In ‘Batman: Gotham After Midnight’ by Steve Niles and Kelley Jones, Batman says this to Comissioner Gordon, ‘This is the second time she [a police officer] took credit for my work. I don’t like it. You know how important it is for criminals to know that it’s me taking them down.‘ Sounds like an egoistic statement? It’s really quite the opposite.
There’s no ego involved because no one (okay, few) knows who is behind the cape and cowl. What Batman wanted was to live up to his reputation of being a relentless vigilante whom all criminals should fear and thus think twice before perpetuating lives of crime. It’s great compassion! Reminds me of Bodhisattvas who work selflessly and thanklessly in disguise.
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