Warning: Spoilers for Batman and Robin: Year One #4!Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot - that’s whyBatman’scrusade against crime in Gotham leans so heavily on theatrics, especially in his early years. When looked at more closely, however, this bent toward the theatrical bears a surprising resemblance to the same tactics used by some of Hollywood’s most infamous gangsters, making me wonder: when examined with an unbiased lens, is Batman just another gangster?
This idea really struck me during my read-through ofBatman and Robin: Year One#4 by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. Specifically, there’s a moment whereBatmanwants a one-on-one with the new crime lord, General Grimaldi, but the general’s quarters are guarded. So what does Batman do?He delivers a container of live bats to Grimaldi’s dooras a distraction.
This scene sent me thinking about all the ways that Hollywood crime families have used animals to send a message. Specifically, I was struck by how similar Batman’s tactics here were tothe infamous “horse head” scenefromThe Godfather.
Batman’s Mob Tactics Echo Hollywood’s Greatest Gangsters
Batman and Robin: Year One#4 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Mat Lopes, and Clayton Cowles
The Godfatheris arguably the most famous gangster film of all time, setting the tone for all subsequent films. In an early scene from the movie, the Corleone crime family seeks a favor from film producer Jack Woltz; Woltz refuses. In retaliation - and to send a message -the Corleones cut off the head of Woltz’s prize racehorse and place it in Woltz’s bedfor the film producer to find upon waking up. It’s a brutal, shocking moment that shows just how far the infamous crime family is willing to go to secure their interests.
Opening up a crate to discover a swarm of live bats is not just shocking in the moment: once released, the bats fly around and sow chaos.
While Batman’s version is less cruel to animals, I would argue thatthe effect is just as disturbing, if not more so. While a horse’s head is a gruesome sight, it is dead and still; the shock is deep but momentary. By comparison, opening up a crate to discover a swarm of live bats is not just shocking in the moment: once released, the bats fly around and sow chaos. And while the horse’s head can be understood as retribution,Batman’s version is so brazenand bizarre that it declares him capable of virtually anything.
Batman Knows How to Crash a Party - Gangster Style
Echoing Key Mob Movie Moments
The comparisons don’t stop withThe Godfather.Batman#405 by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli is the second issue ofthe originalBatman: Year Onearc, where Batman first announces himself to Gotham’s criminal underworld. The way he does so is suitably dramatic: cutting the power to the corrupt mayor’s manor during a dinner party, Batman enters and, in the darkness, declares,“Ladies and gentlemen. You have eaten well.You’ve eaten Gotham’s wealth. Its spirit. Your feast is nearly over. From this moment on, none of you are safe.” It is a powerful and sobering announcement of the new status quo for DC’s darkest city.
Was Bruce Wayne Becoming Batman a Bad Choice? DC Comics Isn’t So Sure.
Bruce Wayne’s decision to fight crime as Batman seems noble on the surface, but his father just revealed why it might not have been the best call.
Yet this kind of dinner party announcement also hasa Hollywood gangster equivalent. InThe Untouchables, mob boss Al Capone addresses his men at a fancy meal, using the analogy of baseball to address how the strength of the team is more important than individual achievement. He then brutally beats a man to death with a baseball bat in front of everyone, killing the merriment and hammering home the new, deadly status quo. Fascinatingly,The Untouchableswas released in June 1987, just three months afterBatman #405, which to me is a telling snapshot of the era’s zeitgeist.
Gotham’s Greatest Mob Family Is… the Bat-Family?
While Batman’s methods are always nonlethal, these parallels to mob theatrics have me wondering just how close Batman’s operation is tothat of a standard crime family. He has his consigliere in Nightwing, enforcers in the form of the Robins and Batgirls, and the police are often in his pocket through figures like James Gordon or Renee Montoya.He operates brazenly outside the law, and there are known rules for operating in his territory, lest one face reprisal. From the theatrics to the family structure, it could be argued that the Bat-Family is the biggest racket in Gotham City.
The key difference here is that Batman and his family do not act to accrue personal wealth or power; the sole reason his operation exists is to check the rampant corruption and crime in Gotham City. Nevertheless, I think it’s fascinating that, in his earliest years, Batman established his presence in Gotham by using the same theatrical tactics embraced by some of the most infamous depictions of gangsters in Hollywood. Each of these moments proves how wellBatmanunderstands the criminal mind - to the point where, if not for motivation, it would be difficult to differentiate him from the greatest crime families in Gotham.
Batman and Robin: Year One#4is available now from DC Comics.
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
