Detective Comics 975: Path to Reconciliation

The Trial of Batwoman

Writer - James Tynion IV, Pencils - Alvaro Martinez, Inks - Raul Fernandez, Colors - Brad Anderson, Cover - Martinez, Fernandez, Anderson, Asst. Editor - Dave Wielgosz, Editor - Chris Conroy, Group Editor - Jamie S. Rich

Initial Reaction

This issue does not pull any punches.  We get to see a rare look inside the psyche and rationale of Batman, especially when it comes to his team.  While the book is light on action, I don't think you'll miss it.  It is also not really as much a trial as it is a "family" meeting.  The ending, while not particularly surprising, does seem to set a new status quo for Batwoman.  If you like issues that examine the characters, you will enjoy this issue.

The Story

The book begins with a flashback to the burial of Kate's mother.  Bruce and Alfred are there, and even throw the traditional shovel-full of dirt onto the casket.  After the funeral is over, Kate and Bruce bond over the loss of their parents.  Bruce tells her that he has dreams of confronting and killing his parent's murderers, and calls them good dreams.  It seems to be his way of coping with the loss.  Kate is obviously hurting, and when Bruce shares his dreams, she suggests that they find and kill them.  The last panel of this flashback depicts Kate with a haunting glare, holding her mother's military-issued flag.  The next page shows that this was a dream, or that it was keeping her awake.  She receives a call, telling her that "Today's the day".

The issue shifts to The Clock Tower in Burnside, where Nightwing joins Batgirl while she is preparing for the upcoming discussion with Bruce.  We see the difference in approaches to this, Batgirl is going through all the evidence and gaining an understanding of the Clayface incident while Nightwing says he will follow his heart.  There are some great character moments in these couple pages, but they decide that this conference is probably coming from Tim rather than Bruce.  The scene closes with the real reason Nightwing came to The Clock Tower...he needed to bum a ride.

The next scene opens with Orphan staring out the window in Damian's room inside Wayne Manor.  Damian confronts her, and Orphan slams him to the ground.  Tim is in the doorway, clearly amused with what happened to Damian.  Alfred comes to tell Tim and Damian that it is time to begin the proceedings in the Bat Cave, while Alfred and Cassandra will be baking brownies.

The four members of the core Bat-Family are walking down the bridge in the Cave, plus Red Hood.  All of them are catching up with each other, they have not all been in a room in quite some time.  It is clear that Red Hood is the odd man out, and they question what he is doing here.  That is when we see our credits page with Batman and the family.  Batman tells them,

"You're all here because you're my family.  I trust you all, and I trust your judgment.  I want, and need, to know what you think before I take action."

Bruce has clearly assembled what he considers his family.  These are the people he trusts the most when it comes to the moral issues involved with the death of Clayface at the hand of Batwoman.

We move to Batwoman beating up Gorilla Boss handily, all while having a heart-to-heart talk with Batwing through her ear-piece.  Batwing assures her that he and Azrael will follow her, however she decides to act.  Batwoman seems rather confident in her decision to break off from the group, with the only thing getting to her is Orphan, and the look in her eyes .  Batwing offers friendship, but Kate says she needs to do this alone.  At this point, we are not 100% sure what she means.

Back at the Cave, Tim starts the discussion.  He talks about how he became Robin, and also how he approached Bruce with the idea for the Gotham Knights, which Tim envisioned in a grand sense to make the world a better place, even villains such as Clayface.  He says he cannot afford to think like Batwoman, he cannot be this cynical.  Tim reminds us that he is ever the optimist in the family, and that he is really still a Batman fan at heart.  Tim needs to see people, even bad people, as having the ability to be rehabilitated.

Nightwing is next.  He works his way through the issue at hand, saying that he while he was not around enough to judge the character development of Clayface, he chooses to believe Kate acted in the only way she felt was right.  He did not agree with the decision, but also says that he has made his share of mistakes, and that Batwoman deserves a path back to the group, but she has not earned it yet.  Damian merely contributes that he doesn't think any of the rest of them deserve to be called Bat-Family.

I have to say, this speech by Dick is why he is my favorite member of the family.  He speaks from his heart, adding a realistic attitude, while never closing the door on reconciliation.  This is a very righteous approach, and one that we would do well to emulate.

We move on to Red Hood.  He clears the air by saying that he does side with Batwoman, but not because she made a virtuous kill in his eyes.  It is more because he perceives this whole discussion as a sham to mask Bruce's broken ego.  A literal family member broke the rules, and he can't deal with it.  Jason does say that he has quit killing in his crusade because he values being part of this close circle of trust for Batman.

The last person to speak is Batgirl.  She lays out the case that Bruce did not form the Gotham Knights program because he believed in Tim's vision, but because he didn't want to lose his cousin to The Colony.  He wanted to bring Kate into the family, and teach her his ways of fighting for justice.  Tim is clearly hurt, and still tries to defend the program.  Babs comes back with the case of Cassandra, who has had an impossibly hard life.  Bruce takes offense to the accusation he purposely hurt Orphan, but Babs comes back with this theory:

"Your're doing it because Kate is the closest living connection you have to your mother Martha.  To her family.  To the kind of person she was.  And you're afraid that Martha would have wanted you to take that shot.  And that throws a lot more into question than whether Kate can wear a Bat."

She continues saying that Kate is the only one who she can answer to, and they all need to learn to live with her decision.  This whole thing is not about Batwoman, it is about Bruce.  Babs' theory cuts deep, but like any family member who shares the hard truth, she promises to support Batman through it all.

We shift to Kate at her mother's grave, unpacking the events of the past week.  She reveals she is struggling because she sees her brokenness when she sees Cassandra's eyes.  Kate shares that she dedicated her life to stopping what happened to her mom from happening to anyone else.  She knows she stepped over the line.  She is met by her father, and then we learn that it is the anniversary of her mother's death.  The issue ends with Kate's decision to join her dad and run The Colony.

Final Thoughts

Kate stepped over the line and took a life.  She regrets the consequences, but it does not seem like she would change her decision.  On the other side, Bruce crossed the line by creating the Gotham Knights in order to "save" Kate, and not primarily to defend Gotham.  Bruce, who in this book seems to embrace the idea of team, acted incredibly selfishly in order to bring Kate away from the metaphorical ledge.  It has clearly backfired, one person is dead, and Kate is now leading The Colony.

Through all of this, I would prefer to highlight Nightwing's approach to this whole situation, and leave the door open to a reconciliation.  This is the approach God has taken with us, and that He tells us to take with others who have hurt us.

What do you think, which member of the Bat-Family do you agree with the most?  Does Kate deserve a chance to come back, even with what we know about her decision?   Is there someone in your life that needs your forgiveness?

I would love to talk about this issue with you.  Let's continue the conversation in the comments section, on Twitter @behindthecapes, or on Facebook.