BIGBMH's Take on Batman: Part Four

I've said that I want to take Bruce to a very low point emotionally. Naturally, afterward he needs to recover. When this movie and the trilogy end, there should be a sense of closure for this part of the story. I'm not saying everything should be all happy and Gotham should be crime free, but things should feel like they're under control. Here's how the movie should reach that point. I've code-named the two parts Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, mostly for comedic effect. I'm not saying that they should look at those movies for inspiration.

Batman Forever (not that movie): Bruce needs to realize the difference he has made in the city. In his time as Batman he has greatly improved the living conditions for the people in Gotham. He hasn't completely fixed everything like he wanted to and he may never be able to but he still has a lot to be proud of. He'll stop thinking of the day when he doesn't have to be Batman anymore. He'll do it as long as he can, because helping people makes his life meaningful. There will come a day when he is no longer capable of being Batman and when that happens, he will be able to give it up knowing he has made a difference.

Batman and Robin (definitely not that movie): I know what you must be thinking. "No! Robin would ruin the franchise!" "He would make it so cheesy!" Yeah,yeah,yeah. I get it, but just hear me out. I don't want Robin to be in this movie. ("Phew.") I want Dick Grayson to be in this movie ("What?!") People see Robin as a lame, cheesy, and campy character. It really all comes down to how well he is presented. Sure, he was lame on the Adam West series and in Batman and Robin. Guess what. Batman was lame in those too! Are you going to tell me that Batman is a campy character because of some previous interpretations? No, you won't because you've seen him done well. It's the same with Robin.

If you need some proof, look at the episode "Robin's Reckoning" from Batman the Animated Series. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin%27s_Reckoning ) In a series that is known for its quality, this episode, centering on Robin, won an Emmy and is considered one of the best of the show's entire run. There's a really good story there if you take the time to tell it properly. Let me give a brief summary of how I would like to see it done. If you read it without any pre-conceived biases against the character, you may understand why he would work so well in this movie.


Dick Grayson's life has just been struck by tragedy. He has seen his parents die right before his eyes. Bruce Wayne has been through this and can relate to what he's going through. Dick has no one left in the world to care for him, so Bruce takes him in. He feels that he can help him cope with the death of his parents because he sees himself reflected in Dick. He can help him to deal with the pain and not make the same mistakes he made when he had no one to guide him. The best way to have Bruce overcome his grief is by giving him someone else who he needs to help overcome their own grief. Bruce would think "I need to put aside everything I'm feeling so I can help this kid with what he's dealing with." He would make it a priority to track down the person responsible for killing the Graysons so Dick could have closure.

The only people Bruce really has in his life right now are Alfred and Lucious Fox. Bringing in Dick would give him someone to care for. It wouldn't be in a creepy way. It would be a mix between a father figure, older brother, mentor, and friend. Some time over the course of the movie, Bruce would reveal to Dick that he is Batman. Inspired by Bruce's example, Dick would decide that he too would like to dedicate his life to helping people. At the end of the movie Dick would ask to join Bruce as Batman's partner. Bruce would tell him that it's a difficult life and that the training would take years (he would phrase it better of course). He would ask him if he's sure he wants to make this kind of commitment. Dick would say yes. Then Bruce would say "Alright. Are you ready to begin?" End.

This line would reference Ra's Al Ghul's line in Batman Begins in the scene where Bruce is about to begin his training. It would serve to bring Bruce full circle from student to master which I think really is what this movie should do as the end of the trilogy. Batman Begins showed the very beginnings of Batman. The Dark Knight showed him with more experience, but it was still the early days. When this movie ends, Bruce should be at his prime as Batman and completely settled in to the role. I think a great way to show this would be for him to take on an apprentice. It's sort of like in Star Wars Episode 1 when Obi-wan is promoted to Jedi Knight and takes on Anakin as his Padawan. Batman will continue to learn and improve, and part of how he'll improve is by teaching. In summary helping Dick deal with his loss will help Bruce to deal with his own. Taking on Dick as Batman's apprentice will also cement Bruce's transition from student to master.

Below I've included some screenshots from Robin's Reckoning.