Does Batman’s New Character Arc Completely Miss the Point?

Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s Batman #1 is one of the best mainline Batman comic issues in years. The relaunch brings Batman out of the dark spiral he’s been trudging through for years, firmly declaring that the Caped Crusader is a hero through and through, and dedicated to helping everyone he can. The issue is vibrant, poignant, and fun in a way that Batman’s comic hasn’t been in years, and it makes me extremely excited for the run to come, but one thing stuck out to me. Batman seems to be going through a new character arc, but him needing to learn this lesson doesn’t make any sense.

The first issue focused primarily on a central argument between Batman and new Arkham Towers doctor Anna Zeller. Batman, jaded from years of watching villains refuse to improve, says that people can’t change, while Dr. Zeller insists that they can. This is an interesting argument, and leads to a genuinely heartwarming interaction later in the issue, but Batman’s stance goes against the idea point of his character. Batman has always believed people can change, and him needing to go through this arc feels like a major regression of who he is.

Batman Fights For Change

There’s a lot of debate as to why Batman doesn’t kill people. Popular, cynical readings of his character insist that he avoids taking life because the second he gets a taste of blood he won’t be able to stop, or is insane and arbitrarily draws the line to justify his excessive violence. I’ve never bought into either of these readings of Batman as a hopeless character, as when you dig into his motivations and actions it becomes abundantly clear that he does what he does because he firmly believes people and the world can change for the better. He saves people and refuses to kill because he values life, and funnels so much time and energy into the massively corrupt Gotham because he sees the shining beacon it can become.

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Batman is pessimistic, yes, that’s been shown countless times. He plans for the worst case scenario and obsesses with being prepared to fight even his closest allies in case something happens, but he’s not cynical. The Dark Knight doubts if he’ll ever be able to change Gotham for the better in the long term, and often doubts that he’ll have any lasting impact, but he struggles on in spite of those fears. If anything, the fact that Batman clings so tightly to his beliefs even when he’s unsure if they’re even possible proves just how strong they are. Batman will never, ever stop fighting because he knows that everyone can be better, which makes his tired, tragic stance all the more confusing. 

Why So Cynical?

Fraction’s explicitly stated purpose with his Batman run is to bring Gotham City back into the light. He wants to inject that whimsical, fun, lighthearted energy into the comics that Batman has been missing for so long. The past decade especially has felt like one traumatic loss after another, leaving Batman trapped in a never-ending cycle of pain and betrayal, his life always getting worse with no better tomorrow in sight, only to reset to neutral and start all over again. With how much love and care for the character put into this issue, it’s insane to suggest that Matt Fraction doesn’t understand Batman’s basic motivations. I believe he is making a specific choice to present Batman in this way, which is likely meant to be a transition from the dark Batman stories the comics have been for so long to his more upbeat style.

In this issue, Batman is presented as tired and pessimistic, willing to fight to protect but believing his actions won’t change anything. He is acting like the despondent Batman of past, depressing runs, but the world around him is changing. This character arc is Batman relearning how to hope, which is a core pillar his character has been without for too long. This arc isn’t meant for Batman as a character, but for Batman’s readers and the meta perception of him. This arc of accepting that people can change is a painful transition for Bruce back to the person he hasn’t been allowed to be in years, without disregarding the effect of the last few years. I don’t agree that Batman needs to go through this kind of arc, as he fully does understand hope and fights for people to change every day, but I can see the logic both in character and meta perspectives. While this arc is unnecessary for Batman, Batman comics themselves might need it, so we’ll just have to grin and bear it while we enjoy the legitimately amazing comic around this lesson.

Batman #1 is on sale now!