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Yes, Batman Kills Sometimes – But Should He?

So, recently my good friend Paul wrote a feature on why it’s okay for Batman to kill. It’s a great piece and shows both sides of the argument. However, I think we can go just a little bit deeper. Yes, Batman has killed villains and will, without a doubt, do it again soon, but should he?

Finding The Bat’s Identity

Batman #4, 1941

Batman has had a long 80-year comic book run and plenty of different adaptations by several writers. We should go back to the source. As Paul mentioned in the previous post, Batman killed in his first few appearances. The character was still new and was staying true to that pulp/gritty vigilante space it was filling at the time. In 1941 everything changed. DC Editor Whitney Ellsworth went to Batman creators, Bill Finger and Bob Kane and demanded that Batman would never kill again. Ellsworth went a step further and said: “Never let us have Batman carry a gun again.”

Now, the reason for this is change because they wanted to appeal to more children and be more family-friendly. On the surface, this mandate may seem like that they were hampering creativity or censoring the artistic vision of Kane and Finger, and that’s partly right, but this change was the best thing to happen in all of comics.

New Origins

Batman: Arkham Origins

During Batman’s early years, they were still finding their footing. He had clunky ears, purple gloves, and hung people from his plane. Establishing the “No-kill rule” (NKR) was the first step in making him the hero he is today. If Batman killed, then is he any different than The Punisher, Ghost Rider, or any other non-superpowered anti-hero? No, this not only makes him stand out from the rest but gives him the moral high-ground. It challenges the writers and even Batman himself narratively.

The best Batman stories usually involve his moral dilemmas. Batman: Under the Red Hood, The Dark Knight, and even Batman: Arkham Knight, use the NKR as a plot device. Batman and Joker are in constant battle, but if Batman offs him in his first appearance, we would’ve never gotten the greatest comic book villain ever. It also, again, works as a story beat. Batman lost his parents to a punk with a gun. His sole motivation is to prevent other children from suffering as he did. If he becomes a killer, he’s no worse than Joe Chill.

Batman would not be able to work with the Police or take in the rest of the Bat-Family if he kept that murderous edge. Instead, they took him from your average vigilante and made him a hero. It’s that fine line that makes him interesting as a character. It’s why he can stand next to Superman as the World’s Finest.

To Kill or Not to Kill? That is the Question.

Batman: Under the Red Hood (Comic)

Now, I’m not saying that he should never kill or that writers have to stick to that rule. However, I do think that this should be the standard. Much like Superman, you fight to save everyone, but if there’s no other out, you have to make tough choices. I haven’t read every Batman issue or watched every series or animated film, but I have yet to see where Batman killing changed the story for the better. Often it’s just to make the others around him question what it means to be a hero (CW’s Crisis or Batman vs. Superman). We need a truly great story to change public opinion on this topic.

The Dark Knight is who he is because of the No-Kill Rule. If you take that away, he’s an entirely different character. It prevents him from crossing that line and is the only thing keeping him from joining Joker in Arkham Asylum. Also, the reason for Tim Drake’s (3rd Robin) entire existence. He only joined Batman because he needed someone to keep him from going over the edge.

Batman is whoever the writer wants him to be. Each person who picks up that pen and starts crafting an adventure has to know that the character carries an 80-year history. It’s an uphill battle, and you have to create a story where Murder-Bat narratively makes sense. Otherwise, it’s needlessly cynical and makes it confusing when we let the major villains live on (see Suicide Squad). Batman is Gotham’s guardian and needs to have some form of a moral code. Otherwise, he’s just another punk looking for a fight.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out Paul’s feature, Yes, Batman Kills – And That’s Okay. It’s a great read, and it was fun working on these two features. As Always, tweet us your Batman thoughts @WOBAMEnt on Twitter. We’ll be talking more on Bats soon.

Michael Thomas
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