Comic readers know that Batman does not like guns, for obvious reasons. Countless writers have referenced Bruce Wayne’s aversion to firearms over the years. Yet his earliest adventures in Detective Comics showed the Dark Knight not only using a pistol, but regularly gunning down gangsters. The Bat-Man: First Knight #2 by Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins offers an explanation for this famous incongruity.
Set in the later 1930’s, at the time Batman first premiered in comics, The Bat-Man: First Knight presents an unfamiliar take on the Dark Knight. The story is more realistic than most superhero stories, with a deep focus on the politics of the time. Rather than fighting colorful criminals, this Batman fights Nazis and gangsters. Beyond that, Bruce Wayne operates alone, as Alfred the Butler was not introduced into the comics until 1943.
This leaves Bruce Wayne in rather poor shape, particularly after fighting the “monster men” being made from executed convicts. Only the care of Julie Madison, an actress with some nurse’s training, allows him to continue his war on crime. Over the course of the comic, Batman is beaten senseless trying to engage the monster men and their gangster bosses with his bare hands. This ultimately leads his one ally, Commissioner Gordon, to give him a bit of advice.
Commissioner Gordon Tells Batman to Get a Gun
Commissioner Gordon advises Batman to arm himself, as there’s no way he can keep risking his life in close quarters, particularly against the monster men. Batman says he will take the suggestion under advisement. The final page sees the Dark Knight looking at his father’s gun collection and reluctantly selecting a pistol.
It remains to be seen if Batman will truly become the gun-totting Golden Age Bat-Man. It’s possible he may decide that it is enough to carry the gun but then decide not to use it. Nevertheless, the idea that he only turned to guns to fight men who were technically already dead does uphold his classic code while justifying the older stories’ imagery.
The Bat-Man: First Knight #2 is now available on-line and at comic shops everywhere.
