By Matt Foley

 

In recent years, Batman has developed an entourage commonly referred to as “the bat family.”  A theory I have had for some time is that each member of the “batmily” represents one aspect of Batman’s own skills, resources or character.  Or at least, in their current incarnations they do.  None of the sidekicks can be completely limited to these character traits for the simple fact that, as these characters are developed, they become multifaceted in their own right.  That said, I maintain that the core of each supporting character remains their designated aspect of the Batman.  Let’s explore:

Nightwing, Dick Grayson – Nightwing represents Batman’s natural physical athleticism and acrobatic ability.  Formerly a circus performer on the high trapeze, Grayson has always been talented physically.  As Nightwing, he is the only field member of the Bat Family that does not wear a cape on his costume.  The cape is a tool of distraction, meant to hide where your body is and throw off the aim of an attacker with a gun.  Nightwing instead depends on his acrobatic skill to keep himself out of danger.

 

Red Hood, Jason Todd – The second robin lacked the natural athleticism of Dick Grayson.  Unlike other members of the bat family, Jason never had a normal life.  Instead of seeking justice or even revenge, he was simply lashing out at the world in anger.  Jason Todd represents Batman’s rage at the injustices of the world, and at Gotham’s villains.  Lacking the temperance of Bruce Wayne’s years of training and his analytical level-headedness, Todd was effectively without a conscience.  Other than his rage, Jason Todd ultimately didn’t have much else to offer.  For this reason, and because the fans missed Grayson and labeled Jason as a pretender, Todd was put down by the Joker.  Jason’s death transferred much of his rage back into Batman who grew much darker in the following years.  Following the events of Infinite Crisis, Jason Todd is back as the Red Hood, a Super Villain far better trained than he was as Robin.  Still representing Wayne’s rage, the Red Hood seeks to control crime from within with an iron fist, and kills any criminals who cross him.

Reference Material:  Batman A Death in the Family, Batman Hush, Batman Under the Hood  

Robin, Tim Drake – Tim Drake was there the night that the Flying Graysons, Dick Grayson’s family, was murdered in the middle of a Trapeze performance.  After hearing that Batman had solved the case, Drake became an avid Batman and Robin fan, following their career closely.  He discovered their identities when he witnessed Robin performing Dick Grayson’s signature move from his time in the circus on downloaded security footage.  It was later that Tim earned the right to be Robin himself.  Tim Drake has always represented Bruce Wayne’s ability as a world class detective.  Drake doesn’t just fight crime, he solves crimes.  Tim was the one member of the bat family who had a complete family to support him.  One by one, these people have been stripped away from him.  He has lost his mother, his father, his step mother, two love interests, and most recently his best friend, Superboy.  Throughout all of these deaths, Robin has never succumbed to becoming the dark, brooding figure which Batman is often portrayed as.  He has remained optimistic in his efforts to fight crime.  This plays into his role as a detective in that he rarely allows himself to be distracted by anger.

 

Oracle, Barbara Gordon – Originally, Barbara was simply a female presence for the Adam West Batman television show.  She was later moved to the comics due to her status as a fan favorite, and continued to be merely a female version of Dick Grayson known as Batgirl.  Since becoming wheelchair bound due to an attack by the Joker, her character has been reinvented as “Oracle”, representing Batman’s ability as a computer hacker and general information gatherer.  Oracle is representative of the cerebral portion of Batman’s fight against crime.  Her abilities are akin to Batman’s raw intelligence and ability to just know stuff, which lets him piece together the parts of a case in order to solve it.  Even though she no longer actively fights crime in the field, she is probably the most useful member of the bat family.

Reference Material:  Batgirl Year One, Batman The Killing Joke, Birds of Prey Old Friends, New Enemies, All Star Batgirl (Summer 2007)

 

Batgirl, Cassandra Cain – This modern incarnation of Batgirl is almost entirely defined by her ability to fight.  She was not even capable of speech when she was first introduced, and has struggled to develop more of her own identity.  She represents Batman’s martial ability and status as one of the leading hand-to-hand combatants in the world.  Recently she has defeated Shiva, known as the deadliest martial artist in the world and taken over the league of assassins.  Her reasons for doing so are explained somewhat in Teen Titans #43.

 

Batwoman, Kate Kane – There have been multiple versions of Batwoman in the past as love interests for Batman.  The character was introduced in order to combat the inference that Batman and Robin were in a homosexual relationship.  In homage to this, the newest version of Batwoman has been revealed as a lesbian.  Only just introduced in 52 Week #11, not much is know about this new incarnation of Batwoman.  What is known is that she basically put together her bat-arsenal by pouring her vast fortune into it.  To me, until we know more, Kate Kane represents Batman’s personal wealth, and his willingness to spend it in the pursuit of justice.  Or she represents that Batman, no matter what, is all about the ladies.

Reference Material:  52 (Weekly), Forthcoming mini-series to be announced.

 

Batman (Beyond), Terry McGinnis – (From the Batman Animated Series continuity)

30 years after the current Batman storyline, Batman is having trouble continuing his fight on crime.  A heart attack mid-fight forces him to break a lifelong oath and threaten a criminal with a gun.  Afterwards, he retires from crime fighting and becomes a recluse.  20 years after that, a young punk named Terry McGinnis is attacked by a gang called the “Jokerz” and Bruce Wayne intervenes.  Terry helps him back to the Wayne manner and discovers the Batcave.  He later returns and steals a sleek and futuristic Batman suit in order to avenge his father’s murder.  McGinnis has elements from all three Robins, but because of his constant reliance on futuristic technology, I view him as the embodiment of Batman’s ever-increasing arsenal of gadgets. 

Reference Material:  Batman Beyond (Seasons One-Three), Batman Beyond Return of the Joker, Superman/Batman #22

 

 

Spoiler, Stephanie Brown – Stephanie Brown was the daughter of a criminal known as Cluemaster, one of Tim Drake’s villains.  She took on the role of Spoiler because she felt she needed to redeem herself for what her father had done.  She was successful to the point of even taking on the mantle of Robin for a time while Tim Drake was on hiatus, but was fired by Batman for not taking orders.  Because of her background and personality, I feel that Spoiler represents Bruce Wayne’s eagerness for redemption.  Both Wayne and Brown take responsibility for the evil around them, despite the fact that it isn’t their fault.  Batman feels most guilty about the death of Jason Todd, but feels guilt every time a criminal kills someone in Gotham and he is unable to stop it.  Spoiler was eventually killed off, possibly due to her status as being naïve and untrained.

 

Huntress, Helena Rosa Bertinelli – Originally “Helena Wayne”, the daughter of Earth-Two versions of Bruce Wayne and Selena Kyle, the Huntress took to crime fighting after her mother was killed.  The modern version of Huntress is the daughter of a mafia crime boss who witnessed her entire family murdered and vowed revenge.  She is frequently more brutal in combat than other members of the bat family, and uses a crossbow instead of batarangs or shuriken.  In both tactics and attitude, Huntress is the embodiment of Batman’s determination and tenacity.  When the going gets tough, Huntress grits her teeth and battles on, usually putting a crossbow bolt or two through somebody’s shoulder.

Reference Material:  Huntress Darknight Daughter, Birds of Prey Of Like Minds, Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood  

Alfred, Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth – In current continuity, Alfred was hired away from the British royal family by Bruce Wayne’s parents.  He had been trained in the art of espionage, is an extremely competent combat medic and field surgeon, and is even somewhat skilled in hand to hand combat.  From the time when Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered, Alfred takes on the role of a father figure for Bruce Wayne, caring for him as well as supporting him in his role as Batman.  Alfred represents Bruce Wayne’s capacity as a caretaker.  Batman constantly takes in young men and women in need because of the compassion built into him from his own traumatic childhood and how he was helped through it by Alfred.  So important was Alfred and his role to the bat family that, when he was killed off in 1964, he only remained dead for two years before the writers brought him back.  Although Alfred takes orders from Bruce Wayne as his butler, he is still very much a father figure.  One example of Alfred being above “Batman lackey” status would be that he is the only member of the bat family that is permitted to own a firearm, one time being depicted defending the Batcave with a shotgun.

Reference Material:  Batman in the Sixties, Batman No Man’s Land, and nearly every modern Batman story.

 

Commissioner Gordon, Jim Gordon – Nothing could be a better symbol of Batman’s desire for justice than the man who leads the Gotham City Police Department.  Jim Gordon came up through the ranks of Gotham police honestly despite being surrounded by corruption.  In order to bring justice to Gotham, he became willing to bend the rules, but never break them.  Towards this end, he allows, and even endorses, Batman working with the G.C.P.D. in order to fight crime.  He is a beacon of justice in a dark city, and is much of the reason Batman is effective in his ongoing battle against injustice.

 

Catwoman, Selena Kyle – Opposite to Jim Gordon, Selena Kyle represents the illegal nature of Batman’s activities.  Originally a cat burglar with a penchant for diamonds, Kyle developed into a sort of anti-hero working along with Batman, as well as one of Bruce Wayne’s most enduring love interests.  Taking over the crime fighting duties of Gotham’s dangerous East Side, Catwoman works autonomously without the direct support of law enforcement, doing anything she needs to in order to keep her corner of the city safe. 

Did I forget anyone?  Did I get something wrong?  This is a theory constantly under development and expansion as the bat family grows in numbers and its members develop as characters.  Please post in response on these forums and help me improve it!