All This Batman Talk Has Me Thinking About My Favorite Batman Moment of All Time
"He sat with her until her time came."
Spoilers for the Justice League Unlimited season two finale “Epilogue”
As to be expected when a new Batman film is released, everyone is talking about their favorite Batman moments throughout the Caped Crusader’s ongoing legacy. Now I personally haven’t seen The Batman yet (don’t yell at me), but I came across a tweet that made me even more curious about the film than I already was.
While I can’t weigh in on whether or not Pattinson’s Batman would do this (I swear, I’ll see the movie soon), this tweet did make me remember the moment that truly impacted my view of who Batman is. Kevin Conroy wasn’t my first Batman, but his version of the hero has always been my favorite. I’ve always been fond of how his Batman was equal parts intimidating, mysterious, compassionate, and even had a sense of humor every now and then. This carried over into the Justice League animated series where it was easy to tell that behind the scowl was a man who cared for others.
And there’s no better example than his time with Ace, a member of the criminal group known as the Royal Flush Gang.
“I’m dying very soon.”
In the Justice League Unlimited second season finale, “Epilogue,” we fast-forward into the future of Batman Beyond with an adult Terry McGinnis and an even more elderly Bruce Wayne. Terry confronts Amanda Waller after finding out that he’s, technically, Bruce’s son thanks to some genetic meddling, something that would only be possible with the kind of resources that Waller has. The thought of being connected to Bruce terrifies Terry, who at this point sees him as a lonely old man whose loved ones always leave because he doesn’t know how to people.
Waller addresses Terry’s concerns with a story about an encounter the Justice League once had against the Royal Flush Gang. Told through flashback, we find out that Ace’s psychic abilities have gotten so out of hand that her hallucinations are actually warping reality. Ace doesn’t have much longer to live, as she’s suffering from a brain aneurysm, but the psychic backlash from her death could kill anyone in range of her power. Waller tells the Justice League to kill Ace before that happens, and Batman volunteers to do it.
Instead of killing her, though, Batman not only allows her to tell her story, but he sits with her and holds her hand until she dies. Ace gets to have a peaceful death and no one is harmed in the process.
After she finishes telling the story, Waller admits to Terry that it was her who messed around with his genetics so he’d be a match with Bruce. Despite her and Batman being at odds with each other for so long, she recognized that there NEEDED to be a Batman out there, but not just any Batman. There needed to be a Batman who was similar to Bruce and his values, which is why Waller orchestrated the plan that she did. It’s pretty messed up, to be honest, but it’s very Amanda Waller, especially when you get to the part where she was willing to go so far as to have Terry’s parents murdered to recreate what happened to Bruce. You can’t spell “Batman” without tragedy, but her resorting to murder to create that tragedy would be the exact opposite of what Batman stood for.
In the end, Terry decides to continue being Batman and even makes plans to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Dana Tan, instead of trying to keep his distance in fear of “my enemies coming after you to get to me.”
Why this is my favorite Batman moment
Batman, despite the urgency of the situation, lets Ace talk through all of her feelings. He speaks to her calmly, lets her swing on her swing, and allows her to talk about being experimented on for the sake of “justice.” Ace talks about being cheated out of her childhood, something that Batman can relate to, and at that moment we find out that Batman never had any intention of killing Ace the way Waller told him to.
Ace is going to die anyway, but that doesn’t mean she has to be killed so cruelly. Batman chooses kindness because Ace is just a kid who doesn’t want to face something so scary alone. This is confirmed when Ace reveals that she read his mind, knows that he wasn’t going to kill her, and knows that he was going to try and talk her into fixing the damage she’d done. She tells him that she’s going to die soon, he apologizes, and she simply asks if he’ll stay with her.
Batman could’ve taken her out, and some (like Waller) would’ve said that he should’ve because of the potential disaster Ace’s death would cause. But as soon as Batman understands that this is just a scared girl who knows that her time is running out, he offers comfort, as all she could ever hope to have at that moment is a peaceful death.
Honestly, Waller could’ve told Terry any number of stories about how Batman would balance the dark with the light. There have been moments all throughout Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League where we’d see fantastic examples of Batman showing compassion to others – even if they were technically enemies. From him bringing Harley Quinn the dress she wanted, to him resting a hand atop Baby Doll’s head after she broke down and cried, there’s always been something to show us that he had a heart underneath the cape and cowl.
But this moment with Ace shows Waller that Batman is more than a calculating, brooding man with a strict sense of justice. He’s kindhearted, and that level of compassion actually can do some good. That’s not to say Waller suddenly grows soft after the incident (again, she was going to have Terry’s parents murdered), but it does at least put Batman into perspective. She says at one point that the assumption is that Batman is obsessive and would do anything to achieve his goals, but he does have lines he won’t cross and will always, if possible, find a better, more humane way.
Ace didn’t need to be murdered. She needed a friend.
This is something a lot of people comment on when talking about Batman, how he’s not a 100% dark, cynical, angry character who exacts his harsh sense of justice. Sure, some interpretations of him can be, but the Batman I tend to gravitate toward is one who would absolutely sit on a swing with a dying child. At the end of the day, this is someone who wants to save lives, and if he can do it in a way that’s as simple as holding a child’s hand, he will.
Batman is someone who experienced tragedy at a young age, and that’s something he doesn’t want others to have to experience. He relates to Ace because of the pain she’s gone through, the last thing he’d want to do is contribute to it. That’s the vibe I always got with Conroy’s animated Batman, and this episode really solidifies it. I like my Batman to have compassion toward others, which is why I love this exchange between him and Ace so much.
Also? He named his dog Ace, too. Okay, yes, it’s a thing from the comics, but it’s still wholesome to think about.
(Image: Warner Bros. Animation)
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