“Gordon’s aware?”
So the last time I was talking about the whole “Does Commissioner Gordon Know?” thing, I brought it up in the context of the Batman: Arkham Knight video game that’s like, nearly a decade old at this point but I’m still trying to plow through it after an extended break.
Specifically (again, SPOILERS for the game) Gordon removes Batman’s mask, revealing Bruce Wayne beneath. I thought this was the initial reveal to Gordon, and wondered about the lack of depiction of his reaction. Over on Bluesky, Steven K noted to me that Gordon had known Batman’s secret ID prior to this in the game. Now, in my defense, I did have, as I told you all last time, there was a four year gap in my playing of Arkham Knight, so it’s not surprising if I didn’t remember that.
Given the nature of video games, I can’t exactly rewind and rewatch those moments. I could hie myself hither to YouTube where I’m sure the whole story has been stitched together into a standalone “movie,” but I’m trying to avoid Arkham Knight content there ’til I have more the game completed.
Anyway, back to the comics, where apparently there are a lot more instances of suggestions re: Gordon’s knowledge than I was recalling. Supposedly there are a few in Scott Snyder’s New 52 Batman run, and boy howdy I don’t know if I’m ready to reread all that. I may crowdsource that bit and ask you folks to point me in the right direction there.
Actually, earlier Thursday evening I reread, for the first time in probably decades, the initial appearance of Batman (or “The Bat-Man”) in Detective Comics #27 from 1939. Featuring the work of Bill Finger and, uh, what’shisname, “Rob’t Kane” it says here, we get the crude beginnings of the property that will eventually peak with this. The story involves Commissioner Gordon and his friend, lackadaisical wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne, and a series of murders being investigated by the mysterous Bat-Man. At the end of the story, Gordon ponders
But of course at the end of the story, we get the big reveal:
And it’s really hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know Bruce Wayne was Batman. Well, I mean, sure, this debut adventure ain’t exactly a brain-twister, and it’s pretty obvious Bruce is going to be revealed as being this costumed vigilante. Still, it’s neat to think at least for a few pages, like Commissioner Gordon above, we didn’t know that Bruce and Batman were the same person.
Now let’s jump ahead a few decades to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125, cover dated January 2000, by Greg Rucka, Rick Burchett and James Hodgkins. We’re nearing the end of the lengthy “No Man’s Land” storyline here, where Gotham, cut off from the rest of the country following an immense earthquake, has descended into even more lawlessness than usual. This event is mostly noted for the debuts of the Cassandra Cain version of Batgirl and the mainstream DC Universe version of Harley Quinn. But on top of that, I especially remember this particular sequence, where Batman tries to regain Gordon’s trust following some acrimony between the two over the course of the previous months:
Well, that’s a lot to chew on, certainly. I really think this as close as we come in regular DC continuity (post-Crisis, pre-Flashpoint) of nailing down the specific ambiguity (how’s that for a phrase) of Gordon vis-à-vis Batman’s secret identity. Maybe he knows, maybe he has his suspicions, maybe he could find out if he really wanted to.
If DC Comics came to me and said “okay, you’re in charge of Batman now,” the first thing I’d do, after publishing a new version of this story, is nail down this as absolutely the status quo of Gordon’s relationship with Batman. Gordon probably knows, but refused to confirm his suspicions for plausible deniability. How well that would hold up in court, even superhero comic book court, I have no idea, but it’s that fine line that keeps Gordon from busting into Wayne Manor and arresting Bruce Wayne for illegal vigilantism.
And I like that. I like that in the superhero genre, where the instinct is to pull more people in on the secret, there’s one guy who honestly just doesn’t want to know, at least for sure.
As I stated above, I’ve been informed that there may be more to this in the New 52 era of Batman, and hopefully I can track down some of this instances in the near future. There may be also some bit of business in Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns, which would bookend nicely with the bits of Miller’s Batman: Year One I discussed last time. And yes, I know about the sequence in one of the animated shows where Gordon finds out and raids the Batcave…should probably mention that as well.
It looks like I have a little more research to do, and if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!
There is one Arkham Knight video you should watch. No real spoilers, except that Batman’s successful in one of his missions. Just mockery:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUWBoYwAgaE
Apropos of nothing, my favorite part of the Harley Quinn cartoon (series 1) is its take on Jim Gordon.
Thanks for the reminder of this moment, Mike, which I had totally forgotten. “No Man’s Land” may have been a crazy premise, but it gave us many of great moments. This is right take on Whether Gordon Knows; Gordon very much does not want to know, for a variety of reasons.
I’m also hoping they retain the “Gordon doesn’t want to know” idea.
It’s a refreshing take, and in some strange way it reminds me of the Silver Age Pete Ross situation, where he knows Clark is Superboy, but Clark doesn’t know he knows.
I like that “plausible deniability” isn’t the only thing at stake in that “No Man’s Land” sequence. Gordon seems genuinely angry and disheartened to have his Batman fantasy ruined like that. It must be disappointing to realize that the fate of your city is in the hands of some regular guy you mostly know from charity galas.
I can’t decide if the background-less art really sells the gravity of the moment or undermines it. I’m inclined to think we should more of a sense of place while this momentous event is happening.
I was not reading comics during the early 2000s, so this is my first time seeing this over the top Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett page, which seems pretty out of character for Batman in my opinion. Why would Batman need or want Gordon to know he is Bruce Wayne? I don’t think that was generally ever important to their dynamic…at least not in the great Bronze Age stories that I recall reading. I also have to say that the artwork for this sequence is extremely static and awkward looking.
Whatever happened to the great Bronze Age status quo of the Batman/Gordon partnership as exemplified by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo in some of the best-scripted and most aesthetically pleasing Batman stories (in which Batman was actually depicted as being a brilliant detective and not an angst-ridden soul) in the Brave and the Bold?
Those panels Bill Finger and Rob’t Kane panels from Batman’s first appearance make me wish that Paul Levitz would come out of retirement and work with Joe Station again and give us a limited series or Black Book centered on pre-Crisis Earth-2 Batman’s “missing years”–i.e. what was he doing from the late ’50s/early ’60s up until he died in the late ’70s. We got a bit of information in Alan Brennert’s classic Brave and the Bold tale in which Bruce married Selena Kyle, but I think their story is worthy of a limited series–as is the further exploration of Earth-2 Robin’s growing up and joining the JSA, while Selina Wayne is being raised. And in this context, it would make sense that Earth-2 Batman would have eventually revealed his identity to Earth-2 Gordon because Earth-2 Batman retired as a superhero and eventually became Commissioner Wayne.
I am going to head canon that this scene mirrors the one where Spider-Man reveals his identity to Black Cat
He doesn’t want to know because the mask is so danged sexy
*I meant to write “while Helena Wayne is being raised”–not “Selina Wayne”…
There’s a story from Detective Comics #465 by David V Reed and Ernie Chan where Gordon is kidnapped by thugs for the sole purpose of finding out Batman’s secret ID. The deal is Batman thought that might happen and told Gordon is such a thing ever happened, to resist for awhile then give them a name. When someone comes calling for that person, Batman knows Gordon’s been kidnapped and why. Which is a good reason for Gordon to NOT really know Batman’s ID.
But at the end of the story, Gordon ponders about who Batman really is and what if he’s right. Pretty good Bronze Age story on the Batman/Gordon relationship.
I’m flabbergasted at seeing Rucka’s Batman described as over the top.
As for why Batman is making the offer to Gordon– it’s because Batman was gone from Gotham for a gap between No Man’s Land being declared* and the start of the story. Meanwhile, Gordon was there the whole time. It created a rift between the two characters.
*Gotham in short succession went through a major plague (unleashed by R’as al Ghul) and suffered a devastating earthquake. Rather than paying to rebuild Gotham, it was kicked out of the US and declared, well, you’ve seen the title.
It only now occurs to me to ask, after 50 years of this, why wouldn’t a good detective like Gordon recognize Bruce Wayne’s voice given that Batman’s mouth isn’t masked? (And they would both sound like Adam West, naturally.)
Not to throw a monkey wrench (or a Detective Chimp spanner) in the works, but Gordon must have seen enough fake outs and misleading reveals that he should always question the validity of Bruce = Batman. Not sure how many of these stories are canonical, but Bruce has been imitated by Martians, Batman’s been imitated by a robot, a clone of Batman was killed by Darkseid (I think – I know real Bruce was sent back in time and clone Batman’s skeleton was carried out by Superman. But Gordon had to have seen it and thought to himself that real Bruce if he were Batman would be dead).
Just saying that the preponderance of evidence in the DCU seems to rest on who are you going to believe: me, or your lying eyes?
@ Joe Gualtieri
Sorry, I get that Rucka is probably considered an industry darling, and I have not read that complete Batman story –so I was merely commenting on the individual panels that were posted in Mike’s blog– but to be that dialogue between Bruce and Gordon comes across as really hamfisted.
Also, Gotham having been subjected to a major plague and an earthquake and being kicked out of the U.S. is extremely over the top–and fairly ridiculous…was there a swarm of locusts as well?
And even if it created a rift, why would Batman feel the need to reveal that he is Bruce Wayne …why not just explain his absence and apologize while keeping his cowl on–(which is clearly what Gordon would have preferred anyway)? Whatever.
@Michael Grabowski
Good point!
@ Dave-El
Yes, David V. Reed was a talented writer who scripted some excellent Bronze Age Batman stories and also some excellent pulp stories of The Shadow.
@ ScienceGiant
Batman could just as easily be wearing a Bruce Wayne was as a Matches Malone mask to fool Gordon or anybody …like Christopher Chase Batman is a Master of disguises.
*a Bruce Wayne mask
“Why would Batman feel the need to reveal that he is Bruce Wayne”
This version of Gordon is a great friend of Batman and worthy of his trust.
well, i say, by the two recommendations, Mike should be in charge of Batman. surprised no All-Star mandates.
I hate “fake out” covers, but between Jim squinting so hard and his reasoning, this splash page is burned in my memory after all these years.
as for the backgroundless parts, it builds to the reveal. Boom! here’s Bruce Wayne (and the awesome squinting Gordon). Gordon is the only characer i’ve “read with a voice”. the original B:TAS
As regards even more current instances of “does Gordon know,” you might look to Scott Snyder’s Batman: Black Mirror (when, indeed, Dick Grayson was the one in the cowl). That’s just before Flashpoint; a specific New 52 instance doesn’t immediately come to mind, but if it’s anywhere then I’d guess it’s around Snyder’s “Superheavy” (when Gordon himself was Batman). See also the Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two comic by Tom Taylor.
Next up, iterations where Perry White secretly knows Clark Kent is Superman!
“Rob’t Kane?” Must be short for “Robot Kane,” meaning the artist is AI. That would explain the awkward poses and poor anatomy, not to mention all the swipes.
I love the Rucka/Burchett sequence posted above. It’s one of my favorite Batman/Gordon scenes. The creative team used the medium so well in the issue itself. The full page splash of Bruce with his mask off is on the right-facing page, meaning the reader saw the action and had to process what was happening before turning the page and seeing Gordon’s response. It was startling, and not showing Jim turn around made me wonder if the secret would finally be out. Great stuff!
Tastes very, but I personally enjoy the raw art style of the very early Batman stories as drawn by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, and various other assistants (panel swipes and all –which was very common in the early days of comics) before the lantern-jawed very cartoony looking Dick Sprang-drawn depiction of Batman became formalized. That is not to say that I think Bob Kane was a good person–we all know that Bill Finger is the true unsung hero in Batman’s co-creation and that Jerry Robinson, Sheldon Moldoff, Dick Sprang and the various art assistants had more artistic ability than Kane.
I constantly marvel –or DC –at to what extent the artwork in so many comics seems to have devolved over the last few decades into overly cartoony-looking, static paneled depictions of the characters.
I would say that the Bronze Age was the zenith of great comic book art done by master artists. For Batman alone during the Bronze Age any page drawn by Neal Adams, Marshall Rogers, Don Newton, Michael Golden, Bernie Wrightson, Trevor von Eeden, Jim Starlin, Gene Colan, or Brian Bolland blows the Burchett art away.
Also, Bronze Age colorists generally did a much better job…a colorist such as Tatjanna Wood had a much subtler style and use of colors than the bland orange, white, and purple background colors in the
Rucka/Burchett sequence. Why is the brick wall behind Batman and Gordon colored purple instead of red? Why is Batman drawn to look like a schlumpy Adam West? Again, tastes very, but I will always prefer the Bronze Age depiction of a toned, lean yet muscular Batman as formalized by Adams, Aparo, and Garcia-Lopez to post-Bronze Age depictions of Batman.
“HE’S ALIVE! GORDON’S ALIVE!!”
King of the Moon: “He doesn’t want to know because the mask is so danged sexy”.
That’s my take on it.
BUT SERIOUSLY
We all know Gordon COULD figure it out if he wanted to, he’s a cop and he’s smart enough. but he doesn’t want to!
Snark Shark – finally someone appreciates the title of this post.
I re-read BATMAN ANNUAL #13 (Priest, and wrinkly Gray Morrow Batsuit!) and Gordon doesn’t seem to know there; but he knew Barbara was Batgirl, which I didn’t think was always the case? I wish Gordon hung out with Bruce like he used to; this time to Monday-morning quarterback: “I tell you, Bruce, Batman is losing it. Just terrible out there. Should’ve retired years ago.” And so on!
I LOVE THE FLASH GORDON MOVIE!!!!!
@ Snark Shark
Yes, the “Flash Gordon” movie is great–the “Flesh Gordon” satirical film is pretty entertaining as well!
@ googum
I always thought Gray Morrow drew the most realistic looking version of what a man wearing a Batman costume would actually look like–but it is strange to see that in comparison to the Neal Adams Bronze Age idealized iteration of Batman.