Spoilers for Knight Terrors: Batman #1!In DC Comics, it often feels like Batman only has love for his nightly activities of sneaking through the shadows and punishing the superstitious and cowardly lot of Gotham City to the fullest. Yet with an ever-growing Bat-Family at his side, starting with the first Robin turned Nightwing, Dick Grayson, Batman’s love for his original sidekick is now revealed to be equal to the feelings he has for one ruthless member of his rogues gallery!
Always the stoic and brooding hero, Batman isn’t one to talk about much other than punching the next bad guy in the face or tracking down the latest foe holding the innocents of Gotham ransom, with his feelings — whether for other people or in regard to his inner self — very rarely bubbling to the surface or being addressed.
And now, as the opening chapter of DC’s summer comic event called Knight Terrors unleashes the deepest, darkest fears of its most iconic characters, Batman is faced with a nightmare that taunts him with the gravestones of his closest friends, family , and lovers, with the surprising villain of Talia al Ghul making the cut as one of the few people who Batman cares enough about to have pop into his dream.
Batman Loves Talia al Ghul Just As Much As Nightwing
Confirming Talia’s place in Batman’s heart in Knight Terrors: First Blood #1, by Joshua Williamson and Guillem March, this issue sees Batman stuck in a situation brought on by the new villain called Insomnia, who leads Bruce in reliving his traumatic childhood loss of his parents. Turning into the young version of himself from that night, Batman immediately understands that he’s being toyed with as his visions torture him with the images of those he loves most six feet under. Seeing headstones ranging from his parents, the late and great Alfred, almost all of his Bat-Family sidekicks like Nightwing and Batgirl, his ex, Catwoman, and finally, the mother of his child, Talia, DC confirms that the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul is not only still on Batman’s mind, but ranks up there as an important person in his life despite her overly villainous tendencies.
Over the years, Batman and Talia have been romantically involved almost as much as they’ve been at odds, with the introduction of their son, Damian Wayne, back in 2006 not doing much to change those interactions one bit. And while Batman may fight against Talia when he needs to — especially during her time heading the all-powerful organization known as Leviathan — it’s clear after this issue he still very much loves and respects Talia, valuing her alongside the rest of his family in a way that’s as surprising as it is heartwarming to see.
Talia Still Holds A Special Place in Batman's Heart
Batman has more love for those around him than he likes to it, with the fact that Talia is still one of the individuals he cares most about making sense on more than a few levels, the biggest one undoubtedly being that she’s Batman’s baby mama. With The Dark Knight’s love for Talia al Ghul now shown to rival Nightwing, it might not be long before Batman can find a way to convince her to become a true ally in his fight against crime, but judging by her continued acts of evil, Bruce probably shouldn’t hold his breath.
Knight Terrors: Batman #1 is now available from DC Comics.
