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Warning! Spoilers for Detective Comics #1094!It’s no secret that Batman is a deeply driven man. He has dedicated his entire life to his crusade against crime, and he often expects that same level of dedication from his family. I think this has always been one of his worst personality traits, but it seems like Batman has finally managed to grow past it.
There’s something sinister happening in the Juvenile Detention Facility known as Faultless, and Batman intends to get to the bottom of it. But since the facility is for juveniles, Batman ends up having to send his son Damian Wayne undercover. Despite this being a pretty good plan, it ends up going off the rails, as seen in Detective Comics #1094 by Tom Taylor and Mikel Janín.
Damian’s mission was to discover information that Batman needed to solve a crime he was working on. But that’s not what happened. When Damian witnessed a young inmate about to be savagely beaten by a guard, he intervened and led a full-scale prison riot, completely ruining the mission, but Batman didn’t seem to mind.
At Long Last, Batman Values His Family More Than the Mission
Detective Comics #1094 by Tom Taylor, Mikel Janín, and Wes Abbott
When Batman later comes for Damian, the young boy fully believes that Batman is going to reprimand him. Honestly, I thought he was going to do something similar as well. I’ve certainly seen Batman reprimand people for less. But instead, Batman commended Damian for standing up for aninnocent person who was about to be hurt. Batman believes that Damian made the right choice, that helping someone in their time of need is even more important than completing the mission, and honestly, I’m glad to see Batman take this stance.
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Batman Knows Nightwing Is Better Than Him, And He’s Ready to Share How in His Own Words
Batman taught Nightwing everything he knows, which is why it’s so surprising that Batman admits, in his own words, that Nightwing is better than him.
Batman devotes everything to his mission against crime. His entire life revolves around it, and he has made it very clear that he expects similar devotion from his family. When Cassandra Cain failed to save a man’s life, despite going up against literally impossible odds, Batman still told her that impossible isn’t good enough. It doesn’t matter if it’s impossible, they still have to find a way to save lives, because that’s the mission. His treatment of Damian here shows that his views have evolved and aren’t nearly as rigid now.
Batman Hasn’t Always Been the Best Father
But It Seems Like He Is Getting Better
Over the years, Batman’s parenting hasn’t always been the best. He has often demanded perfection from his children and proteges, something that other superheroes have even noticed. While Nightwing may be one of the most skilled crime fighters around, it came at the cost of him having camping trips and normal bonding moments that most kids get with their fathers. Both Dick Grayson and Jason Todd suffered because of Batman’s parenting style, with some even going so far as accusing Bruce of raising soldiers instead of people, but I really think he’s started to change here.
Batman also admits to Damian that he would never leave his son in a place like this….
Damian wasn’t exactly in any danger. He’s a perfectly capable fighter and can take care of himself. Batman didn’t have to pull him out of Faultless; he could have left him there, and Damian would have completed the mission, even with the setback of starting a prison riot. Batman knows this. But Batman also admits to Damian that he would never leave his son in a place like Faultless, regardless of what they wanted to accomplish. I think if Batman had this attitude earlier in his career – of prioritizing family over the mission – things would have turned out better with Jason Todd in particular.
Batman Finally Chooses His Son Over the Mission
They Can Always Find Another Way to Help People
Batman’s mission is important, and he has made that abundantly clear. But the mission can’t be achieved if there’s no one left to fight for it. Batman raised all of his children to give everything they had for the mission, but if the mission comes at the cost of the person, then it’s hard to say what Batman is actually fighting for. Damian very likely would have gathered the information that Batman needed, and depending on what the guards put him through, he might also have ended up even more traumatized than he already is. Soldiers who self-sacrifice can never win the war in the long run.
Batman managed to plant listening devices in the Warden’s office, and if he had failed to do that, he simply would have found another way to approach the situation. There are many ways to solve a mystery and Bruce doesn’t have to sacrifice himself or his kids to make Gotham a safer place, which is something that he finally seems to be realizing now. Choosing his family over the mission isn’t going to cause Gotham City to crumble; Batman will just find another way to accomplish what he needs, but choosing his mission over his family always has disastrous effects.
Detective Comics #1094 is available now from DC Comics!
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