Whereas Superman and Batman have among the best friendships within the DC Universe, that wasn’t all the time the case. Batman is notoriously distrustful; when a person seemingly manufactured from metal seems out of nowhere and has completely no oversight or counter-measure, it is anticipated for Batman to get a bit paranoid. However this paranoia ultimately pushed Batman to check Superman’s views on killing — by sending the Joker to Metropolis.

When Bruce Wayne’s mother and father had been gunned down in entrance of him in Crime Alley, he swore then and there to battle crime in no matter type it took. He additionally swore to by no means put anybody by means of the identical ache he had gone by means of, it doesn’t matter what. This was the beginning of Batman’s notorious no-killing rule: regardless of how unhealthy the legal was, Batman wouldn’t kill them. It is a rule that not solely Batman follows, however he additionally holds everybody he works with to it as nicely. When the planet Krypton exploded, Superman’s mother and father despatched him to Earth, the place he was taken care of by Martha and Jonathan Kent. Superman grew up in a loving dwelling with caring mother and father and by no means suffered any important trauma in his childhood. As such, whereas Superman avoids killing, he would not have any hard-set guidelines in opposition to it — and that could be a main downside for Batman.

Batman Assessments Superman’s Ethical Limits

One near-breaking level for Batman and Superman’s friendship takes place in Adventures of Superman #14 by Max Landis, Jock, Lee Loughridge, and Wes Abbott. After the Joker reveals up in Metropolis, Superman manages to rapidly disarm his bombs after which apprehends the Clown Prince. Whereas coping with the Joker, Superman provides him completely no leeway. Not solely does Superman brutally insult Joker, however he additionally refuses to take the Joker significantly. When the Joker begins raving about changing into extra harmful and discovering a option to damage Superman, Clark merely laughs it off and factors out how silly the Joker sounds. Superman doesn’t give him any slack and even threatens to kill the Joker ought to he return to Metropolis. After the Joker is arrested, Superman visits Batman, and that is when issues get a lot worse.

The Joker couldn’t have left Gotham and gotten to Metropolis with out Batman figuring out. Superman accuses Bruce of such and is correct. Batman deliberately allowed the Joker to go to Metropolis to see Superman’s stance on no-killing. Since Superman brazenly threatened to kill the Joker, Batman considers this a failed check and thus believes that the Man of Metal cannot be trusted along with his energy. Superman, nonetheless, retorts that the Joker is harmful, and he is solely rising extra harmful. One can not indulge the Joker’s insanity; the one option to take care of him is to close his act down and remind him there will probably be harsh penalties for his actions. Batman would not agree, and after a heated alternate, the 2 go their separate methods, with Superman promising to kill the Joker if he encounters him once more.

Superman Does Not Like Being Examined

Whereas Superman and Batman’s relationship would ultimately get again heading in the right direction, there isn’t any doubt that one of many causes Batman started stockpiling Kryptonite and different anti-Kryptonian measures was due to this battle. In alternate universes just like the world of Injustice, when Superman kills the Joker, the Kryptonian instantly tries to take over the world. The Joker’s first encounter with Superman is what makes Batman mistrust the Man of Metal — and maybe he is proper to take action.

Take a look at Adventures of Superman #14, out there now from DC Comics!