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Nov. 11th, 2003 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
greenygalSo I bought one of those old reprint digests--I love digests; they're reprint heaven, and much, much cheaper than Archives (if you can find them in the first place, of course). This was a Year's Best Stories collection, and among a number of other stories was Alan Brennert's classic Batman tale "To Kill A Legend."
The idea of the story is that the Phantom Stranger shows up, tells Batman that his parents' murder is about to repeat itself on an alternate Earth (it's a pre-Crisis story), and, as a friend, offers him the chance to go there and intervene. To nobody's surprise, Batman thinks that a chance to prevent the defining tragedy of his life, even if it won't be his life, is a good thing, and says yes. Also predictably, he wants to do it alone, but Dick, concerned that Bruce won't be able to be objective about the situation (well, yeah), insists on coming along.
And here's the real conflict of the story. While they attempt to track down the Waynes' murderer, Dick looks around and sees that little AU Bruce is a spoiled brat, that this Earth has no costumed heroes and no heroic mythology (I found that one a bit hard to swallow, but going with it), and starts to wonder if they should interfere in the situation. "We could be condemning him to a life as a spoiled playboy," he argues, "and denying this Earth its only hero!"
Bruce disagrees, of course, taking the position that the lives at stake are the important thing, and that living a life defined by tragedy, no matter what that tragedy may push one to accomplish, is not a positive thing. "No one should be angry all his life, Dick. No one..." Dick can't argue with that, but he retains his doubts about whether they should be trying to change destiny until the point of decision comes. And there's quite a good resolution, but it's not what I want to talk about.
What I find interesting about this is Dick. He comes across as the coldblooded voice of reason to Bruce's more emotional response (not often you get to say that), to a degree that actually seems implausible coming from someone who went through exactly what Bruce did and whose vocation is saving lives. But I think, in fact, his motivations are just as emotional as Bruce's. I mean, I'm sure Dick does rationally believe that it's a good thing for Earth to have a Batman, and he may well be thinking that the lives of two people now will save thousands eventually. But like his teacher, Dick does not tend to value the larger picture over innocent lives right in front of him. The fact that he's advancing any sort of argument at all, over what must be every instinct and piece of training he possesses, for letting the parents of someone he loves die--never mind that he's suggesting letting little Bruce be orphaned for his own good, when he of all people knows better--argues that he's got more than a rational motive here. Bruce can't be objective about his parents--but Dick can't be objective about Bruce.
Bruce is Dick's mentor, his family, and I don't think it's at all unreasonable to say his savior--he entered Dick's life at a moment when Dick was in desperate need and gave him emotional comfort, a new home, and a way to do something about the hole inside him. On top of all of that, he really is a hero; god knows how many people Dick has watched him save over the years. And none of that would have happened if Bruce wasn't Batman.
I don't think Dick is looking at this situation and consciously thinking that if there never is a Batman there will never be anyone to take Dick in. (Though it's certainly a question worth considering. It's nastily ironic that healing Bruce leads to Dick remaining shattered.) He probably should be thinking about that, actually, even if you're not reading any of this in, but I guess it didn't fit in the story Brennert was trying to tell. Anyway, what I do think is that he's internalized that Bruce-as-Batman is very, very important, and the thought of Batman not only not existing, but never having existed is very disturbing for him. Particularly at the time the story is set, circa the beginning of New Teen Titans, when he's about 18; he's gotten to the point where he can strongly disagree with Bruce about things (and resent being ignored), but he hasn't quite moved away from Bruce being the central figure in his life. (Yeah, I know, has he ever? But theoretically.) So his reasonable logical arguments are underlain by a bias so profound that he's probably not even aware of it, that Batman needs to exist, and that Bruce Wayne needs to become the heroic man Dick knows, even if Bruce isn't as happy that way. And if the only way there is the death of the Waynes, then that needs to happen as well.
It's an appalling paradox, just the sort of thing to remind you why everybody's crazy in Gotham: Dick loves Bruce deeply, respects him greatly (most of the time, anyway), and thinks he makes an important difference in the world. So, in direct result, he needs for Bruce to suffer an incredibly painful tragedy that leaves permanent scars on his soul. *sigh* Only the Bat-books.
The idea of the story is that the Phantom Stranger shows up, tells Batman that his parents' murder is about to repeat itself on an alternate Earth (it's a pre-Crisis story), and, as a friend, offers him the chance to go there and intervene. To nobody's surprise, Batman thinks that a chance to prevent the defining tragedy of his life, even if it won't be his life, is a good thing, and says yes. Also predictably, he wants to do it alone, but Dick, concerned that Bruce won't be able to be objective about the situation (well, yeah), insists on coming along.
And here's the real conflict of the story. While they attempt to track down the Waynes' murderer, Dick looks around and sees that little AU Bruce is a spoiled brat, that this Earth has no costumed heroes and no heroic mythology (I found that one a bit hard to swallow, but going with it), and starts to wonder if they should interfere in the situation. "We could be condemning him to a life as a spoiled playboy," he argues, "and denying this Earth its only hero!"
Bruce disagrees, of course, taking the position that the lives at stake are the important thing, and that living a life defined by tragedy, no matter what that tragedy may push one to accomplish, is not a positive thing. "No one should be angry all his life, Dick. No one..." Dick can't argue with that, but he retains his doubts about whether they should be trying to change destiny until the point of decision comes. And there's quite a good resolution, but it's not what I want to talk about.
What I find interesting about this is Dick. He comes across as the coldblooded voice of reason to Bruce's more emotional response (not often you get to say that), to a degree that actually seems implausible coming from someone who went through exactly what Bruce did and whose vocation is saving lives. But I think, in fact, his motivations are just as emotional as Bruce's. I mean, I'm sure Dick does rationally believe that it's a good thing for Earth to have a Batman, and he may well be thinking that the lives of two people now will save thousands eventually. But like his teacher, Dick does not tend to value the larger picture over innocent lives right in front of him. The fact that he's advancing any sort of argument at all, over what must be every instinct and piece of training he possesses, for letting the parents of someone he loves die--never mind that he's suggesting letting little Bruce be orphaned for his own good, when he of all people knows better--argues that he's got more than a rational motive here. Bruce can't be objective about his parents--but Dick can't be objective about Bruce.
Bruce is Dick's mentor, his family, and I don't think it's at all unreasonable to say his savior--he entered Dick's life at a moment when Dick was in desperate need and gave him emotional comfort, a new home, and a way to do something about the hole inside him. On top of all of that, he really is a hero; god knows how many people Dick has watched him save over the years. And none of that would have happened if Bruce wasn't Batman.
I don't think Dick is looking at this situation and consciously thinking that if there never is a Batman there will never be anyone to take Dick in. (Though it's certainly a question worth considering. It's nastily ironic that healing Bruce leads to Dick remaining shattered.) He probably should be thinking about that, actually, even if you're not reading any of this in, but I guess it didn't fit in the story Brennert was trying to tell. Anyway, what I do think is that he's internalized that Bruce-as-Batman is very, very important, and the thought of Batman not only not existing, but never having existed is very disturbing for him. Particularly at the time the story is set, circa the beginning of New Teen Titans, when he's about 18; he's gotten to the point where he can strongly disagree with Bruce about things (and resent being ignored), but he hasn't quite moved away from Bruce being the central figure in his life. (Yeah, I know, has he ever? But theoretically.) So his reasonable logical arguments are underlain by a bias so profound that he's probably not even aware of it, that Batman needs to exist, and that Bruce Wayne needs to become the heroic man Dick knows, even if Bruce isn't as happy that way. And if the only way there is the death of the Waynes, then that needs to happen as well.
It's an appalling paradox, just the sort of thing to remind you why everybody's crazy in Gotham: Dick loves Bruce deeply, respects him greatly (most of the time, anyway), and thinks he makes an important difference in the world. So, in direct result, he needs for Bruce to suffer an incredibly painful tragedy that leaves permanent scars on his soul. *sigh* Only the Bat-books.
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Date: 2003-11-13 09:30 am (UTC)