You know /co/, it's a common trope for super heroes to have secret identities. And most of the times, it makes sense. Spider-man, Superman, and so on need to protect those they love from getting attacked by their enemies.
But why does Batman have a secret identity?
I mean, think about it. Everyone he knows and loves (Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Damien Wayne) are also super heroes who can handle themselves if attacked. Alfred spends most of the day inside of Wayne manor, which is protected as hell from intruders.
Bruce doesn't need to hold down a job or anything. Hell, he could probably but all of his money in the bank and just live off the interest or something. If he just went public, he wouldn't have to bother putting up a facade of being a playboy and could just be Batman all the time.
So why does he have a secret identity?
>>82934862
so he can operate outside the law.
>>82934862
batman isn't supposed to be seen as just another person. he's been built up and maintained as an urban legend, seen only in the shadows.
revealing he's just another guy would remove a LOT of the fear he's built up in the criminals of the city.
>>82934951
also this.
>>82934944
>>82934951
See, that makes sense at the beginning of his career. But after several years, and the existence of the fucking Bat-signal and his place on the justice league, I'm pretty sure everyone knows Batman is real by now.
>>82935121
but they aren't aware he's just a person.
make batman into bruce wayne, and he gets sniped by deadshot or one of black mask's mooks while at a banquet.
>>82934951
>he's been built up and maintained as an urban legend, seen only in the shadows.
This retarded since he runs around with like twenty 12 year olds and doesn't even bother to cover half of his human face.
At this point everyone knows Batman is real.
>>82934862
Why don't you have a secret identity?
>>82935190
If he's public, I'm pretty sure he's not doing the banquets anymore. I mean, Bruce doesn't really like going to those things in the first place.
>>82934862
>Bruce doesn't need to hold down a job or anything
If he doesn't sit on it someone will find a way to buy Wayne Industries, in Batman Beyond Powers is already on that ass and Lex here and there has also made attempts. Bruce often gives partial responsibilities over to others who run the business for him, but someone has to sit in the Wayne name nest so no funny business happens. Bruce is the sort of persona by now people are familiar with being a brash ass so he can get away with a lot more compared to shrugging things off to one of his kids or associates who might not be as skilled with making connections, compromises and so on that come with the multi-faced actor thing Bruce has mastered. Kids like Drake and Damian are smart and savvy but they're not very good at playing more than one character when necessary. Dick I guess is pretty smooth but it wouldn't be right of Bruce to shoulder things on him after the whole Nightwing thing happened because Dick didn't just want to be Bruce and Batman's stand in his whole life.
Also going public as Batman would be the opposite of a good idea. Every criminal would just send their whole crew to storm Wayne Manor and no amount of training would keep them safe during or after that given the troubles Batman has caused in the criminal underworld. Going quiet and hauling up in the manor and cave like he does in Batman Beyond I can understand, but going public would be retarded.
>>82934862
Theatrics.
Batman's primary weapon is his larger than life persona, fear and superstituon, no one knows who the Batman is or WHAT the Batman is. Cowardice and superstition are his primary weapons. Without that hrs just some rich furry punching people. A man can be broken or destroyed a symbol cant.
The day Bruce stops being the boogeyman is the day he looses.
Batman' s secret id may as well BE his superpower.
>>82934944
I was thinking about this, though.
Why does Batman HAVE to operate outside the law?
Why doesn't he get with Commissioner Gordon and become Bruce Wayne, the world's richest police detective and head up some Bat-themed SWAT squad?
>>82934862
1. Danger
2. The law
3. His money
4. The theatrics
5. Social benefits from his public persona being distinct
>>82935697
you mean like batman incorporated?
>>82935697
Because he is Neutral/Chaotic Good, not lawful good.
To him Justice is above the law.
Same as asking why Captain America doesn't just follow the government's every word, because the Dream is above the reality.
>>82935617
A SUPERSTITIOUS COWARDLY LOT
>>82935697
because Law and Justice are two different things.
>>82935697
>Why doesn't he get with Commissioner Gordon and become Bruce Wayne, the world's richest police detective and head up some Bat-themed SWAT squad?
The police of Gotham have already proven over and over to be corrupt, he'd be contaminating his own operation by hoping they don't leak information, sabotage resources and all that by working so openly.
Also while the police can accept funding and all that it's probably not legal for any rich guy to turn them into a personal army with tech that isn't street legal. That Gordon Batman thing had me raising an eyebrow to Tom Preston levels because I'm pretty sure that shit should have been shut down day one, I can't remember the details I think the government was allowing it but that's not really how it works.
The public has to have a say in these sort of things or we'd be in a police state by now just because the authorities think it's fine. So until I see Robocops marching single file outside, yeah, nah.
>>82935323
>>82935253
The point is Batman cant be just a man, he has to be a legend, an icon.
Something to be feared in the night, a fucking cosmic force of good.
Its like the Emperor in 300, you cannot see him bleed.
>>82935697
Thats Exactly what he did, and it was fucking awesome
>>82935617
>thinking that an apparently unkillable, =definitely= unstoppable supercop would not be terrifying to all criminals, regardless of whether people knew who the fuck he was or not
>>82935697
Because he's a fascist fantasy.
>>82935984
You're a fascist fantasy, since you're a moron who thinks that no comics existed before TDKR
>>82934951
>uilt up and maintained as an urban legend, seen only in the shadows
and on news reports about the Justice League battling aliens or giant gorillas or robots or alien gorilla robots
That "urban legend" angle doesn't really work in the long-term because superhero team battles are always too high-profile. Sure, no one really sees him as "just another person" because BATMAN but everyone knows he exists just because the Gotham PD uses the Batsignal. Only the most cowardly and superstitious would believe he's anything other than a costumed crime-fighter. His abilities will be exaggerated by people who ran away and don't want to be cowards, but that's about it.
>>82934862
He hits people in the head with metal boomerangs and beats them senseless before turning them over to the proper authorities. Every thug he's ever busted would sue the shit out of Bruce Wayne if they knew. Bruce isn't even a cop, so it wouldn't be "police brutality vs resisting arrest" it would just be "assault with intent to do bodily harm" charges from every purse-snatcher in Gotham. He'd end up paying all the medical bills for everyone he beats up, and would probably end up having to pay money directly to most of those criminals, which would then go to guns, drugs, hookers, whatev.
>>82935799
>>82935885
>>82935919
Batman has operated legally since after his early days(in and out of universe)
Hes been a private Detective, deputized by the city, had jla membership (an NGO with a UN charter) and part of an international Private Law Enforcement company ,
He was only a vigilante during the golden age and his year one urban legend phase.
>>82935974
But he ISNT thats the point. They THINK he is, he is only apparently unkillable unstoppable. A monster not a man.
You tell everyone he is just an asshole in a suit he gets his shit pushed in.
Batman needs tob e the Nyktomorph
The night thing
Blackness and flapping wings of fear
You take that out you neuter him
>>82935974
Captain America by far does not have the corporate enemies that Wayne does. As someone mentioned earlier, Batman needs his Bruce persona to keep his handle on Wayne industries
>>82936044
90% of superhero comics are based around the desire for a benevolent dictator.
>>82936203
Personally, I think putting Batman on the jla was stupid or even having him interact with other Dc characters for that matter. His character works best fighting petty and mafia crime. Not aliens and robots
>>82936215
The Justice League has been given sizeable clearance due to public reception, but it has also often lead to a lot of government sorts not taking kindly to them strutting around.
Johns recent JL started with that very thing causing friction.
>>82936044
>>82935984
heroic vigilantism as a concept is kin to fascism.
Hes not right, but hes not wrong either.>>82936203
Actually its canon no one really knows what Batman is.
Superman's pet demon
A government super soldier project
The spirit of gothams vengence itself
A rotating cast of volunteer speci forces
Bruce Wayne(ahahahahahaha what cooks)
Aside from a select few, he is seen as a mysterious enigma
>>82936466
Not disagreeing with your overall statement, but I think the animated series proved the robot thing can work in certain, rare cases. It's weird but so's a lot of his own rogues gallery anyway.
>>82934862
Because if he didn't then people will be protesting crying out that they're all poor disenfranchised people being stepped on and beaten up by the privileged wealthy.
>>82936466
Thats boring as shit.
What use is it having the ultimate man if he doesnt go up against ultimate enemies.
Oh hey a rich furry punching muggers for the 50th time yay
Hell people forget the entire POINT of year one was that in the face of BATMAN normal crime was extinct, the old mob and mafiosos of Gotham gave way to batshit crazy theatre crime because thats all that could keep up.
>>82936466
Batman is against crime and injustice not just crime and injustice in Gotham. It would be out of character for him to not deal with a global threat.
What when Starro was mind raping everyone he was just supposed to sit back slapling purse snatchers?
>>82936483
Well yeah, they are like Privaters in the 17th century, the Jedi and the Republic, the Shichubaki and the World Government, the Shialoin Monks and the Chineese Empire,The Pinkertons and the us government or any number of semi independent fighting forces though history.
There will always be a back and forth between world powers and NGOs.
>>82935984
>fascism
Do people even know what this meme word is?
It's specially funny since you see anti fascist groups doing shit you memesters would consider fascism.
Protip look up the agreed upon definitions before spouting shit you hear on american media.
>>82935190
Nigga he got shot in the chest and kicked in the face by a goon before. Anyone who's not a mook in Gotham knows he's just a man.
>>82935121
That makes it even worse. Normal guy that can kick it on the same levels as people like superman and wonder woman, even sometimes above them?
>>82936819
It's fascism in the "Things would be so much better if this one person could just dictate what justice should be done, without all that red tape, compromise, beuracracy or democracy in the way" sense.
>>82934951
Doesn't work today
In fact this was arguably the dumbest part of the Brubaker/Rucka era(next to the bodyguard of course).
>>82935697
It would be an interesting AU pitch where Batman has a public identity and is part of the State.
Both Batman Inc and Superheavy have touched on the idea of course.
>>82937788
Except Batman mostly just stops crime and terrorist acts, then hands them to the justice system.
>>82936796
The Justice League is DC's Blackwater.
>>82934862
It's so he doesn't get murderous assholes knocking on his door at Wayne Manor, looking to kill him for something he did. Just take a look at nearly every asshole who DOES figure out the secret identity of Batman.
Also, it's the genre. Cops are needlessly cruel, corrupt, and incompetent. Large corporations are run by mob bosses. Half of what Batman does involves pissing off both, even when not strictly illegal. If you think a revealed Bruce Wayne would get away with what Batman does for even a month, you are just kidding yourself.
>>82935121
if people know he's on the JL why do they fuck with him
either they have no business and get rekt or they kill a key player trying to protect their world as they know it
>>82937788
Democracy is a stupid form of government though. 51% dictating to the other 49%
>>82934862
If his identity was known then all of his employees and lovers would become targets.
>>82936203
Just because they know Batman exists doesn't mean they no he's non powered. The TV cams probably don't get very good loks at him, and that vanishing shit he pulls on Gordon probably looks like teleportation. He's bulletproof (or just good at hiding the pain), can fly (or is he grappling to the plain ?), even if you break him, he comes back (that's not robin in the cowl, right?).
>>82943004
>The TV cams probably don't get very good loks at him
His face is obscured for the most part and his body is hidden in large part by the cape and armor, it'd be hard to distinguish who he is rather than what he is.
>and that vanishing shit he pulls on Gordon probably looks like teleportation
The guy drives prolific vehicles and utilizes grappling lines to get where he needs to go, he obviously relies on mechanical transport and doesn't possess superhuman means to reach his destination.
>He's bulletproof (or just good at hiding the pain),
He also takes measures to avoid getting shot for the most part, just because he can take a bit more rounds your typical armored vest can take doesn't mean people would automatically conclude he's a bulletproof monster.
>can fly
Obviously can't, they see him grappling and flipping around.
>even if you break him, he comes back
They've seen him with companions, it wouldn't be hard to imagine he has help or someone to conclude that someone is taking the reins.
The problem is that there have been plenty of eyes over time that have seen him in a more human or vulnerable state that would lead them to safely conclude that he's not anything more than just a well-trained and equipped human, especially since he's shown blatantly using equipment that substitute for the lack of actual superhuman capability.
>>82934862
I was almost with you until the public identity thing. Other people have already corrected you, so I won't touch that point.
If anything it's a wonder he hasn't ditched the Wayne name and become a full time vigilante like in Arkham Knight's ending.No it's not, we know Alfred won't let him.
>>82944100
Batman is a character Wayne plays. His weapon is kayfabe
