They may have had their differences in the past, but the Bat-Family may find it hard to defend themselves against one argument of Superman's. The Man of Steel's journey to reconnect with humanity leads him to make a startling point against Bruce and his allies.
Batman is not alone in his crusade against the criminal elements of Gotham, as he has a crew of vigilantes that share his vision and have joined in his efforts. Out of Bruce Wayne's war on crime, the street-level super team colloquially known as the Bat-Family was born. Batman, along with heroes such as Nightwing, Red Hood, Robin, Batgirl and Oracle, keep their city safe by working together to take on the many colorful villains native to Gotham. No matter what the world throws at them, whether it's the Joker or Bane, the Bat-Family stays united to keeping Batman's rogues gallery from dominating the dark metropolis.
However, the team's proclivity for going after Gotham's heavy hitters might be a bit of an oversight, at least according to one Bat-Family ally. In Superman #703 by J. Michael Straczynski and Eddy Barrows, the titular hero is walking across America, trying to reconnect with average people. However, Dick Grayson’s Batman meets up with Superman and pulls him aside for a brief conversation. Grayson admits he’s worried about Superman’s state of mind after the recent destruction of New Krypton. However, Clark manages to turn the conversation around on the junior Batman and suggests that both he and Bruce have grown out of touch with the common man themselves. Dick defends himself saying that the Bat-Family's concerns are bigger than the "average guy". But Superman reminds his friend that it was average guys like Joe Chill and Tony Zucco that changed Bruce and Dick's lives forever.
Superman Is Right; The Bat-Family Can Do Better
DC fans know it was Joe Chill who killed Batman’s parents, sending him down the path that led him to becoming Batman. And the darkness of Gotham showed itself once more when Tony Zucco killed the Flying Graysons in the middle of an act, leaving Dick orphaned at a tender age. Superman is right. It wasn’t someone like Poison Ivy or Clayface that did these horrible acts. Just average people like the ones Clark implies the Bat-Family is overlooking.
This isn’t to say that the Bat-Family shouldn’t ignore the problem’s caused by Gotham’s supervillains as they’re pretty much the only ones capable of stopping the likes of Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter. But there is a point to be made that the Bat-Family could be doing more by being more in touch with the struggles of its citizens. Some interpretations of Joe Chill have shown him not to be a malicious entity, but a man driven to crime through hardship. Exploring the issues surrounding the people on the streets that Batman’s team protects could be a good and productive use of their talents. The Bat-Family should consider taking Superman’s words to heart and being more involved with the average guys of Gotham.