Bruce Wayne attempts suicide in Titans season 3, taking the veteran’s story in a vastly different direction compared to past Batman stories. Since Iain Glen debuted in Titans season 2, his Bruce Wayne has felt like an old blend of Adam West and Ben Affleck – simultaneously silly and super-violent. His negative influence upon other heroes, however, has never been in doubt. From the moment Dick Grayson introduced himself with “f**k Batman,” it became clear that many of Gotham City’s grown-up heroes believed their former mentor had weaponized them as children and exploited their grief for his own personal crusade against crime,
Bruce Wayne’s Titans story took a darker turn in the immediate aftermath of Jason Todd’s death. Typically, Bruce was reluctant to grieve openly, and immediately started scouting other young Robins, prompting Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon to give Batman some harsh home truths about his treatment of young heroes. Bruce disappeared from Gotham after claiming to have killed Joker, but resurfaces in Titans season 3’s latest episode, “Souls.” Secluding himself in a castle, the aging superhero organizes his affairs with a lawyer and attempts to take his own life. Were it not for a timely intervention from the recently resurrected Wonder Girl, he would’ve done so.
Throughout Titans season 3, it felt like Batman might’ve been orchestrating some masterful secret plan. Bruce clearly knows more than he’s letting on, and Batman is renowned for his misdirection and habit of not being totally honest with allies. Even as he signed a last will and testament, many Titans viewers would’ve still been mistaken this as another smart chess move toward defeating the bad guys. And this only makes his eventual suicide attempt all the more shocking. Bruce had no way of knowing Donna was around to make the save, meaning Batman truly believed taking his own life was the answer to his Titans problems.
What those problems are is somewhat less clear. Bruce surely knew Jason Todd wasn’t dead in Titans season 3’s earlier episodes, since he was the one who secretly buried an empty coffin. And if he knew Jason was alive, Batman likely also realized his sidekick had fallen into the clutches of Scarecrow, right under his very nose. With Dick Grayson pointing out the red flags Bruce ignored, and Barbara accusing him of turning damaged children into his own personal army, the gravity of past behavior is now weighing down on the billionaire in Titans season 3. For a man who dedicated his life to fighting crime, Bruce’s cold demeanor and fatherly negligence pushed Jason Todd to becoming the villainous Red Hood – the ultimate indictment of Batman’s failures as the protector of Gotham City. The sudden realization that he’s not only responsible for Jason’s fall, but also for permanently scarring Dick and Barbara could be why Bruce couldn’t see a way out in episode 9.
It’s still not clear whether Iain Glen’s Batman has actually killed Joker, as he claimed before leaving Gotham, but episode 9’s suicide attempt does make that more likely. If Bruce already intended to take his life, that explains why he’d break his iron-clad no-killing rule. Joker is also the one person Bruce would want to kill, regardless of whether Jason Todd had been brought back since the Clown Prince murdered him.
Most DC fans won’t be accustomed to seeing Batman in such a low place mentally, but the most important aspect of his Titans story is the message of hope in episode 9’s ending. Though Bruce has undoubtedly treated his superhero students badly, all of them still love and respect their mentor. Though it’s Donna who drags him to safety, Dick, Barbara and Jason all would’ve done the same if they knew what Bruce was planning. Because of Wonder Girl’s last minute heroics, Bruce now has the opportunity to make amends for his past misdemeanors. It might’ve taken Jason becoming a villain to realize the error of his ways, but Batman’s path to recovery begins now, and his redemption could play a major role in how the Titans bring Jason back from the brink.
