the very beginning of the initiative, Joker returned for this crossover to claim his face and…wear it like a mask. Was it creepy? Yes, obviously. But a lot of fans thought that this went way too far. I mean, the Joker is edgy occasionally, sure, but this made him seem like a grotesque parody of himself.
5. The Craziest Mr. Freeze Retcon
Oh man, speaking of the New 52, we can’t forget about the most infamous retcon that had fans fuming for years. In Batman Annual #1, DC Comics properly introduced fans to the revamped Mister Freeze. But the heartbreaking backstory about him and his desperate quest to save his wife, Nora? Yeah, the overhauled canon had them as never being married. Nora was just a patient in suspended animation that Freeze projected romantic feelings onto. This did not make fans happy, and thankfully, it was undone when the New 52 was undone.
4. Robin’s Treatment in All-Star Batman and Robin
All-Star Batman and Robin is known for a lot of things. Most notably, Batman’s awful treatment of Robin. The series has Batman essentially kidnap Dick Grayson and berate the confused young man just moments after experiencing the worst moment of his life. And yes, this includes that moment where Batman dishes out an insensitive slur towards Dick. Batman doesn’t do anything to comfort Dick, leaving him alone with nothing but rats in his first night in the Batcave. This series has a lot of problematic things, and its treatment of Robin is at the very top.
3. The Torture of Stephanie Brown
When it comes to trauma the Bat-Family has incurred, Stephanie Brown is often overlooked, and that’s a shame because she went through one of the most harrowing events during the “War Games” saga. Spoiler attempts to prove herself to Batman, only to get kidnapped by Black Mask, who tortures her for information, with Stephanie later dying from her injuries. Of course, the death was a ruse to get Stephanie somewhere safe, but it doesn’t make what she went through any more pleasant or, frankly, less shocking to see.
2. The Shooting of Barbara Gordon
Admittedly, Batman: The Killing Joke is a well-regarded story. But a lot of fans took issue (and still take issue, honestly) with the way that Barbara Gordon is treated in this book. To ensure that Commissioner Gordon is completely broken, the Joker shoots Barbara and assaults her, removing her clothes and photographing her. While later writers were able to utilize Barbara and have her continue on as the computer expert Oracle, what she went through in this story is still looked back on as one of the darkest moments in Batman history.
1. The Death of Jason Todd
I really don’t think there’s a more WTF moment in Batman’s history than this one. Seriously, “Death in the Family” had Joker simultaneously work for the Iranian government and beat the ever-loving hell out of Jason Todd before blowing him up in a building. And what makes this entire thing that much more bizarre is that DC Comics allowed fans a chance to decide the outcome with a vote. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised the more shocking result won out, but damned if that element didn’t elevate this story to an even more ridiculous level.
What do you think the most WTF moment in DC Comics history is? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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