
Originally Posted by
bat39
I'd like some further exploration of the 'Bruce Wayne vs. Batman' identity conflict...albeit beyond the traditional 'who is the REAL identity' argument. The Court of Owls arc, and indeed other Batbooks as well, have introduced this whole idea of Bruce Wayne becoming a great pillar of Gotham by rebuilding the city. I think Barbara even made a point in Batgirl # 6 (I think) about Bruce possibly being more important to the city than Batman. And I think there's a lot of scope for exploration there...in recent years, Bruce has been through a lot of experiences which have arguably 'reinvented' him (the Thogal ritual, RIP and the whole Simon Hurt conspiracy, being thrown through time, the whole setting up of Batman Inc, and now the Night of the Owls) and its clear that he's psychologically in a very different place from the Bruce who was just a 'mask' for the Batman. I think he now wants to do something for the city legitimately as a member of the Wayne family, much like his ancestors did. So what I'd like is for future stories to explore the idea that maybe Bruce Wayne HAS become more important to the city than the Batman, and has a far better chance of 'cleaning up Gotham' than Batman and the other vigilantes ever had. Its clear that Bruce can most likely never give up the mantle of Batman, but perhaps he now has to cope with the realization that the Batman isn't all that important to the city, and to himself personally, as it was when he first started out. It would be a story worth reading...
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