Is Batman Bigoted Against Metahumans?

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I know your instant answer to that question is, “No! Of course not!” but consider the possibility with me for just a few minutes. We know that Batman is willing to fight by the side of any hero when push comes to shove. He is a prominent member of the Justice League which is filled with supernatural heroes, yet when it comes to Bruce's inner circle, there is a mysterious lack of superpowered beings. Batman has adopted five children, yet none of them possess any powers. Almost all Bruce's closest allies are powerless. Bruce zealously guards Gotham from unapproved vigilantes, and almost every hero he allows to operate in Gotham is unpowered. Even when he offered the support of Batman to the whole world through Batman Incorporated, Bruce basically put a sign on his club house door that said, “No Metahumans Allowed.”

With all this in mind, I think it is fair to consider the question. I mean, aren't there any young, vengeful, orphans with superpowers that Batman could lead into a life of violence and vigilantism?

Exceptions

Again, the vast majority of Batman's allies are humans, but with a rolodex as full as Batman's, we can find all kinds of characters. All of the Robins and Batgirls are unpowered, but Catwoman is suspected to have an empathic affinity for cats. Azrael (Valley) had superhuman strength due to his line of strong genetic forefathers. The Birds of Prey operates under tacit approval of Batman, yet it is led by Black Canary who possesses a skull shattering canary cry. Even though these are exceptions to the no power rule, these are still relatively minor powers considering the amped up power houses that live in the DC universe.

Speaking of amped up powerhouses, Superman causes a significant chink in the theory that Batman is bigoted. After all, Batman considers a mighty alien to be his best friend, and Bruce often teams up with Clark even outside of their work with the Justice League. However, Batman is famed for his suspicious nature, and you could easily conclude that Bruce is only close to Superman so that he can be there to take him out should the need arise. Sure, Batman calls Clark friend, but Bruce is hardly above lying.

Batman Incorporated also has some exceptions. There is an entire unit of Batman Incorporated called the Dead Heroes Club that includes heroes with super powers. Also, Squire has the ability to interpret information by touch. Still, it remains true that not a single superpowered being is allowed to be “Batman.” Batman Incorporated's limited inclusion of metahumans might seem to disprove the idea of Bruce's bigotry at first, but if you apply Bruce's decisions to the real world, it makes them appear even worse. Can you imagine if the military created a separate branch for black soldiers or if women were prohibited from attaining a certain rank?

Reality Check!

I've been playing Devil's advocate, but let's get real for a moment. We all know why Batman does not have a bunch of superpowered allies, and it has nothing to do with bigotry. Batman is light on metahuman allies because it would ruin the tone of Batman. There are very few superheroes without superpowers, and none are as well known or well respected as the Dark Knight. It is the gritty determination of an unpowered man to focus him mind and body to overcome any obstacle that makes Bruce an admirable character. It is the knowledge that Batman cannot shrug off bullets and the lowliest thug could potentially cripple or kill him that adds tension to his battles for justice. If Batman had an ally that could simply throw up an impenetrable, psychic shield, it would fundamentally alter the nature of Batman stories, and nobody wants to see that.

However, that is an outside the universe answer to the question. What is the inside universe answer?

The In Universe Perspective

As far as I know, this subject has never really been covered in comics, but here are some theories that could explain Bruce's bias.

1. Bruce doesn't trust metahumans. Perhaps Bruce's feelings about metahumans are much the same as his feeling on guns. They can be useful, but they can also be extremely dangerous and unpredictable. It is better not to add an extra layer of risk to his operations. He knows the capabilities of humans, but metahumans are a wild card that cannot always be properly predicted.

2. The unpowered need help to fight crime. If you can walk through a hail of gunfire and punch a hole in a mountain, you probably do not need a billion dollars of Wayne tech to give you an edge. Powered heroes can go out and start making a positive change in the world just by virtue of their natural abilities, but human heroes need equipment and training, two things that Batman can provide.

3. There are better places for metahumans to learn to be a hero. Batman doesn't know what it feels like to be able to shoot beams out of his eyeballs. He has no idea what it is like to have to pull your punch because a fraction of your strength could take off a villain's head. Batman simply does not have the experience to help people like that, but there are others who do. The Justice League, throughout most of its existence, has reached out to new heroes and helped them out. There are tons of teams which take fledgling superheroes and give them more experience with the moderate safety net of allies. This was especially true during the time the JSA was in operation for the JSA were essentially superhero trainers. If you had powers, why would you look up to Batman to train you?

4. Batman is a symbol. Criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot, so what makes you more scared if you are a street level criminal? A guy in red and blue who can punch through a mountain or a guy who can blend in with the night and take you out with a punch to the face. Superhumans generally handle superhuman threats. They don't worry about the common lowlife. Having a hero who is human reminds both good guys and bad guys alike that everybody can be Batman. Your neighbor across the street, the police officer on the corner, and the person reading the newspaper on the park bench could all be someone watching you and waiting for you to commit a crime just so they can punch your lights out. The metahumans are going to fly right over your head and punch Godzilla in the jaw, but Batman is probably watching you right now.

Final Thoughts

I don't think Batman is a bigot. At most, he is more suspicious of superhumans because of their greater power. However, this idea is largely unexplored in comics, and it could lead to some interesting plot lines if Batman had to deal with a new powered trainee or he was called to task on his apparent bias. I would not like to see Batman surrounded by metahumans, but as a brief story arch, it could be interesting.

For more news, reviews, and commentary for the entire Bat Family, check out BatWatch.net.

This is a three part series that will try to answer that simple question by analyzing Damian in terms of the various roles Robin fills both as Batman's most famous partner in fighting crime and as a character in a comic book. This will not be about which Robin is best, whether or not Damian is a strong character, or if the younger Wayne deserves to wear the famous domino mask. This is not a contest, but an evaluation.

Overall, I think Gail Simone's handling of Batgirl has been fairly good. It started off a little rough with the yawn inspiring and convoluted villain Mirror, and it took some time to build up steam, but I enjoyed Barbara's showdown with Knightfall and the Joker story has thus far been riveting. In consequence, I was a little disappointed when it was reveled that Gail had been fired since it felt like Batgirl was just starting to hit its stride. Of course, it was soon revealed that Simone was rehired in a move that left everybody dazed, confused, and unsure whether to feel irritated or victorious.

Whatever the madness that must have happened behind the scenes between DC and Gail, Simone's removal from the series started me thinking on how the series could improve, so I've come up with three pieces of advice for Barbara and whoever ends up writing her.

1. Get a Job, Hippie!

What is Barbara even doing for money right now? It is actually extremely bizarre that readers do not know the answer to this question. I know how every other member of the Bat Family pays the bills, but Babs seems to be free from all responsibility and care except when she wears the suit. What's up with that? Does Commissioner Gordon have enough to pay for Barbara to have a separate apartment? Does Batman finance her so she can spend more time fighting crime? Is she going back to college or working a low income job? It's a mystery.

It's also a shame because having a job would make Barbara much more relatable to readers. Many of the people who read comics are at the stage in their lives where they are either getting their first job or establishing themselves in a career. How great would it be to see a heroine endure those same sort of everyday struggles. A job would give Barbara some much needed depth because right now she has little going for her. Her supporting cast consists of an estranged mother, a loyal but absent (from most issues) father, one roommate, (who also gets little screen time) and her sociopathic little brother. It's time for Barbara to rejoin society.

2. Act Your Age!

I get it. There was a reboot, and now, Barbara Gordon is much less experienced and therefore less mature, but can't we see Barbara act a little more grown up? Oracle was cool, calm, and analytical, yet she was not emotionally stunted. She could definitely express her feelings if the need arrived. She was confident and bold. Can any of these things really be said about current Barbara?

I would describe DCNU Barbara as more flat than cool. I have very little sense of who she is as a person. She is not particularly calm nearly having a panic attack several times since the DCNU began. Is she analytical? Yes, she still has some of that going for her, but she has rarely displayed the same level of situational analysis that Oracle so readily displayed. Is she confident and bold? Absolutely not! This is highlighted most clearly when Barbara allowed one of the thugs who attacked her to go free. What was even the point of that? The only thing I can figure is that Barbara has so little confidence in herself that she did not feel she could trust her own decision making in regards to dealing with the punk. In general, Batgirl feels like a character who doubts her every action, and I, for one, find it difficult to respect such a character.

DCNU Batgirl has less experience in the suit than DCU Batgirl, and it appears Oracle is out of the picture altogether, but Babs is still in her twenties and not much younger than she was before the reboot. It is time for her to put on her big girl tights, stop monologuing like a teenager on Twitter, and show some maturity.

3. Tear Up Your Victim Card

If I see one more victim in a Batgirl comic, I am going to scream. Obviously, Batgirl herself was the victim of a brutal attack at the hands of Joker, and I do like, for the most part, the way that Simone handled Batgirl's struggle to overcome this challenge. However, I am really tired of every plot revolving around victimhood. Mirror was the victim of a car crash who watched his family die in the ensuing inferno. Mirror snapped and decided to target other victims who had survived tragic circumstances and kill them. Gretel was a journalist who became a victim who was shot in the head three times with a .38 caliber pistol. In response to her tragedy, she became a villain who could control the minds of men, and her victimhood was so important to her character that she could only activate her powers by continually spouting the number .338 which represented the three times she was shot with a .38. What did Gretel do with her power? She used it to victimize men. During the Night of the Owls crossover, you might think you would get a soulless assassin for Batgirl to battle, but no, we get another victim who was orphaned at a young age by war aggression and indoctrinated to be an assassin for the Court of Owls . Yet another villain, Knightfall, is a victim of her evil boyfriend and horrible circumstance who was locked in Arkham for years.

Victim, victim, victim.

I get that Simone wanted to explore the theme of victimization in Batgirl, but guess what? There is nothing heroic about being a victim. Victims are passive. Heroes are the anti-victim. That is not to say that bad things cannot happen to good, heroic people both in and out of the comic book universes, but both in and out of the comic book universes, heroes are defined by their drive to push on and overcome rather than to wallow in their tragedy. Heroes might become victims, but they do not remain victims. At times, Babs manages to transcend her old pains and doubts, but her entire series thus far has been very much two steps forward, one step back, and it is painful to see how much this character has regressed emotionally through the DCNU despite the great leap in her physical ability.

Right now, Barbara is battling Joker, and she will soon come face to face with James Jr. Neither one of these characters are victims; they are both predators. James Jr. especially is a character who had everything going for him yet still chose to be evil. After Babs saves her mom and kicks James Jr.'s teeth in, she needs to have a revelation that we all choose who we will be, and she needs to choose no longer to play the victim.

Conclusion

Despite a bad start, Batgirl has been very good recently, but it is time for this hero to grow up.

New Kid on the Block

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Gotham City has a new kid on the block, the fallen talon Calvin Rose. The question is will he become a permanent addition to the DC Universe, or will he soon fall by the wayside never to be remembered. I've done some serious research and some serious guess work, and I have an answer. It may very well be the wrong answer, but I have it nonetheless.

Know Your History!

I knew I was going to do this article well over a month ago, but only once I started mentally composing did I realize the enormity of this deceptively simple question. How can you predict the success for failure of a comic title? It's not like there is some simple formula you can plug in to decide these things. If there was, the comic book companies would have discovered it and would never have a flop.

It soon became clear that to truly make a good call as to whether or not Talon would succeed or fail, I had to know what had succeeded and failed in previous Batman spin offs. Before I started that, I had to define “success.” For the purpose of this article, any series that survived 36 issues is a success. If a series can garner enough readers to stay published for three years, it has to have made at least a moderate amount of money for DC, and that is a respectable run in my book. With this in mind, I dove into the back issues of DC's successes and flops and found several things I did not expect.

If you don't want a history lesson, just skip down to the section, “The Moral of the Story.”

When Did Batman Become a Bat Family?

Any comic fan will tell you that Batman has had two ongoing comics since the beginning of time and a plethora of other books carrying his adventures over the years, but Bat Family books are a different matter altogether. Now days, we think little about having nineteen different titles that tie closely with the Batman books, but it was not always so.

The move from Batman to Bat Family took quite some time. The first step to truly expanding the Batman universe was back in 1966 with the formation of the Teen Titans. I realize that only one of the comics' five stars originated from a Batman title, but this was the first time a member of the family, Robin, truly operated separately from Batman and formed his own identity. The next attempt to build Batman into more of brand than a character came in 1975 with the release of two new titles, Joker and Bat Family. Did you know that? Joker has his own ongoing series which lasted a grand total of nine issues before going down in flames. Batman Family, which starred Robin and Batgirl, fared a little better lasting a whopping total of twenty issues before getting canceled. The wall started crumbling a little in the 1980's when Perez took hold of the Teen Titans and made them one of the most successful titles of the decade. Teen Titans actually had two titles going simultaneously at one point in the eighties, and DC finally saw the potential for profit in expanding the Bat Family titles. Batman and the Outsiders spun off in 1983 and became a regularly recurring team which always managed at least moderate success, and Huntress came out in 1989 though it was canceled after 19 issues.

Blame It on Knightfall

Love it or hate it, the boom in the Batman universe which gave Bruce a family of books stemmed from the classic nineties plotline, Knightfall. Right after Bane broke the Bat, Catwoman just happened to run into Bane herself during the same month her own series launched. This created a solid starting point for Catwoman's ongoing which lasted a very successful 94 issues after which she took a one year break before being semi-rebooted as a more anti-heroic character in another ongoing Catwoman title which lasted more or less until the present. In the plotline following Knightfall, Knightquest, Jean-Paul Valley took over Batman's role and kicked Tim Drake to the curve which was the beginning of his ongoing series as Robin, and his title essentially lasted until the Flashpoint reboot. After Batman inevitably returned, he left Dick Grayson in charge of the role of Batman. After a brief tenure as the Dark Knight, Nightwing got his own ongoing which has lasted in one form or another until present day. As if three extremely successful launches from one story arch were not enough, the crazed Batman substitute, Azrael, received his own ongoing series which lasted 100 issues before Valley's untimely demise. DC finally found a pattern that worked,and they have continued to employ it ever since.

The next push came in 1999 with the introduction of two new spin off series. On the positive side, Birds of Prey was introduced which has lasted until present day. On the negative side, Alan Grant tried to push the little known Robin villain Anarky into his own ongoing series which failed to absolutely no one's surprise. Batgirl (73 issues) and Harley Quinn (38 issues) came out in 2000 from the events of No Man's Land. Gotham Central came out in 2003 and lasted forty issues. Gotham City Sirens and Batgirl spun out of Batman Reborn, and though neither series reached 36 issues, I consider both a success since both sold relatively well before the reboot killed their series. The Sirens may not have had a book in the New 52, but all three of its members were featured prominently in other titles. Stephanie, for her part, was edited out just so Barbara could once more take the mantle of Batgirl. On the other hand, the new Azrael which came out around the same time only lasted 18 issues before getting the axe. Many other new Bat titles are currently ongoing, but it is a bit early to determine which of them will actually last.

In short, the Batman spin off wins include The Teen Titans, The Outsiders, Catwoman, Robin, Azrael, Nightwing, Birds of Prey, Batgirl, (Cassandra) Harley Quinn, Gotham Central, Gotham City Sirens, and Batgirl. (Stephanie) Batman spin off fails include, Joker, Batman Family, Huntress, Anarky, and Azrael.

The Moral of the Story

So what can we learn from all this? Well, there are certain trends that can be observed in DC's successes and failures. Successful books tend to:

1. Star established characters

2. Star heroes

3. Spin off from a major crossover events

Why Talon Is Likely To Fail

Calvin Rose has one major disadvantage going into his solo series; he has no established following.

Out of all the successful spin offs, only one dealt with main characters which were not well established before they got their own series, Gotham Central, and even in that case, some of the supporting characters were partially established beforehand. Furthermore, Gotham Central struggled with sales. I still consider it a win, but it certainly wasn't a runaway hit for DC. On the other hand, sixty percent of the failed Batman spin offs feature a relatively unknown character. Huntress had been around for decades, but Helena Bertinelli was a completely new take on the character since the previous Huntress was rebooted through Crisis on Infinite Earths. Anarky had been around for about ten years when he got his own series, but he didn't have very many appearances. Michael Lane had a handful of appearances before getting his own ongoing comic, but few of them even really focused on him.

Calvin Rose is a brand new character. Sure, Batman fans might be familiar with the Court of Owls style assassins known as Talons, but they never met Rose, and Rose does not act much like the typical Talon. We had no idea who Calvin Rose was before he got his own ongoing series, and that means if Talon wants to stick around, the creative team better make us care about Calvin fast because there is no built in audience that will be rooting for him based on previous appearances.

Why Talon Is Likely To Succeed

Let's just get real for a minute. If you put a guy or gal in tights and say he or she has close ties to Batman, you are going to sell some comics. As unfair as it might be, the name of Batman does a lot of the heavy lifting when you want to get a book off the ground.

That being said, it helps tremendously if your main character is not a bad guy. Out of all the successful spin off titles that succeeded, none of them focused on stone cold killers except, arguably, Gotham City Sirens who included the sometimes lethal Poison Ivy. Beyond that, we do have Harley Quinn, who may have killed a few people here and there but never reveled in it, and Catwoman who was an occasional hero in the nineties and a full time hero in the thousands. (pre-DCNU). Even when Selina is up to her more felonious ways, most people see stealing as far removed from murder. Out of the failed series, Joker is clearly a bad guy, (though he was not nearly as bad in the seventies) Anarky was supposed to be an anti hero Anarchist according to Alan Grant, but he was only a Marxist bad guy in reality, and Azrael (Lane) was originally a bad guy who did not last long as a good guy before returning to the dark side. Most comic readers want to root for a good guy, or if they are watching a bad guy, they want it to take on a light hearted adventure tone.

Talon is most definitely a good guy. Sure, he might have soiled his hands with a teeny weeny bit of murder, but we are talking about a guy who murdered an assassin for a job promotion and then saved innocent people. Few would condemn a guy too harshly for that.

As far as originating from a major crossover event, the case has already been pretty well that most of the successful spin offs start off that way. It is also worth pointing out that 100% of the failed spin offs lacked the backing of a major event. Did Calvin have a major event to launch him? Only the best selling crossover of last year, the Night of the Owls. Granted, it did not feature Calvin as a character, but it did set up the framework for Calvin's whole shtick.

In these respects, Talon was planed on very fertile soil indeed.

The role of Tynion IV and Snyder can't be ignored either. James Tynion IV has done a great job and garnered a respectable fan base from his work on the backup stories of the Bat books before he even began Talon. Since starting the series, he has addressed the lack of a built in fan base by making Calvin a very likable fellow and doing a good job of selling the whole concept of the hero in well written, concise stories. Furthermore, the hottest name in Batman these days, Scott Snyder, is attaching his signature to the project, so how can it not succeed?

By the Numbers

All this is well and good, but what are the sales numbers saying? Is Talon connecting to readers?

Talon started off with a very respectable 54,000 sales, but it dropped to 50,000 with the next issue and 37,000 with the issue following. That might sound pretty bad, but it really is not. People always purchase the first issue or two of a series to give it a try and then give up on it if they decide it is not their thing. Sure, Talon has lost thirty-two percent of its potential readers, but that is not so bad when you compare it to a title like The Ravagers that started with lower sales for its first issues and then lost forty-five percent of its potential readers in the same timespan. In November, Talon actually ranked (if my counting is correct) 22 out of DC's 52 central universe titles, and that is not bad at all.

My Personal Conclusion

I don't know if Talon will have an ongoing title ten years from now, but I would be surprised if he doesn't make it to the three year mark. Long live Calvin Rose.

Professor BatWatch Rises

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After bomb threats, a computer system crash, and snow days, Professor BatWatch is finally back and ready to give the final five grades of the Fall semester. Professor BatWatch knows that only one student had a grade so bad he or she would call in a bomb threat to delay receiving it. Who is the guilty culprit that will be receiving an F today? Let's find out.

As with previous installments, the grades are only based on issues which came out during the Fall semester, August 1 through December 9.

If you missed the previous installments, click here for Part 1 and Part 2.

Nightwing: C

Mr. Grayson, I know all the young women love you, and you have your fair share of admirers among the staff as well, but I have to say that I have not been as taken with you. Though you were once a master who gracefully executed your skills and accomplished your goals, you now seem to struggle through every challenge, and I find this quite disappointing. The quality of your recent work has not been terrible, but it has not been up the level that I know you could accomplish. Furthermore, I was very disappointed with your Zero project where you crafted a tale which undermined the paternal relationship between your protagonist and his guardian. Now that you have made the protagonist merely an employee rather than a son, it has destroyed the delicate complexities of the central relationship which gave your narrative its appeal. Very disappointing. Still, this is a passing grade and hope blooms eternal. Perhaps if you spend less time entertaining the young ladies and more time studying, you can earn an A in the Spring.

The Ravagers: C-

Miss Fairchild, thank you for joining me. As you can see, your grade has room for improvement. You may expect me to tear into you; I know that is what students expect of me, and it is true that I demand very much of those under my tutelage. However, I do temper my wrath somewhat when it comes to new students, so let me be clear, I am disappointed in you, but I do believe you have the potential to do better. I do not say that about all my students. Some students seem as if they were created to disappoint me, but you show promise. Your work is quite good at times, but it loses something in its delivery. Though you have intriguing ideas, they are often not fully developed before you move on to another train of thought. I believe your struggles might be because you are trying to take on too much. I suggest you try to slow things down. I would rather see you take the time to fully develop one assignment rather than rush through it to meet a certain deadline. I will give you patience and mercy if you will give me quality work. You have a large group of friends that seem interested in helping you. Use them and develop those relationships. A good group of well understood and well appreciated friends is an indispensable boon for the kind of project you are attempting. Take heart. If you heed my words, you will go far.

Red Hood and the Outlaws: B-

Mr. Todd, it's a pleasure to see you. I have to admit that though I had high hopes for you, I was skeptical because you do not seem like the studying type. However, you have proven yourself to be an apt student. Still, I'm not sure you are really living up to your full potential. It sometimes feels that you are more interested in making jokes than accomplishing your goals, and though I appreciate the occasional levity, I think you would do better to take your work a tad more seriously. Still, overall you have done well. I look forward to seeing what you come up with on your Joker project. I understand that you feel quite passionately about that one.

Talon: C+

Yet another freshman has come to join me. Sit down, Mr. Rose? I seem beset on every side with freshman today. As you can see, you have survived your first semester. The question is how do you now go from surviving to thriving? You have done some very good work, but you have also turned in some assignments which were less than stellar. Your work has never been bad, but I think you could use a little more character development on your protagonist. Also, you messed up several small details on your latest project. They were small mistakes, but small mistakes add up. In short, you have made a solid start to your tenure with us, but there is room for improvement, so Mr. Calvin...improve.

Ah yes, I almost forgot to discuss your non-academic issues. I must say, this behavior needs to stop. Your escapes from study hall might have become school legend, but they also landed you in detention. There have also been disturbing rumors about you lifting the test answers in your history class. For your sake, I hope these are not true, and I assure you that it will be a most unpleasant experience if you ever try that with me.

Worlds' Finest: F

Miss Wayne, I normally try to show some kindness to new students, but my patience with you has run out. Your assignments have been ludicrously bad. Your characters show the emotional depth of wall spackle, your plots are as pointless as air conditioning in an igloo, and your moralizing is as inappropriate as a bikini at a funeral. You managed to take young Damian and make him even more unpleasant than usual. You have wasted my time with assignments which were not worth the effort of grading. You have been a general waste of space, and if I had my way, you would be kicked out and your position would be given to a student with actual intelligence and ambition!

I know it was you and that little tart Karen who called in the bomb threat. I may not be able to prove it, but I know. Even if I could find evidence, there is a very real chance that the school would never allow me to expel you due to your late parents' trust fund. With all of that in mind, I suppose the only joy I can have when dealing with you is giving you an F on every assignment. I can only hope that you somehow become someone else's problem one day.

That's All Folks

The Professor is done for at least a few more months. Let me know what grade you would have given to the various books.

Also, keep out an eye for Friday's article, “Will Talon Have a Successful Ongoing Series?”

For more news, reviews, and commentary for the entire Bat Family, check out BatWatch.net.

Who cares about the freakin' Constitution. Neither the Republicans or the Democrats do as best as I can tell? So why don't we just get rid of the dang thing?

I don't believe any of that, but I get the impressing that many do. I was discussing gun control and the Constitution with Blood, and I ended up making a rather long post, so I thought I would share it on my blog so maybe some other people will enjoy it, or if you do not like talk of Constitutions, feel free to pass. I hope you enjoy.

@Blood1991 said:

@BatWatch: Police are the authority if we give civilians that same authority then what keeps people from taking the law into there own hands? Where are the lines drawn to keep the public safe? I understand that people feel a need to defend themselves, but I do not think that encouraging the public to carry fire arms is a good idea in the slightest. As for the "supreme law" we add and edit as needed, but many laws counter each other. For example I have freedom of speech, but I can be sued for slander. I have the right to bear arms, unless it is outside a holster or is concealed without a permit. This same constitution said all men were created equal when slavery was legal. It is a very important document that laid the foundation of our country, but society changes and so do our laws, practices, and morality.

Let's take this piece by piece.

1. "Police are the authority if we give civilians that same authority..."

The whole basis of our country and our Constitution is that individuals have rights and we entrust the government to act on our behalf to do those things we cannot take the time to do ourselves. For instance, we all have the right to build a road or create a sewage treatment system, but few of us want to take the time to build our own roads and sewage treatment systems, so we give the government the authority to exercise those rights on our behalf.

People have a fundamental right to defend themselves. We grant police officers and soldiers the right to act in our behalf to subdue threats foreign and domestic, but just as I retain my right to build a sewage system or road, I retain a right to defend myself. In other words, civilians should have the same authority as police officers at least in regard to defending themselves and in most other ways.

2. "...then what keeps people from taking the law into there own hands?"

Nothing. Civilians should take the law into their own hands when it comes to stopping a murderer. Do you honestly believe they should do nothing to stop an attacker?

3. "Where are the lines drawn to keep the public safe?"

That would be the legal system. That is why we classify some killings as lawful and some as murder. Usually, the lines are pretty clear cut, but for those tough choices, the accused gets a trial by a jury of his peers.

4. "I understand that people feel a need to defend themselves, but I do not think that encouraging the public to carry fire arms is a good idea in the slightest."

Well, it worked in the past, and crime has only increased with the rise of gun control legislation. You can go to gun free cities like Detroit and see how well that has worked to lower the crime rate or gun free countries like Mexico where drug cartels run rampant. You can look at the long history of tyrants who disarmed the people before seizing control and make some logical assessments about the importance of firearms. I could go on, but you will either accept truth or you will not. I'll provide sources for all these claims if you are interested.

5. "As for the "supreme law" we add and edit as needed, but many laws counter each other."

You can edit the Constitution via Amendment, but for an Amendment to be ratified, it must go through a long series of step which is much more exhaustive than simply passing legislation. Instead of trying to amend the Constitution though, politicians have just written laws that fly in the face of the Constitution which is technically illegal and treasonous. Both the left and the right are guilty of just ignoring the Constitution when it does not fit their plans. The left rightfully objected to Bush's unconstitutional wiretaps, yet they remain silent when the second amendment is ripped apart. Also on a tangent, they have not said anything about Obama continuing the illegal wiretaps.

6. "For example I have freedom of speech, but I can be sued for slander."

Very interesting point. I was not sure of that myself and did some research. The answer is that it is not illegal to slander someone, but yes you can be sued. In other words, you have every right to say what you want and the government cannot stop you, but if a jury of your peers find that you have wrongfully damaged someone else, they can penalize you. In terms of the second amendment, this would be like if someone damaged his neighbors property while target shooting. The government has no right to take away the citizen's gun, but the neighbor can sue the citizen for damaging his property.

7. "I have the right to bear arms, unless it is outside a holster or is concealed without a permit."

That latter part is nowhere in the Constitution, and without going through the complex amendment process, all laws which contradict the second amendment are unconstitutional.

8. "This same constitution said all men were created equal when slavery was legal."

True, and we realized it was wrong and amended the Constitution using the correct legal process. Also, slavery had existed all throughout time, and we practiced as good in England, the country the citizens of America called home for a long time. Despite being culturally indoctrinated to believe slavery is good, 60% of the Founding Fathers objected to slavery which puts them way ahead of the curve at that time. Ten out of the thirteen states wanted to outlaw slavery. The Constitution was an imperfect document written by imperfect men, but the Constitution has paved the way for greater freedom than mankind has ever experienced and it was written by an exceptionally great group of men.

9. "It is a very important document that laid the foundation of our country, but society changes and so do our laws, practices, and morality."

True, but it is either a binding document which protects our rights or it is a meaningless piece of paper. If we say we can just ignore it when it does not suit us, then it is meaningless. If we try to amend it to fit our new way of thinking, then we preserve it as a contract between the American people and the government.

For more news, reviews, and commentary for the entire Bat Family, check out BatWatch.net.

The Professor Returns

Professor BatWatch is back and ready to hand out a heaping lump of praise and criticism to all the Bat books. Beware the wrath of the Professor.

As with last time, grades are rated on all issues from August 1st to December 9th. If you missed last week’s delivery of the grades, Click Here.

BIRDS OF PREY: C-

Miss Lance! Lovely of you to join me today. As you can see, your grades have slipped a little bit since last year. You are still managing your work acceptably, but if you really want your pick of jobs in the military, you will need to buckle down and do better. When we really break down your work and examine it, it is clear that you started off the semester strong with your Zero project, but things soon went downhill after that. Ninja groups who use dagger that are called Daggers? A new character named Condor without any motivation or discernible personality? Your work is filled with unanswered questions, and that is really the cause of this grade. Is something distracting you? Boy trouble perhaps? Well then, if you are going to run off crying I guess we will have to call this session adjourned.

CATWOMAN: F

Miss Kyle, I do not even know where to start with you. Perhaps we should start with the good or what little there was of it. Your Zero project brought a lot of criticism from your classmates, and not all of it was ill founded, but though it certainly was not perfect, I respected your decision to go in a different direction than everybody expected. That takes boldness of character, young lady. However, and I can think of no delicate way to say this, your Joker project was an atrocity. You may have had interesting ideas, but your organization was dreadful; though parts of your project were clever, many parts defied comprehension altogether. Please, take the time to organize your thoughts before you write, and then reread your work once it is completed.

There is also the matter of you rifling through other students’ lockers. Oh I know you have not been caught recently, but I know your track record, and all these rumors are not floating around without some cause. Perhaps if you spent more time studying and less time rummaging through others’ belongings, you might finally catch the eye of that Mr. Wayne you are always eyeing. Miss Kyle, the cost of that chair will be added to your tuition! Get out of my office before I have you expelled. Oh, and one more thing. I hope to see you wearing actual clothes next semester! Your harlot outfits are distracting all the young men.

DETECTIVE COMICS: C-

I’m deeply sorry to be giving you this grade, Mr. Comics, for your recent work has been quite delightful. The problem, you see, is with your Zero project where you turned in an assignment that simply did not live up to the quality that I expect from you. Did we really need yet another dreadful tale which forces us to listen to bargain bin pseudo-philosophical mumbojumbo? Did we really need a story about how Batman gained a father figure, mother figure, and girlfriend only to lose them all to a grisly and convoluted murder? No, we did not. As a well respected student, you should be setting a great example that all others may follow, but at least with that assignment, you dropped the ball. However, you have since improved greatly since you have begun tutoring sessions with Mr. Layman. If you continue under his tutelage, I am optimistic that I will be giving you a solid B or perhaps even an A next semester.

LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT: C

Now, Mr. Knight, I am really not supposed to say things like this, but the truth is that you are one of my favorite students. Your interactions in class always bring a fresh perspective, and the issues you raise are often insightful and creative. Sadly, the quality of your final product is not always as impressive as one might hope. Some of your projects have shown excellent insight while others have been almost painful to read and even more are simply acceptable. Despite some brilliant projects, the sum total of your work is completely average. If it is any consolation, you fared much better than your brother, Dark. If you can focus a little more on making sure each project is of the highest quality, I think you can bring your grade up a little.

NIGHTWING: ?

Mr. Grayson, if you could join me- what’s that? Somebody called in a bomb threat to the school. Drat! A prank no doubt, but by the time we get this sorted away, we will never have time to get through the rest of the students. I wonder…could somebody be trying to delay receiving their grades? Who would be so desperate to do that? Could it be…?

Well, it will have to wait until next week. Class Dismissed!

A Mystery

Due to my preparation for Christmas and my computer issues, I was not able to complete today’s commentary, but that’s okay, we still have five Bat books left to go, and we will get to them in part three next Friday. In the mean time, how do you feel about the grades, and who do you think had such bad grades they were willing to make up a fake threat to get out of school? The suspects are Mr. Grayson, Ms. Fairchild, Mr. Todd, Mr. Rose, and Ms. Wayne. Any thoughts?

Look for Monday’s article, “The Best Batman Series You’ve Never Read”

I have a commentary article on BatWatch.net, but it is mostly images, so it would not translate well to ComicVine. If anybody is interested, you can check it out by clicking Right Here.