brucewayneisabusive

[brucewayneisabusive]

Bruce Wayne + Ra's al Ghul parallel: "a manageable number I can control"

In JLA: Tower of Babel, Ra's al Ghul orchestrates military conflicts, economic collapses, and terrorist attacks around the world, so that "the human race thins itself to a manageable number I can control."

JLA (1997) #44 "Tower of Babel Part 2", written by Mark Waid (2000)

In Batman: Gotham Knights #38 (2003), Bruce Wayne says he's been pushing Stephanie Brown out of the Batsquad (by freezing her out of her support network, crushing her confidence, firing her), because he's "trying to protect this extended family from becoming too large and unmanageable."

Batman: Gotham Knights #38, written by Scott Beatty (2003)

[brucewayneisabusive]

do you accept submissions of abuse toward people who are not his girlfriends/the batkids? i.e. the repeated ableist abuse toward harvey dent

Yes we do, bigotry is filed under "external evidence".

[brucewayneisabusive]

Batman: Gotham Adventures #50

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"Batman: Under the Hood" (2005-2006)

(Image Description: Jason Todd is holding a gun to Joker’s head and counting down to three. Joker is smiling while Batman is angrily telling Jason to stop.

Jason Todd: “I’ll count to three”

Bruce Wayne: “Put the gun down.”

Jason Todd: “One.”

Bruce Wayne: “Don’t.”

Jason Todd: “Two.”

Before Jason gets to three, Batman freaks out and shouts NO.

Bruce Wayne: “NO!”

Jason Todd: “Thr-“)

(Image description: Jason let’s go of Joker and falls backwards in agony after Batman threw a batarang at his neck

Jason Todd: “—UCK”

Jason is on the floor while Joker is laughing at the situation. Joker looks at Batman in excitement while Batman looks at Jason.

Joker: “You got him!! You expert, rooting-tooting eagle-eyed, goth marksman sonofa@##$% ! Ya banked that batathingie off the pipe!!!”

Batman is back in focus. Most of his face is covered in shadows.

Joker: “Oh God!! I love it! You managed to find a way to win…”

[brucewayneisabusive]

[Image description: One panel of a profile view of Vicki Vale (a red headed woman with the top her pink shirt visible) and the back of Bruce Wayne (a black headed man in a black suit) in focus while in the background there are not colored people in fancy clothes. Vicki is saying, “Maybe it’s none of my business, Bruce-- --but isn’t she a little, ah, old for Dick?”

Bruce replies, “You’re right, Vicki. It’s none of our business.”]

Batman (1940) #345

Bruce thinks his 19-year-old potentially getting taken advantaged of is "none of his business."

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You were just a boy. Those were the lessons that he taught you. It’s not your fault. But you need to make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else. That it stops with you. Now you let Gotham take care of Gotham. The water will find its level. Stop trying to prove something here.

Titans season 3, episode 4 “Blackfire” (via jurrassicpark)

[brucewayneisabusive]

what do u say to the argument that bruce's parenting is because he was young and inexperienced?

a) depending on the canon bruce was anywhere b/w the ages of 25 & 29, when he took dick in. i'm 26. i know better than to hit, shout at, or emotionally manipulate literal children and if anybody within that age range does not, they have no business being around children to begin with. seek help.

b) dick was 27-29 when he started looking out for damian, he did just fine, and

c) roy harper, arguably the healthiest dad in the dcu, was. 21-22 when he took over care of lian. clearly, age is no excuse.

[brucewayneisabusive]

a proper post on this, as promised

(below the cut: a meta on earth-two dick, the titans being crucial to a positive character development / growth for main continuity dick and lessons in the time-tested truism that the healthy child runs to play w his peers; the unhealthy child hides behind his mother's skirts.)

it's so. interesting to me how the premise of dick's story on earth-two is that he never fell out w bruce & therefore a) never had a titans team & b) never became nightwing, which. you'd think would be the ~ideal~ outcome for him or at least the life he'd want, but it just results in him being even more deathly-devoted to bruce than usual, to the point he would legitimately turn against the jsa just b/c bruce said so - twice!

in "divided we stand" / "united we fall" (all-star #69-70) bruce is being psychically manipulated to fight the jsa, but even tho dick hasn't, he's still ready to take bruce at his word and turn against them too - never ever once stopping to consider that bruce is acting out of character & could, therefore, have been compromised. he doesnt even question it when bruce's brainwashing gets his teammates shot.

in "america vs the justice society" as well dick completely believes the content of bruce's diaries (no spoilers) even tho he acknowledges the content seems odd. he even turns against helena (as in his sister here - helena wayne, daughter of this bruce and this selina) when she tries to argue for the jsa's innocence, viewing it as a betrayal of their father rather than just helena doing the right thing. he doesnt even budge in the face of concrete evidence and only acknowledges his error after a (no spoilers) time-travel thing has to be involved.

i cannot stress enough that - in both cases - dick was wrong. yet dick refuses to accept it, placing his loyalty to bruce before his moral code in a truly jarring contrast from the dick grayson we know and love. (as a world-class detective and strategist in his own right, i mean.)

his attachment to - dependence on? - bruce extends to the point that when he meets bruce of earth-one, he resents him b/c there can only be one bruce in his mind. tho he considers bruce family he constantly tiptoes around acknowledging helena as his stepsister almost as if he cannot view her and selina as part of his family - just bruce. (probably aided by the fact that bruce married selina after dick left for college.)

you're almost forced to come to the conclusion that dick falling out w bruce, & subsequently quitting or getting fired was actually crucial for his growth. interacting w heroes outside of batman in the titans must have opened dick up to alternate perspectives & aided him becoming his own hero (and person, for that matter).

contrast the panels above w these:

(the new teen titans 1980 #4)

(the new teen titans 1980 #37 - and this is earth-one, where dick quit voluntarily rather than bruce firing him)

(titans 1999 #42)

(robin & batman 2021)

and it becomes really obvious that the titans were a crucial catalyst in challenging bruce's influence on dick + helping him find an identity of his own, both literally and figuratively speaking.

even when he takes on the batman mantle himself this dick manages to criticise bruce's methods, as batman, while still maintaining a level of respect & love for the guy – which is to say, he manages to hold his own centre and to stay true to himself even beneath somebody else's cape and cowl.

earth-two serves as this excellent cautionary tale on what would have actually happened if dicks dependence on bruce had been allowed to fester, if nothing had "rocked the boat" & dick never cut the figurative apronstrings. both earth-one (where he quits as robin) and new earth (where bruce either fires him, or pressures him into quitting, as a sort of soft-firing) prove to be healthier outcomes - even tho they come at the cost of dick facing internal conflict (earth-one) & heartbreak (new earth) in the process. and b/c bruce himself, due to his abandonment issues ("autophobia" as it's called on earth-two) doesn't want dick out from under his thumb, the onus for a separation falls on dick. and b/c dick in turn is borderline unhealthily attached to bruce due to his own issues, the titans become this. necessary external catalyst that forces dick to see that other possibilities outside of bruce/batman exist.

it's v intriguing. i lowkey hate earth-two dick in a way i never thought i could ever dislike any iteration of him, for the same reason that bruce frustrates me - he's just stuck; it's sisyphean.

[brucewayneisabusive]

[7 panels mostly focused on Tim Drake (Red Robin) and Bruce Wayne (Batman) from DC Comics.

In the first panel, the back of Batman is visible in front of fire.

In the second, Tim is visible over Bruce’s shoulder, saying, “...Batman..please...I hope you underst....”

In the third, Bruce stares right into Tim’s face, frowning. Tim looks downward from Bruce’s stare.

In the fourth, Bruce shoots his grappling hook into the air.

In the fifth and sixth panels, Tim looks at Bruce go upward while Tim looks on.

In the sixth, a body on a table speaks while a figure looks into a large window. The body says, “I would appreciate a hand getting myself together...”

In the seventh, Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Duke Thomas (Signal), Harper Row (Bluebird), and Jason Todd look on while Bruce punches Tim in the face and screams at him that “You don’t know a damn thing!” Tim falls backward and the panel is shattered into pieces like a broken piece of glass.

End image Id]

Batman (2016) #71

[brucewayneisabusive]

I’m curious what you mean by Bruce is abusive in all his comics cause in the early golden age comics he’s really not to Dick at any point. Unless you mean the concept of child sidekicks which like well I mean they’re comic books ? Suspension of disbelief has to stretch a little

I’ve read the golden age comics and he’s still NOT good to Dick

My first Batman comics that cemented my hate for Bruce were Golden Age

But yknow what do I know? I’m just a mandated reporter that’s been trained in identifying abuse

[brucewayneisabusive]

[Four panels of Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd from DC comics. The first panel shows the outline of the two while Bruce says, “...this is where you died.”

In the second panel, Bruce says, “If I close my eyes, I can still smell the cordite in the air around the ruined warehouse...on that bright, horrible day...your body already cold to the touch..” A flashback to Bruce holding Jason’s broken body is visible.

In the third panel, Jason says while frowning, “You lied to me. This wasn’t about taking down those mercenaries. You wanted to bring me here...to the worst place in the world...and here I was starting to believe all your crap about trust and faith...” Bruce replies with only his jaw and nose visible, “those killers were the mission, but this was...something else...”

In the last panel, the backs of both them are visible along with broken pieces of woods. Bruce says, “...Something I couldn’t Ignore. I thought bringing you here could jog your memory--maybe retrieve a detail buried deep in your subconscious that could help piece together how you came back to life so I-”

Jason interrupts, “--could apply it to getting Damian back. Yeah, I get it. Did it ever occur to you I might like keeping whatever the hell happened to me buried deep?

Batman and Robin (2011) #20

[brucewayneisabusive]

[Image description: Two old style panels of Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne. Dick is in his Robin outfit (red tunic with a green leotard underneath, a yellow cape, and green gloves) while Bruce is in a blue suit.

In the first panel, Bruce is yelling at Dick with his hands on his hips. A narration box says, “Some time later, at the Wayne Home...” Bruce is saying, “Where do you think you’re going, youngster?” Dick replies, “Oh. Just after the Catwoman! Er...I suppose you can come along, too...Although you might be too old to understand this sort of thing!”

In the second panel, Bruce has Dick over his lap and says, “Now look here, Brat, what have you been up to? Speak up...or you get a spanking!” Dick replies, “Hey! Don’t hit me! I’ll talk!”

End Image Id]

Batman (1940) #15

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Batman (2011) #18

[Image description: Two panels focusing on Harper Row (an 18 year old or so woman with blue hair). In the first, she and Batman are leaning over a dead body. Harper is saying, “Look. I know what you’re going to say...but you’ve gotta admit, since I’ve been training, I actually did pretty well, huh?”

Bruce replies, “If you’ve been training, why don’t you block this?”

Harper says, “Wait, whu--”

The next panel is of Harper flown back to the point she breaks wood.

End Image Id]

[brucewayneisabusive]

Some of the reasons I've seen being used when someone try to explain the complicated history of Bruce's relationship with his children is that 1)Bruce can't be abusive because he genuinely love them and his actions are born out of concern and fear and most of his abuse are something most fans take out of context ; 2)That him being abusive is out of character for him (This referring to his supposed character concept who's fatal flaw is love and care for other people)

Which hm. Feel weird to me? As if it implies that a good/kind person can't be a bad parent? And as if him being abusive make his love for his children or people any less or just a lie when that's not what people mean? Honestly people seems to like him more as this martyr kind of character rather than a human. Everytime someone point out his flaws it's always argued back with his positive traits that's just misunderstood or get out of hand because it's bruce being bruce.

god, you have no idea how much i despise this line of reasoning. it's a disgustingly juvenile understanding of how interpersonal harm works as tho all abusers are these. cartoon villain caricatures who know that they're evil, and are always plotting to do more evil. i'm sure monsters like that do exist irl unfortunately but the fact of the matter is that the vast, vast majority of abuse (esp child abuse) doesn't work that way. a homophobic, christian parent genuinely believes they are saving their child from hell. a disciplinarian parent genuinely believes they are just safeguarding their child's future. and, plenty of abusers self-victimise, genuinely believing that they're being falsely accused or that they are the ones who were really harmed (j*hnny d*pp, anybody?)

of course bruce loves his kids, esp. dick, no one is disputing that. that does not negate the fact that he's. also been abusive? intent does not negate impact! how do these people explain phenomena like the not-quite-accurately termed "stockholm syndrome," trauma-bonding, co-dependence, enmeshment, and love-bombing, then? those don't just materialise out of thin air, they develop from lapses in abuse that may be affectionate, for better or for worse.

like i'm sorry but speaking from experience to be able to think in such black & white terms about abuser/victim dynamics. is a privilege. any poc can tell you that, in several of our cultures? abusive parenting has been normalised, and our parents genuinely love & care about us, but they still hurt us! both of those things coexist at once, and we have to grapple w that!

man... i genuinely hope these people will never have to experience the psychological and emotional toll that comes w. understanding. where your abusers are coming from, & having to work through your trauma w/o any hope of. holding someone accountable for what happened to you. b/c you can't, in good conscience. i hate this.

sorry about getting emotional, this is super personal to me.

in conclusion,

[brucewayneisabusive]

[Image description: Four panels of Batman (Bruce Wayne) and Red Robin (Tim Drake in his New 52 look). In the first panel, Tim has Bruce in a choke hold holding him back while saying, “Not without you!” Bruce makes an “ugnn” noise.

In the second panel, the outlines of the two of them still fighting is seen while Tim says, “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not going to work! You can’t bring him back!”

In the third panel, Bruce is coated in darkness with one arm holding batarangs.  Bruce says, “I can and I will!” while hitting Tim with the sound effect of “krak.” Tim looks like he is in pain and says, “unnf.”

In the fourth panel, Tim is pinned to wall with “shunk” sound effects. Bruce says, “Discussion’s over.”

Batman and Robin (2011) #19

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[Image description: Two panels of Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne, both in costume. In the first panel they are standing on the top of a building with others visible in the background. Bruce is saying, “This isn’t the time for that schoolgirl act. I want the truth” while holding tightly onto Selina’s wrists and looming over her.

In the second panel, Bruce still holds tightly onto Selina’s wrists while she says, “You’re hurting me.”

End Image ID]

Batman: The Long Halloween #12

[brucewayneisabusive]

[Image description: Five panels of Bruce Wayne and his girlfriend Lynn (a red head woman). Bruce is in a wheelchair. In the first panel, Bruce is holding on to her hands as she attempts to put them on his soldier. Yellow light is seen coming from where he holds onto her hands.

In the second panel, she is seen squated down next to his wheelchair while he still has her hand tight in his grasp while he holds his other hand up, looking angry. She says, “Hey! Cease fire! It’s only me!”

In the third panel, she is seen looking up at him while he says, “Don’t you ever sneak up on me like--”

In the fourth panel, they are in the same position while Bruce’s face becomes softer.

In the fifth panel, he says, “Ah...sorry, Lynn--just a reflex.” She says, “Y’know, Lazarus--you’ve been here over a month now--and you’re as big a mystery as the day you arrived.”

End Image ID]

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989) #67