Throughout his long history, Batman has often been seen as a loner by fans and writers alike, but one story proved beyond a doubt that Batman has always needed and relied on others. There might be a long history of Batman as a loner, but his friends and allies have been around just as long and are crucial to his story and survival.
Beginning with the introduction of Robin in 1940, Batman’s cast has since blossomed into the fully-fledged Batfamily seen today. Some fans have been critical of the rapid expansion of Batman’s supporting cast, especially in the modern era. Tonally, Batman stories that rely heavily on Bruce’s isolation and loneliness obviously become harder with such a cast, and this shows in the popularity of alternate universe Batman stories featuring reduced casts. Similarly, while Alfred remains a staple, it’s notable that most live-action adaptations of the character since the 2000s have either removed or played down Robin’s existence, and not even given a cursory nod to the extended Batfamily.
In the main DC Universe, however, one Batman story reaffirmed that not only is Batman not a loner, but that he’s never really been one. In Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #6 by Grant Morrison, Lee Garbett and Perry Perez, Bruce has to metaphysically confront and take control of “the first truth of Batman” to purge Darkseid’s Omega Effect from his body. As he’s surrounded by the Justice League and the Batfamily, he reflects; “The first truth of Batman… The gunshots left me alone… But something else defined the exact moment Batman was Born. The first truth of Batman. The saving grace. I was never alone. I had help.” This statement is only backed up further by his friends’ roles in saving him. Throughout The Return of Bruce Wayne, Bruce’s master plan involves getting the Justice League to the right place at the right time to defeat the Omega Sanction and save him, and none of it could be accomplished without them. Wonder Woman and Robin’s intervention are the only things that save Bruce’s life, and Robin’s trust in him mirrors his trust in everyone else to save him when he can’t save himself.
Bruce’s statement also thematically leads into Morrison’s Batman Incorperated, the next and final portion of their Batman run. In Batman Inc., Batman expands, creating ‘Batmen of All Nations’, with different people taking on the mantle of Batman for their respective home countries. Batman Inc. is the ultimate expression of Batman never being alone, having trust and respect for crimefighters worldwide who he knows can step up to the task of being their own Batman. It also completes a long arc throughout Morrison’s run beginning with Morrison and J.H. Williams III’s Batman #667, which introduces a large portion of Batman Inc.’s cast, who Batman defends, even after Robin dismisses them as has-beens at first glance.
Batman’s actions in trusting others also shows how he’s evolved as a character, especially over the Morrison run. Batman has often been positioned as paranoid, someone who never trusts anyone. While Morrison’s Bruce is still a master planner, Batman Inc. is concerned with his vulnerability, and in Morrison and Chris Burnham’s Batman Inc. Vol 1 #6 he explicitly tells his team about the events of The Return of Bruce Wayne, letting them in on his darkest family history. Morrison’s Batman run shows that Bruce Wayne isn’t the loner fans think; that sometimes, having allies you can trust is a superpower in of itself.
