Her Cape Comic Review: A look at Batman #24
The story in Batman #24 presents a pivotal moment for the Dark Knight. Batman stands on the precipice of vulnerability and uncertainty.
If you haven’t read Batman #24 yet, be warned – there are spoilers ahead. I’ve waited to discuss this title for a few weeks because I wanted to be sure everyone had a chance to be as surprised as I was when they read it.
The story starts and ends with Bruce and Selina. Batman and Catwoman. Throughout the book Batman talks to Claire, aka Gotham Girl about his motivation and what keeps him going. He admits that he goes out every night in an attempt to be happy.
“But what you don’t know, Claire, is that I try. I do this to be happy. I try, and I fail.”
Claire is still high on the discovery of her power and the idea that she, too, could be a superhero. She hears Batman’s message but doesn’t understand why he fails. After listening to his lecture, she turns the conversation around on him and wants to know why he fails.
“I’m scared. I fail. Because I’m scared. What I’ve seen. Gotham. Him. If you’re not scared…if all that doesn’t scare me…. Then I’m insane. And I’m not. I don’t want to be insane. So I’m scared.”
Batman 24 p5, Courtesy DC Comics
Batman works hard to be happy and he fails. He fails because he’s scared. Claire points out that he doesn’t have the option to choose. “This isn’t at all about what you want to do.”
Overcoming that fear prompts Batman to get on one knee and propose to Selina. He made a ring out of the diamond she stole on the night they met. He’s known all this time that he wanted to marry her and he has been waiting for the right moment. Bruce pulls back his cowl and tells Selina that he needs her, and that he’s scared. He says he loves her, and then he proposes to her.
This is a poignant moment in Batman’s story. It’s not the first time he has proposed to Selina, and we all know that the Bat and Cat have shared a tumultuous relationship over the years, but it makes perfect sense for Bruce to ask Selina to marry him right now. Rebirth has been about new beginnings, and what better way for the Dark Knight to turn a page than to overcome the fear he has been harboring.
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Batman #24 is a must-read for every Bat fan, and it’s a great story for the Catwoman fans out there, too. But will Selina agree to Bruce’s proposal? We have to wait to find out.