It seems that Batman regarding his insistence on using a mask. Batman: Noel has the Man of Steel posit how ditching his cowl for good could make Bruce a much more trusted hero in Gotham.
Bruce and Clark are friends, colleagues, and occasionally partners on superhero missions. But beyond their dedication to justice, they have radically different approaches to superheroism. With powers that could only be defined as godlike, Superman protects his city of Metropolis in the light of day, shining like a beacon of hope for everyone. Meanwhile, Gotham is guarded by Batman, who spends his nights hiding in the shadows and striking at the criminal elements before they know what's hit them. While their respective methods work for them in regard to their specific powers or skills, it doesn't stop either hero from advising their friend on how to improve their work.
In fact, Superman has some pretty good advice for Batman on how he can be a better hero for the people of Gotham, and it all starts with taking off the mask. In Batman: Noel by Lee Bermejo, it’s Christmas Eve and Batman is trying to track down the Joker. Batman is using Bob, one of Joker’s flunkies, as bait to draw out the Clown Prince of Crime. However, Superman stops by to discuss Batman’s intense methods and takes him on a tour of Gotham. Clark shows his friend that the people of Gotham are mostly good and that instead of instilling fear into the bad, he can do better by inspiring the just. Superman says that a small act like Batman showing his face could do the city good by showing the citizens of Gotham he's exactly like them.
Ditching The Mask Could Make Batman More Like Superman
Batman has a good point that he’s not bulletproof like Superman and that he needs all the protection he can get. Not to mention Bruce has one of the most recognizable faces in Gotham, and it’d be harder for him to get away with a costume that doesn’t protect his secret identity. But Clark raises a good point about what shedding the mask could do for him as a hero. Instead of spending his days terrorizing criminals, he could be a figure that proactively works with his community.
Superman has the good fortune of working in a city that isn’t beset by as many problems as Gotham is. But maybe Batman could turn Gotham into a better place by letting them know who the hero is that’s been helping them for so long. Batman works as a symbol of fear than can keep criminals at bay. But if people knew that their hero was a man, a venerated figure in the community, he might be able to approach the problems that Gotham suffers from at the source. Crime is a hard issue to tackle, but maybe Superman’s right that the city doesn’t need Batman, but Bruce Wayne instead.
