How is Batman different now?

[bw38]

I've read a lot that OYL Batman isn't as dark as he was Post-Crisis. I'm just curious to know how is it that Batman is different? What has he done OYL that has made him not as dark? Any examples?

[The Skoot]

Every issue he pets a kitten, and once during a fight scene he stopped to watch a family of ducks cross the road and said 'Aaaah, so cute!'

[bw38]

i don't see the need for sarcasm. and if that isn't sarcasm, then i'm going to puke.

[Captain Jim]

Not sacrasm, he's just trying to be funny. I must say, it brought a smile to my face. I'm sure you'll get some serious replies to follow.

[Rupertmetal]

The only thing I can think of is that he smiled when Robin was on his date with Zoanne in the latest Robin comic.

I think Batman being different OYL is a bit overrated. I think he needed a break and he needed to regroup his team (Tim and Drake). I wish he got Cass back on his team during his one year vacation, but oh well.

But, I don't think Batman's object during his one year vacation was to make some dramatic change in his life, or try to act dramatically different.

[a-spidey]

i guess when nobody had said before that batman has changed OYL nobody would have noticed that. I guess it depends more about how the writer sees him.

[Jkid099]

"Batman" is still the scary, intimidating, will do what it takes to take down the bad guys and save innocent lives. The OYL change is that Bruce Wayne isn't a jerk to his friends and family (especially when things get tough). We're seeing more of the human Bruce than the "dark and dreary" one that would occasionally show his head when he wasn't being Batman during the past years.

[CMBMOOL]

He did say thank you to Hal after he made a Lantern like Microscope for him in the current Justice League of America title, and Hal was surprise by his comment.

So that may show that he behavior towards the other heroes may have just change a little. :)

[The Shadow]

Every issue he pets a kitten, and once during a fight scene he stopped to watch a family of ducks cross the road and said 'Aaaah, so cute!'

Good point... especially when he was a notorious kitten kicker pre-OYL!

I don't think he's any different. All that was needed is a good writer (Dini) to make the character good.

[BatKnight89]

I love how they have cleaned up Batman. I've been away from Batman since 98, and I got back into it kind of in 2005, because Batman Begins sparked my Love for Batman back to life, but anyway, I checked up on a few things from the past few years and I was not happy.

I have been a Bat-fan since as long as I can remember, I am a Batman expert and the way they had written Batman was all wrong.

I was so happy to hear them say Morrison will have him more like he was in the 70's, and it's great to see him back again the way he should be.

Batman is the Dark Knight and is Dark but he also has style, and from what they had him doing these last few years he just wasn't Batman, I've looked over some stuff as I said before and the stories were crap and Batman wasn't Batman, also that Jason Todd thing I am going to act like it did NOT happen.

Sp stupid to do that to the memory of Jason.

It's like they had no good ideas so they scratched up this crap, squeezing out whatever they could from that story of J.T., what a shame.

[Kid Kyoto]

i don't see the need for sarcasm. and if that isn't sarcasm, then i'm going to puke.

Sarcasm is just a free benefit we offer here at CBR.

[SpaceBooger]

He shows that he does care for his family even though he wont openly say it.
He has been known to compliment and congratulate Robin almost every successfully mission OYL

[TheWraith]

"Batman" is still the scary, intimidating, will do what it takes to take down the bad guys and save innocent lives. The OYL change is that Bruce Wayne isn't a jerk to his friends and family (especially when things get tough). We're seeing more of the human Bruce than the "dark and dreary" one that would occasionally show his head when he wasn't being Batman during the past years.

Exactly. Batman is still the same bad-ass as ever. He just re-discovered a little of his humanity as Bruce Wayne. It's very much in the same vein as the Batman stories written by Dennis O'Neil, Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway and the like. And that's a good thing.

[elias_A]

In Face the Face, he says nice things to that young policewoman.
And when he captures Poison Ivy, he seems almost tender and understanding.

In Dini's Tec, he and Zatanna are nice to each other. He is rather nice to Harley when he believes she really cured.
There are more scenes like this.

But I agree, if they had not made such a big point of this, no-one would have considered it a radical change.

[Choppa]

He shakes hands with cops!

[Karl H]

Dini has him using the Bruce Wayne persona much more.... I don't know if that's a sign of him loosening up but having read the first trade of Dini's run, I must say it's amongst the tightest Batman righting I've read in years...