SPOILER WARNING for Batman: Urban Legends #1!
Bruce Wayne’s stash of weapons would leave most fans shocked, and it definitely catches a member of the Bat-Family by surprise. Luckily, Bruce Wayne has a reason for keeping such vile items around, and it’s exactly the kind of answer one would expect from Gotham’s defender.
Batman’s famous rules against killing and using guns were established early on in his history, as a way to honor the death of his parents. He wanted to dedicate his life to protecting the innocent and bringing criminals to justice, but he knew that killing would make him just as bad as his enemies. This hasn’t always made things easy for the Caped Crusader, as killing villains like the Joker would likely save countless lives, but nevertheless, the hero continues to stay true to his cause. Although Batman avoids killing, however, he’s found another use for guns that doesn’t involve shooting down enemies.
Chip Zdarsky, Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira’s “Cheer” is one of several stories in Batman: Urban Legends #1, and it focuses on the Dark Knight and his former sidekick, Jason Todd, aka Red Hood. As the two heroes are working separately to figure out the origins behind a mysterious new drug in Gotham, Red Hood has a flashback wherein he’s just starting out as Batman’s second Robin, and he decides to explore around the Batcave. As Jason snoops around, he opens an unfamiliar door and is taken aback by a room filled with guns.
In true Batman fashion, the Dark Knight appears right behind Jason Todd to tell him that this room is off-limits. After recovering from the shock of Bruce’s entrance, Jason decides to ask about the arsenal, as he knows about his adoptive father’s resentment toward firearms. Batman explains “I still need to know them. For my forensics work. And I need to master everything… including the things I hate.” Bruce then reminds Jason that “Guns are a coward’s weapon,” before heading to the door. When he turns around toward Jason, however, he sees the boy still eyeing the firearms.
Bruce and Jason’s interaction in this flashback, while brief, reveals the drive that Batman has to improve in his vendetta against crime. Like Robin, many fans would assume that, given Batman’s history with guns, he wouldn’t own so many of them. Despite Batman's detestation of firearms, though, he’s willing to study them in order to become a better hero. This added context makes much more sense, as understanding how things work allows Batman to stay steps ahead of his enemies.
Jason Todd doesn’t see things the same way as his former mentor, as shooting down enemies is fairly commonplace for the Red Hood. Of course, some stories have shown Batman wielding a gun, so even he doesn’t always feel beholden to his own rules. Nevertheless, the issue of firearms continues to be a huge point of contention between Bruce and Jason, and given the Red Hood’s latest actions, it may be that way for a while longer. Batman: Urban Legends #1 from DC Comics is available now in stores and online.
