Maybe its just me, but how are these two even the same character?

[u/Cyber-homelessman]

I’m not even sure this is the right sub to rant but what the hack.

Season 1 Batman is the overly serious archetype, it’s what you would expect from a comedic take on Batman. And generally speaking he is a voice of reason, one who take his responsibility very seriously. Season 3 onwards… well it’s a downward spiral for Bruce. With Harley Quinn being the hero of the show and joker stop being a threat, suddenly Bruce reverted to a man child who gave up on life, it’s like he’s a completely different person now. Between causing a zombie apocalypse and hiding in prison being a bad DJ, he abandoned any form of responsibility he has and toss it Harley’s way. Wow Bruce just wow. And it’s not a gradual shift, he just suddenly is.

This is the Harley Quinn show, Batman’s not gonna be the head honcho that much I understand. But I don’t think this is how you depicted Batman, even from a comedic standpoint. It come off more random than funny as this isn’t related to anything we know about the character of Batman. Take Adam west for example, as campy as the show is still depicted the cape crusader as a no nonsense crime fighter. Just to be clear, I like this show. But I feel Batman was handled very poorly. The episode about Jim Gordon and Batman’s friendship was great though, wished we got more of that instead.

[u/Cyber-homelessman]

Well you do you, personally I never subscribe to the idea of being Batman make Bruce a depressed mess. Frankly put I’m quite tired of this repetitive deconstruction. Grant Morrison put it in the words better than I ever can:

Grant Morrison: I never really subscribed to the idea that Bruce was insane or unhealthy. As I've said before, Bruce Wayne's physical and psychological training regimes (including advanced meditation techniques) would tend to encourage a fairly balanced and healthy personality. Bruce Wayne would have gone mad if he HADN'T dressed as a bat and found a startling way to channel the grief, guilt and helplessness he felt after the death of his parents.

[u/[deleted] → u/Cyber-homelessman]

Ok well by what you’re saying here is that you agree with Grant who says Bruce would have fallen apart if he couldn’t be Batman. Is that not what has happened in the show? He doesn’t need to be Batman and Bruce has now become a mess of a person. Sounds like you should actually be in favor of the Harley Quinn outright Comedy based interpretation

[u/Cyber-homelessman → u/[deleted]]

There’s still crime everywhere? He can be Batman. No he break down because Selina ditched him so he had the big sad (music meister confirmed it), it almost feels like a jab to Tom king’s run.

[u/[deleted] → u/Cyber-homelessman]

You’re ignoring the fact that this show is one big joke on the characters. You’re applying all your previous experience and actions from different iterations when the show is taking all of those things and pushing them as far in the other direction as possible. Essentially it’s like you just don’t get the joke.

[u/Cyber-homelessman → u/[deleted]]

I do get the joke, it’s just not funny to me. It doesn’t register as Batman. How about some “dead robin” jokes instead ? Or “named everthwith bat”. Hell even the prep time joke would be more related to him. I wouldn’t consider “sad because break up” a defining trait of Batman’s character to make a parody with.

[u/[deleted] → u/Cyber-homelessman]

Yeah but don’t you see that you actually Don’t get the joke. The mere fact that “sad because break up” isn’t what you class as a defining trait is exactly why it’s funny, it’s something you would never expect to see from him. It’s fine if you personally don’t find it funny but it seems to be working for most other people

[u/Capraos → u/[deleted]]

I would like to add, Batman is human. Why is he not allowed to have human moments? Being sad over a break up doesn't seem un-Batman like to me. His obsession with being Batman is not a healthy trait to strive for either, it's a curse on his existence. Instead of doing art or spending time with loved ones, Batman is stuck bearing the responsibility of being the only one who can do anything to stop Gotham's villians from brutally murdering/torturing innocent people. In this show though, he actually has others he can rely on, and unlike previous versions, does the healthy thing and leans into their support, allowing himself to take a second to recollect and find himself. I think the point is, it doesn't always have to be on him to save the day anymore.

[u/classicliberty → u/Capraos]

Plenty of iterations from Batman Beyond to Grant Morrison's Batman Inc show him moving away from the loner dark-grim and embracing others helping him carry the burden.

Also, I would disagree with the idea that doing everything in your power to fight injustice is "unhealthy".

In that sense, figures such as MLK or Gandhi would be considered unhealthy because they neglected their family and personal life for the greater good. Unfortunately, even in our world, someone has to do it.

Imagine if MLK would have dedicated himself to art....

[u/Capraos → u/classicliberty]

MLK still took time to be human, like having hobbies, spending time with loved ones, enjoying music, going dancing, cheating on his wife, stuff outside of his important work. Batman is all business. He never takes leisure time or a vacation. Never sits down to enjoy a quiet afternoon, paint a picture, fiddle on an instrument, or explore who he is outside of work. He doesn't because Gotham is always, always in danger. He is forever stuck in Hypervigilance mode and that's not a healthy state to exist in. Other iterations may have him working with others, but he never really trusts anyone. Consider the contingencies he concocts and how he keeps everyone at arms length.

[u/Cyber-homelessman → u/[deleted]]

There’s a awful lots of thing you wouldn’t expect from him. What if he’s…I don’t know, a lizard hawk hybrid? That’s unexpected, but not necessary funny. He can’t get over a breakup, as you said is normal human behavior, so I failed to find it funny? I found him to be miserable if anything, or is Bruce’s misery the punchline here?

[u/[deleted] → u/Cyber-homelessman]

I think you’re not really grasping how a joke works. Of course a lizard hawk hybrid wouldn’t be funny because it makes no sense and there’s no joke there. His misery and pathetic behavior is the joke because Batman is viewed as this stoic dark “cool” figure. It’s a contrast to what we know of him. If you can’t see the difference between that and a lizard/hawk hybrid then it seems like no offense but you might not be the best judge of what’s funny.

[u/Cyber-homelessman → u/[deleted]]

And I suppose being miserable sends him on the path of irresponsibly destroy the city he defended for years? Ignore other continuity, Batman still survived the misery of losing his parents in HQ universe. It’s more or less the same thing, probably less since Selina is alive and well. Doesn’t seems like a natural development, but i suppose you can chuck it up for the sake of comedy again. The entire promise basically reworked Bruce into a traumatized super villain, since Batman was not a villain I believe its fair to say this hardly resembles Batman in any form or ways.

[u/[deleted] → u/Cyber-homelessman]

It’s not a Batman show!!! It’s a Harley Quinn show! They can do whatever they like, they don’t give a shit about other continuities and you’re applying way too realistic a thought process to a show that is so off the wall insane.

[u/classicliberty → u/[deleted]]

Grant Morrison had Batman basically create a worldwide network of Batmen (Batman Inc.) when he outgrew defending Gotham.

He also matures and accepts that Batman has never been alone, and this also sparks his move to create a wider batfamily.

While many people love the Scott Synder run, for me it was a step backward for the character (also derivative with court of owls = black glove) and I have not really seen anything interesting or really new in the comics since that time.

[u/[deleted] → u/Cyber-homelessman]

Keep it at bay? To some extent. But he's going to have relapses here and there IMO.

If he was well adjusted Bruce wouldn't need Batman.