Has Batman made any progress?

[BWR]

Because actually getting laws repealed is vastly easier than ignoring them. http://www.dumblaws.com/ is full of old statutes, laws, and ordinances that are utterly ridiculous and completely unenforced, but still technically in existence due to inertia.

I looked at that site and while I can't speak for the rest of the it, the Norwegian bits were at best inaccurate and entirely missing important information that actually explains the law. Not impressed.

[Cikomyr]

You know, with all these talks about how Arkham cant keep its patients safely, i was wondering why there hasnt been a Batinquiry in the Asylum's administration to make sure its all 100% kosher.

Also, after a couple escapes, the prisonners would probably have been escalated to a federal facility for higher security. Or the Asylum would have been shut down for being unable to fulfill its security mandate...

....actually, why cut the middleman? Do you think the Batman himself could keep the supervillains in custody? Have a story Batman : Warden, where he is asked by Gotham City to be the one detaining the supervillains, since they cant seem to keep them themselves.

[Saintheart]

You know, with all these talks about how Arkham cant keep its patients safely, i was wondering why there hasnt been a Batinquiry in the Asylum's administration to make sure its all 100% kosher.

Also, after a couple escapes, the prisonners would probably have been escalated to a federal facility for higher security. Or the Asylum would have been shut down for being unable to fulfill its security mandate...

....actually, why cut the middleman? Do you think the Batman himself could keep the supervillains in custody? Have a story Batman : Warden, where he is asked by Gotham City to be the one detaining the supervillains, since they cant seem to keep them themselves.

I suspect the reason Arkham remains open -- aside from the whole "Gotham is a Crapsack City powered by The Evulz" idea -- is because they don't have any viable alternatives. Gotham has a mindblowingly-big problem with supervillains, a density so great that no other area of the US (including Metropolis) seems to have the same issue. For whatever reason, even though the supervillains keep busting out of Arkham, they only seem to go back again and again into Gotham's underworld, whether they're drawn there like iron filings to a magnet or because Batman's existence keeps them there. Why would the Feds want to take custody of prisoners who are clearly walking time bombs wherever they go and who seem to be perfectly content killing innocent civilians in Gotham's jurisdiction? Why, indeed, would the Feds want the Batman vigiliante movement to spread beyond Gotham? Maybe Arkham is literally as good as it gets for handling supervillians in the continental US. And even then, it's still no match for someone like the Joker; that, indeed, is Batman's reason for his existence - aside from beating up the cowardly, superstitious criminal lot, he's also the only guy seriously prepared or capable of dealing with people this insane and this intelligent.

Or quite possibly Arkham's leakiness is itself a Batman Gambit. Keep your friends close (a few states away in Superman's case) but keep your enemies closer (as in, at a prison you can keep a close eye on). If the Federal authorities step in and start shifting supervillians all over the country, Batman's going to have to spend a lot of time away from his home turf preparing contingencies for their nigh-inevitable breakouts or indeed rounding them up rapidly. At least if he has all the rotten eggs in one basket he can respond immediately (in the Arkham Asylum game, we learn there's a backup Batcave underneath Arkham Asylum for more or less that very reason). Batman being the warden is a step backwards because it ties him down to one location. He constantly has to be at Arkham to stop the supervillains breaking out. He can't be out dealing with criminals or any new supervillians who show up on the scene. There's also that Batman has an almost-Quixotic faith in the police and justice system. He has to believe in that, because otherwise he truly is nothing but a vigilante. Arkham, for better or worse, is part of that system.

Also, the criminals believing they've got a fair chance of escaping Arkham plays into Batman's hands because he'll be able to put them away again faster if they keep on believing that and don't start asking to be transferred out of state. Rather than asking why Batman's never been asked to be the warden of Arkham, one could just as easily ask why not one of Joker/Penguin/Ivy's lawyers has ever demanded a transfer of their client (or gotten it) out of Arkham to a facility that clearly would better meet their needs.

[Lamech]

Here is an idea: What's gonna happen if you lock a super villain up in a prison? Well a bunch of people get exposed to magic, superscience, aliens etc. And people who really would like to break out so will take crazy risks. That's a sure fire way to go from one Mr. Freeze, to Mr. Freeze and the army of abominable snowmen. Or Dracula, to Dracula and the army of vampires.

But in the insane asylum they have a chance of being rehabilitated at least temporarily. I'm sure lots of Batman villains have been phased out by D.C. recovered in the asylum. Plus no one wants to be some guys henchman if they are already super-powered. Plus the asylum has doctors writing grants to do research on these cool unique superpowered sick people that probably all get funded in crazy amounts. I mean poison Ivy has plant control powers, I'm sure everyone would love for that to be put to a productive use. The prison OTOH, is going to be massively underfunded.

So basically you have, villain takes a short vacation, comes back maybe a bit less crazy, vs. villain breaks out immediately, probably even angrier with an army of super-mooks.

[The Glyphstone]

I looked at that site and while I can't speak for the rest of the it, the Norwegian bits were at best inaccurate and entirely missing important information that actually explains the law. Not impressed.

I won't speak for international law - but there is no good reason or context for keeping a law on the books that a pickle is not actually a pickle unless it bounces when dropped (Connecticut state law). The point is that government in general is extremely prone to inertia and prioritizing spending its time/money on things that can't just be quietly ignored. And that is for our relatively sane, real-world governments, as opposed to the DCverse where a supervillain can run for and be elected President.

[BRC]

Concerning Arkham, IIRC there are a couple Superprison options in the DCU.

Arkham Asylum, Blackgate (or Iron Heights, or any number of other prisons), and Belle Reeve.

Arkham Asylum is for Villains with some sort of mental issue or obsession, or simply require special care. Two-Face, Clayface, The Joker, Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, The Riddler, Scarecrow ect. Most of Batman's Villains tend to fall under this grouping. Killer Croc usually ends up in Arkham as well. The idea is generally that, for the most part ,these people are not irredeemable criminals at heart. Their crimes are usually the result of some sort of mental or physical affliction. They're Sick, and if they could just get a handle on their antisocial tendencies, they could be productive members of society. There was a part in the old continuity where The Riddler was successfully treated at Arkham Asylum. They helped him deal with his obsession with proving himself smarter than batman, and released him. Once out, he became an incredibly successful celebrity private detective. Mr Freeze dosn't steal because he wants money, he just wants to save his wife, and is obsessed with that to the point that he ignores anything else (Including "Laws" or "You're a genius scientist who could easily get grant money").

As a result, Arkham also has a lot more ability to do special containment/care for people like Killer Croc. Depending on the universe, Bane may or may not end up in Arkham. He's perfectly sane, but he may require special care when deprived of Venom.

Blackgate/Iron Heights/Any number of normal prisons is where people like Penguin or Catwoman (if they ever actually catch her), go. Oswald Cobblepot may be eccentric, but he's perfectly sane. He's a criminal for the same reason any number of criminals are.

When the Feds do grab a prisoner and cart them off, they usually take them to Belle Reve, which is in Louisiana. It's a superpower-proof Supermax run by Amanda Waller. That's where the Suicide Squad recruits from.

As for why Arkham is escapable? I think that's because it's trying to be three things at once. It's trying to be a supermax prison for dangerous villains (Like the Joker), it's trying to be a mental hospital for people who are only a danger to society because of a single obsession or disorder (Like Riddler or Two-Face), and it's trying to be a containment facility for people with superhuman powers (like Clayface, Poison Ivy, and Killer Croc).


That said, I think Batman, and Bruce Wayne (And Commissioner Gordon), all have very good reasons to send Villains to Arkham rather than having them taken off to Belle Reve. First, it's because Arkham already has containment set up for most of the villains. Belle Reve would need to build a Clayface-proof box. Arkham already has one, yes he got out last time, but it's easier to patch a hole than build a new box.
Second: Because in Arkham there is the CHANCE that they'll get rehabilitated. Sure it's a slim chance, but this is more philosophical than anything.
Third: Putting them in Arkham makes them predictable and easy to contain. If the Joker breaks out of Arkham, he goes back to the Gotham underground, starts causing trouble, and gets caught again. If he was put into Belle Reve, or any other superprison, and he escaped, then he would be in a new environment. Unpredictable, with a police force and local superteam that wouldn't know how to handle him. Sure he'd come back to Gotham on his own eventually, but who knows how much havoc he would wreck along the way.

Plus, while Arkham escapes are common. Mass-Escapes seem pretty rare. Which implies that Arkham is actually quite good at keeping their superpowered inmates in check. Perhaps the worry is that, while Belle Reve could hold Joker longer, when he did break out he'd be more likely to bring a lot more villains with him.

[Calemyr]

I always thought Batman villains go to Arkham because the legal system isn't willing to treat Batman's takedowns as legitimate arrests. Rather than let them go free, they're placed in the custody of the next best thing: an asylum that's not officially a prison but is better than most prisons anyway. They may escape, but let's face it: it's a comic book. It doesn't matter if you put 'em in Arkham, a supermax superjail, an inescapable pocket dimension, or six feet under, they'll be back soon if they bring in the customers.

I really wish they'd let redemptions stand, and be at least a little more common. They can fall off the wagon once in a while, perhaps, but redeemed villains are the best marker of a superhero's progress in my book.

[Zmeoaice]

Kind of odd how redeemed villains get off mostly scott free once they're redeemed because their powers are useful, while the average crook is left to rot in prison despite probably causing less damage to society.

[veti]

I won't speak for international law - but there is no good reason or context for keeping a law on the books that a pickle is not actually a pickle unless it bounces when dropped (Connecticut state law).

The point is, some of those laws have context that makes them completely reasonable. UK example: "No cows may be driven down the roadway between 10 AM and 7 PM unless there is prior approval from the Commissioner of Police." - speaking as one who's driven behind a herd of cows, that seems pretty reasonable to me. Others are simply misreported ("All land must be left to the eldest son" - no, actually, that wasn't true even in medieval times, let alone modern - or "It is illegal to be drunk on Licensed Premises (in a pub or bar)." - no it's not, what's illegal is for the licensee to sell alcohol to someone who is visibly drunk), or wholly imaginary ("Excluding Sundays, it is perfectly legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow." - no it really isn't, and I'd hate to hear of someone putting that to the test.)

[BRC]

I always thought Batman villains go to Arkham because the legal system isn't willing to treat Batman's takedowns as legitimate arrests. Rather than let them go free, they're placed in the custody of the next best thing: an asylum that's not officially a prison but is better than most prisons anyway. They may escape, but let's face it: it's a comic book. It doesn't matter if you put 'em in Arkham, a supermax superjail, an inescapable pocket dimension, or six feet under, they'll be back soon if they bring in the customers.

I really wish they'd let redemptions stand, and be at least a little more common. They can fall off the wagon once in a while, perhaps, but redeemed villains are the best marker of a superhero's progress in my book.

Kind of odd how redeemed villains get off mostly scott free once they're redeemed because their powers are useful, while the average crook is left to rot in prison despite probably causing less damage to society.

Part of that is the nature of comics and the sliding timescale.

In-Universe, it may have only been a year or two since The Riddler did something horrific that killed a hundred people. But in the real world it's been five years. Artists stopped drawing the rubble the issue after the arc was resolved, and writers stopped mentioning it a few years ago. Meanwhile, the writer wants to tell the story of the "Redeemed Riddler", rather than do the legwork to explain the legal process required to get somebody like The Riddler released as a free citizen.

As for Gotham, I have a personal headcanon on how a bizzare revolving door legal system works.

Spoiler

Show

The legal system takes time, and while most Villains can escape from Arkham, they would totally bust their way out of standard lock up, even in the time it would take a judge to deny them bail and get them off to proper prison.

In addition, the supervillains rarely surrender. They're usually brought in after Batman or one of his little helpers beats the snot out of them, which means they're in bad shape, usually requiring medical attention (Getting punched into unconciousness is REALLY BAD FOR YOU). You don't let The Joker or Scarecrow run wild in a hospital, and a pair of handcuffs to the bed wont do it most of the time. So, the system is set up to cart these villains straight to Arkham, which is set up to handle medical treatment and containment.

Once they're in Arkham, they're patients at a mental institution, so they can be held there while the legal system does it's thing. How they got there (batman beat them up and dropped them off) is less relevant for a mental institution than for a police station. Eventually, somebody might actually be charged with a crime, but it's legally easier to put them in Arkham.

As for the non-supercriminals. The thugs and henchmen, they get offered nice plea deals on a regular basis. The Supercriminals don't just commit crimes, they often build up infrastructure, stashing weapons and money and bands of henchmen around the city. Breaking down that infrastructure before somebody else finds it is more important to the GCPD than keeping a two-bit henchman off the streets. In addition, the legal system moves slowly. Plea deals are a lot faster. If they bring in, say, ten henchmen after Batman foils Two-Face's latest scheme, that's ten lengthy trials to conduct, which is a big drain on public resources. Plea deals send them away for a year with little fuss.
Perhaps most importantly, this system ensures that Supervillain Gangs are usually full of seasoned veteran professional henchmen, rather than over-eager, trigger happy star-struck rookies. These Professionals make a big show about being eager to serve whoever they're working for this week, but they know the score, and they know a few rules. They always get paid up front
so they can use the cash after they get out. While they happily accept whatever weapons their employers provide, they keep a level head and almost never actually pull the trigger (If you actually killed somebody, the chances of getting a plea deal go WAY down). When Batman arrives they make a show of rushing him, then stay down after one hit/pretend to get knocked unconscious. If they get captured and the Villain escapes, they'll trip over themselves to rat out his safehouse. These Professionals know how the police work, they don't panic under pressure and start firefights, they have lengthy files full of distinguishing marks and known associates (Making them easier to track down). If they manage to get away they'll live off their up-front money rather than try to hold up convenience stores or something. Plus, they tend to edge novice criminals out of serious henchman work.

So, both Batman and the GCPD find it beneficial to keep these seasoned veterans of crime on the streets. Two-Face is going to end up with a gang regardless, he's charismatic and a legend in the Gotham Underworld. It's better that his gang be made up of cool-headed professionals rather than over-eager kids who can't wait to use those shiny automatic weapons.
Meanwhile, the real Killers get taken off the streets, as all their more cool-headed comrades testify against them right away.

[Lethologica]

As for Gotham, I have a personal headcanon on how a bizzare revolving door legal system works.

Spoiler

Show

The legal system takes time, and while most Villains can escape from Arkham, they would totally bust their way out of standard lock up, even in the time it would take a judge to deny them bail and get them off to proper prison.

In addition, the supervillains rarely surrender. They're usually brought in after Batman or one of his little helpers beats the snot out of them, which means they're in bad shape, usually requiring medical attention (Getting punched into unconciousness is REALLY BAD FOR YOU). You don't let The Joker or Scarecrow run wild in a hospital, and a pair of handcuffs to the bed wont do it most of the time. So, the system is set up to cart these villains straight to Arkham, which is set up to handle medical treatment and containment.

Once they're in Arkham, they're patients at a mental institution, so they can be held there while the legal system does it's thing. How they got there (batman beat them up and dropped them off) is less relevant for a mental institution than for a police station. Eventually, somebody might actually be charged with a crime, but it's legally easier to put them in Arkham.

As for the non-supercriminals. The thugs and henchmen, they get offered nice plea deals on a regular basis. The Supercriminals don't just commit crimes, they often build up infrastructure, stashing weapons and money and bands of henchmen around the city. Breaking down that infrastructure before somebody else finds it is more important to the GCPD than keeping a two-bit henchman off the streets. In addition, the legal system moves slowly. Plea deals are a lot faster. If they bring in, say, ten henchmen after Batman foils Two-Face's latest scheme, that's ten lengthy trials to conduct, which is a big drain on public resources. Plea deals send them away for a year with little fuss.
Perhaps most importantly, this system ensures that Supervillain Gangs are usually full of seasoned veteran professional henchmen, rather than over-eager, trigger happy star-struck rookies. These Professionals make a big show about being eager to serve whoever they're working for this week, but they know the score, and they know a few rules. They always get paid up front
so they can use the cash after they get out. While they happily accept whatever weapons their employers provide, they keep a level head and almost never actually pull the trigger (If you actually killed somebody, the chances of getting a plea deal go WAY down). When Batman arrives they make a show of rushing him, then stay down after one hit/pretend to get knocked unconscious. If they get captured and the Villain escapes, they'll trip over themselves to rat out his safehouse. These Professionals know how the police work, they don't panic under pressure and start firefights, they have lengthy files full of distinguishing marks and known associates (Making them easier to track down). If they manage to get away they'll live off their up-front money rather than try to hold up convenience stores or something. Plus, they tend to edge novice criminals out of serious henchman work.

So, both Batman and the GCPD find it beneficial to keep these seasoned veterans of crime on the streets. Two-Face is going to end up with a gang regardless, he's charismatic and a legend in the Gotham Underworld. It's better that his gang be made up of cool-headed professionals rather than over-eager kids who can't wait to use those shiny automatic weapons.
Meanwhile, the real Killers get taken off the streets, as all their more cool-headed comrades testify against them right away.

This is amazing. One step shy of a Pratchett-esque Henchman's Guild. Thumbs up.

[Calemyr]

Spoiler

Show

The legal system takes time, and while most Villains can escape from Arkham, they would totally bust their way out of standard lock up, even in the time it would take a judge to deny them bail and get them off to proper prison.

In addition, the supervillains rarely surrender. They're usually brought in after Batman or one of his little helpers beats the snot out of them, which means they're in bad shape, usually requiring medical attention (Getting punched into unconciousness is REALLY BAD FOR YOU). You don't let The Joker or Scarecrow run wild in a hospital, and a pair of handcuffs to the bed wont do it most of the time. So, the system is set up to cart these villains straight to Arkham, which is set up to handle medical treatment and containment.

Once they're in Arkham, they're patients at a mental institution, so they can be held there while the legal system does it's thing. How they got there (batman beat them up and dropped them off) is less relevant for a mental institution than for a police station. Eventually, somebody might actually be charged with a crime, but it's legally easier to put them in Arkham.

As for the non-supercriminals. The thugs and henchmen, they get offered nice plea deals on a regular basis. The Supercriminals don't just commit crimes, they often build up infrastructure, stashing weapons and money and bands of henchmen around the city. Breaking down that infrastructure before somebody else finds it is more important to the GCPD than keeping a two-bit henchman off the streets. In addition, the legal system moves slowly. Plea deals are a lot faster. If they bring in, say, ten henchmen after Batman foils Two-Face's latest scheme, that's ten lengthy trials to conduct, which is a big drain on public resources. Plea deals send them away for a year with little fuss.
Perhaps most importantly, this system ensures that Supervillain Gangs are usually full of seasoned veteran professional henchmen, rather than over-eager, trigger happy star-struck rookies. These Professionals make a big show about being eager to serve whoever they're working for this week, but they know the score, and they know a few rules. They always get paid up front
so they can use the cash after they get out. While they happily accept whatever weapons their employers provide, they keep a level head and almost never actually pull the trigger (If you actually killed somebody, the chances of getting a plea deal go WAY down). When Batman arrives they make a show of rushing him, then stay down after one hit/pretend to get knocked unconscious. If they get captured and the Villain escapes, they'll trip over themselves to rat out his safehouse. These Professionals know how the police work, they don't panic under pressure and start firefights, they have lengthy files full of distinguishing marks and known associates (Making them easier to track down). If they manage to get away they'll live off their up-front money rather than try to hold up convenience stores or something. Plus, they tend to edge novice criminals out of serious henchman work.

So, both Batman and the GCPD find it beneficial to keep these seasoned veterans of crime on the streets. Two-Face is going to end up with a gang regardless, he's charismatic and a legend in the Gotham Underworld. It's better that his gang be made up of cool-headed professionals rather than over-eager kids who can't wait to use those shiny automatic weapons.
Meanwhile, the real Killers get taken off the streets, as all their more cool-headed comrades testify against them right away.

Reminds me of a great example of a veteran thug, from the animated movie "Mystery of the Batwoman". Batman is trespassing in a bedroom belonging to a crime boss. Thug walks into the room and stares at Batman. Batman stares straight back. Thug quietly closes the door and walks away. When another thug asks if he saw something, he says no. Batman's world would be so much better if more thugs had common sense.

[The Glyphstone]

If BRC's theory is correct, they do, and Gotham's entire criminal underground is basically just a gigantic stage theater for the benefit of the supervillains, perpetuated by the police and crooks together. The thugs and minions know their parts to play, so they're basically professional stuntmen who put on themed costumes to get knocked around a bit by Batman every few months.

You know, maybe the Gotham Crime Conspiracy is for Batman's benefit too. If he ever truly ran out of supervillains to fight, he might turn to increasing extremes in search of crime to fight and end up a supervillain in his own right (and a terrifyingly dangerous one). With this alternate interpretation, even Batman doesn't realize the thugs are throwing fights with him, and never notices the repeating faces - he just thinks the various goons are the typical low-budget trash, not seasoned veterans pulling their own punches in return.

[BRC]

According to my headcanon, it's not quite large-scale theater. The Henchmen are legitimately invested in the caper...up until Batman shows up. If the plan works and they rob the bank or whatever, huzzah, they'll take the money.

But, once Batman or any of his little helpers shows up, or the GCPD close in, they know the game is up. At that point it all becomes elaborate theater. Wave your guns menacingly in the air, rush the cape, then fall down as soon as nobody's looking. Get arrested, give the cops some info, rat out anybody who looks like they might be actually dangerous, maybe do a few months in jail or in a Work-Release program cleaning up from the last supervillain attack.

It also lets the legal system go a lot smoother. Yeah, anything Batman collects is inadmissible, but the veteran thugs testimonies are perfectly valid.

[Calemyr]

If BRC's theory is correct, they do, and Gotham's entire criminal underground is basically just a gigantic stage theater for the benefit of the supervillains, perpetuated by the police and crooks together. The thugs and minions know their parts to play, so they're basically professional stuntmen who put on themed costumes to get knocked around a bit by Batman every few months.

You know, maybe the Gotham Crime Conspiracy is for Batman's benefit too. If he ever truly ran out of supervillains to fight, he might turn to increasing extremes in search of crime to fight and end up a supervillain in his own right (and a terrifyingly dangerous one). With this alternate interpretation, even Batman doesn't realize the thugs are throwing fights with him, and never notices the repeating faces - he just thinks the various goons are the typical low-budget trash, not seasoned veterans pulling their own punches in return.

Okay, now this is starting to remind me of a whole other reference: Robot Chicken's star wars skits, namely the one about the force-choke skit.

A bunch of Imperial officers are inducting a new member of the crew.
Officer: "Okay, now if Darth Vader tries to use that force-choke move - you know, this one - just go with it."
Recruit: "Really?"
Officer: "Yes. Just fake it, and we'll pretend that you died. We'll give you a new name and a fake mustache and everything will be alright."
Recruit: "And that works?"
Officer: "Yes. This guy over here has been 'killed' four times!" *Motions to a guy with a fake mustache, a fake beard, glasses, and a hat.*
Officer: "He doesn't pay enough attention to notice it."
Recruit: "Why would you go through all this?"
Officer: "Because he has a flipping lightsaber! Which he would use if he knew that force-choke move of his didn't work!"

[JCarter426]

Reminds me of a great example of a veteran thug, from the animated movie "Mystery of the Batwoman". Batman is trespassing in a bedroom belonging to a crime boss. Thug walks into the room and stares at Batman. Batman stares straight back. Thug quietly closes the door and walks away. When another thug asks if he saw something, he says no. Batman's world would be so much better if more thugs had common sense.

That was because Batman had beaten him up earlier in the film. They weren't paying him enough to deal with that again.

[Hiro Protagonest]

That was because Batman had beaten him up earlier in the film. They weren't paying him enough to deal with that again.

Which disproves his point... how?

[JCarter426]

"They're not paying me enough to get beat up by Batman again" is the most sensible response I can imagine.

[The Glyphstone]

I think he's saying its a shame that said thug is unusual, rather than all the thugs in Batman's world being that sensible.

[JCarter426]

Oh, now I'll agree to that.

[Reddish Mage]

According to my headcanon, it's not quite large-scale theater. The Henchmen are legitimately invested in the caper...up until Batman shows up. If the plan works and they rob the bank or whatever, huzzah, they'll take the money.

But, once Batman or any of his little helpers shows up, or the GCPD close in, they know the game is up. At that point it all becomes elaborate theater. Wave your guns menacingly in the air, rush the cape, then fall down as soon as nobody's looking. Get arrested, give the cops some info, rat out anybody who looks like they might be actually dangerous, maybe do a few months in jail or in a Work-Release program cleaning up from the last supervillain attack.

It also lets the legal system go a lot smoother. Yeah, anything Batman collects is inadmissible, but the veteran thugs testimonies are perfectly valid.

For a city virtually underseige by crime, terrorists, super-villains, aliens, you name it. Gotham certainly has a very liberal take on crime.

On a scale of from the "Draco*" to "Lemming", I think Gotham lies somewhere between "bleeding heart hippie" and "The Charmings of Once Upon a Time**."


*Greek Lawgiver (death penalty for everything)

**After the way the Charmings have treated the Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin, they are clearly testing the bounds of pacifism and entering Lemming territory.

[Cheesegear]

I think he's saying its a shame that said thug is unusual, rather than all the thugs in Batman's world being that sensible.

Except that's Batman's M.O.
He's The Bat to strike the fear of the night into his enemies. Except most of Batman's enemies aren't even afraid of him. Way to fail.

[Benthesquid]

If BRC's theory is correct, they do, and Gotham's entire criminal underground is basically just a gigantic stage theater for the benefit of the supervillains, perpetuated by the police and crooks together. The thugs and minions know their parts to play, so they're basically professional stuntmen who put on themed costumes to get knocked around a bit by Batman every few months.

You know, maybe the Gotham Crime Conspiracy is for Batman's benefit too. If he ever truly ran out of supervillains to fight, he might turn to increasing extremes in search of crime to fight and end up a supervillain in his own right (and a terrifyingly dangerous one). With this alternate interpretation, even Batman doesn't realize the thugs are throwing fights with him, and never notices the repeating faces - he just thinks the various goons are the typical low-budget trash, not seasoned veterans pulling their own punches in return.

This was one of the ministories presented in "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?"

[TheThan]

Except that's Batman's M.O.
He's The Bat to strike the fear of the night into his enemies. Except most of Batman's enemies aren't even afraid of him. Way to fail.

Well yeah, why would you fear batman. After it gets around that he doesn’t kill; nobody will actually be terrified of him. Sure he's slightly frightening in that outfit, and he does a great jump scare, but he's not going to kill you. I doubt he'd go so far as to do any enough damage to threaten someone's life with a beating.

[Lethologica]

Well yeah, why would you fear batman. After it gets around that he doesn’t kill; nobody will actually be terrified of him. Sure he's slightly frightening in that outfit, and he does a great jump scare, but he's not going to kill you. I doubt he'd go so far as to do any enough damage to threaten someone's life with a beating.

*cough*
"Advice from a pro: pick a better spot. A fall from this height wouldn't kill me."
"I'm counting on it." *lets go*

[Rogar Demonblud]

Because actually getting laws repealed is vastly easier than ignoring them.

I think you mean repealing is harder than just ignoring them. The principle is called 'salutary neglect', and it crops up regularly in governance.

[The Glyphstone]

I think you mean repealing is harder than just ignoring them. The principle is called 'salutary neglect', and it crops up regularly in governance.

Erg. Yeah, I had those backwards. But that's exactly what I am talking about.

[Saintheart]

*cough*
"Advice from a pro: pick a better spot. A fall from this height wouldn't kill me."
"I'm counting on it." *lets go*

Yeah. And even with that level of pain and suffering inflicted, the guy still wouldn't give up the Joker's location.