Film and Television
How’s this for irony: The only screen incarnation of Batman that doesn’t seem to kill anyone (with the exception of the 1943 and 1949 serials) is the one that appears in Batman And Robin (1997). You know, the film that is almost universally regarded as one of the worst ever made, in the history of mankind. I suppose it could be argued though, that instead of killing people, this version of Batman killed the franchise instead.
But, outside of that travesty, Batman always kills – with the Batman of 1992’s Batman Returns being the one that most closely seems to resemble a serial killer.
Batman (1966 TV series)
Batman kicks a villain and accidentally turns him into anti-matter.
Batman (1989)
Batman kills a villain with his Batmobile, kills a villain by throwing him down a tower, and he facilitates the death of The Joker, by attaching him to a tower-top gargoyle with a grappling line, as he tries to scramble aboard a helicopter.
Batman Returns (1992)
Batman kills at least five villainous minions – using methods such as burning alive, dynamite in pants, and a grenade. He then facilitates the death of The Penguin when a bunch of bats cause him to fall into some unpleasant water and die a slow and agonizing death.
Batman Forever (1995)
In addition to causing an explosive pile-up of villain-laden cars, and swerving the Batmobile so that a missile hits the bad guys in a classic car, Batman facilitates the death of Harvey Dent when he throws a bunch of coins at him – an act that causes Dent to fall from a great height.
Batman Begins (2005)
While training in a temple, Batman takes the moral high ground and refuses to kill a bad guy – but then takes action that causes the temple to explode, killing many instead. He also kills Ra’s al Ghul on a doomed train, literally telling him that, “I won’t kill you, but I don’t have to save you” – making clear the morally ambiguous distinction the Caped Crusader apparently uses to allow him to sleep at night.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Batman kills the Joker’s Truck Driver, and also drops Harvey Dent off a building (again).
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Batman facilitates the death of Talia al Ghul by taking action that leads to her truck crashing.
DC Animation’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2 (2013)
While The Joker technically kills himself in the end, the violence perpetrated by Batman leads to that happening – not least the fact that the Dark Knight intentionally (but not fatally) snaps The Joker’s neck.
DC Animation’s Batman Vs Robin (2015)
A young Bruce Wayne kills an owl in cold blood with a bow and arrow. Isn’t the gratuitous killing of animals an early indicator of serial killer tendencies?
In Conclusion…
If it is a mythological, fabled ‘no kill’ Batman you seek, you will find him in Batman And Robin. This is the only version that is entirely wrong, however, because it is not the ‘no kill’ ethos that is central to the character; it is the striving – and sometimes failing – to reach the ‘no kill’ goal that defines him.
Ben Affleck’s Batman is steeped in precisely that conflict which means that, while Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice has a great many problems as a film, the characterization of Batman is categorically not one of them.
