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The Boy’s descent into madness and villainy serves as a dark reminder that Batman’s use of fear can have disastrous consequences.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from “House of Gotham: Chapter Four” in Detective Comics #1050 by Mariko Tamaki, Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Brad Anderson, and Arian Maher, on sale now.
Having weaponized fear itself by creating a special chemical that forces those exposed to it to experience brutal hallucinations of their most personal phobias, Scarecrow has earned a reputation as one of Batman’s most terrifying and effective rogues. However, the self-proclaimed “Master of Fear” isn’t immune to the terror he loves to inflict on others. Following the recent failure of his plan to enact his twisted “Fear State Theory” by transforming Gotham City into a police state, the villain finally admits in Detective Comics #1050’s “House of Gotham: Chapter 4” that he’s terrified of Batman.
On the one hand, this is a success for Batman. A villain who’s built his entire career around fear admitting he’s afraid of the Dark Knight proves that the vigilante’s life-long goal of striking fear into the hearts of criminals works. However, this moment also suggests Batman’s methods have had a similar effect on those he wishes to protect. Scarecrow deploys that unfortunate bleed over to gain more influence over “The Boy” a young man whose fear of Batman seems to be pushing him down a path towards villainy.
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Unlike many of the DC Universe’s other heroes, who don colorful costumes in an attempt to inspire the people they protect, Batman has always strived to be a symbol of fear to the criminal underworld. Haunted by the memory of his parents’ gruesome death at the hands of a common mugger, a young Bruce Wayne came to believe that the only way to stop crime was to battle it with the same fear that criminals used against their victims. Drawing from Bruce’s fear of bats, Batman was always meant to be a figure that could battle the criminals of Gotham City on an equal playing field, incorporating many of the same tactics that criminals use to protect those they would harm from the shadows.
Batman’s campaign of terror has been a blessing for Gotham City in many ways. Before the Caped Crusader, criminals ran rampant through the streets of Gotham. They were utterly unchallenged by the city’s infamously corrupt police department. With Batman’s arrival, criminal activity within Gotham has steeply declined. The mere idea that they might end up running into Batman scaring many potential criminals off the streets. While Gotham City remains riddled with crime, even its most violent and deranged criminals are kept in check by the ever-present threat of invoking Batman’s wrath.
However, one could also argue that Batman’s methods have in many ways backfired. Even though Batman has proven effective in terrorizing Gotham City’s criminals, he’s been equally successful, albeit unintentionally, at terrifying the average citizen as well, and many live in constant terror that they may end up being Batman’s next victim. Furthermore, while Batman has dedicated himself to protecting innocent people from criminals, many don’t understand the reasoning behind his decision to use the methods he does. Instead, they view Batman as a madman willing to hurt anyone who gets on his bad side.
Nowhere have the potential downsides of Batman’s use of fear been more apparent than with the Boy. Debuting in Detective Comics #1047’s “House of Gotham: Chapter One” (by Matthew Rosenberg, Fernando Blanco, Jordie Bellaire, and Rob Leigh), the Joker ripped the Boy’s childhood from him when the Clown Prince of Crime broke into his family’s apartment and slaughtered his parents. Although Batman arrived in time to save the Boy, the traumatized child saw Batman as nothing but another scary man in a costume. He developed the belief that Joker and Batman were friends after the Dark Knight stopped him from taking revenge. Mentally broken by the loss of his family, officials place the Boy in Arkham Asylum. There the Scarecrow uses his knowledge of psychology to manipulate the Boy into believing that Batman is just as bad as the villains he fights. Crane takes him on as a protege, using him as a psychological weapon against Batman.
The Boy’s descent into madness and villainy serves as a dark reminder that Batman’s use of fear can have disastrous consequences. He’s done everything to make it clear his mission is dedicated only to targeting criminals. Still, his intimidating presence and desire to maintain a low profile can give innocent people a very different impression. In the Boy’s case, it could even create a villain that will perpetuate the cycle of violence that Batman has dedicated his life to stopping.
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