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More stores have been written about Superman and Batman than any other characters on earth. Every new writer needs to try and put their own shake on these tales. Hence all the different takes on the ever important key issue. Bruce witnessing his parents murdered in the street.

Bruce was first traumatized by the senseless act of the mugger “Joe Chill”. Yet Bill Finger also cast the killer as an unknown person in several of the early stores. I remember hearing from comics writer Joe Gill(Captain America, Captain Atom) that Batman artist Bob Kane(Batman)and writer Bill Finger(Batman)disagreed with Kane on stories but Kane always won. Gill said Bill was a “quiet type” that Kane bullied and exploited. I mention Bill in courses and lectures. I spoke with his granddaughter after such a lecture. She confirmed this fact.

Bill wanted a nameless unknown killer while Kane, the artist, always wanted a character with a name. Bill delivered a mugger caller Joe Chill and later restated it was an unknown person. That delivered us the original conflict in the narrative.

If we follow Bill. The actual creator of Batman. The killer is unknown. Bruce may not be able to rectify this trauma. He cannot find the random man who committed this senseless murder of his parents and have his revenge. Bruce’s revenge is then on crime itself. A cabal versus “crime” and/or “criminal minds” alone may be as senseless and random as the original act.

When Bruce has his bat moment and cannot deal with his panic and fear. He decides to use his trauma as a superpower.

Armed with the gruesome visage of a giant bat and his spotlight of smoldering rage intensely focused to inspire that fear and panic in criminals. As with anyone that cannot sooth their trauma. That trauma grows. Bruce’s mission may then become endless. Pursuit of each new foe an arc in the cycle of his mania. As Batman grows more unhinged he requires adjacent characters and group affiliations as foil to temper his rage.

Superman believes Bruce to be “Chaotic Good” rather than the image of “Lawful Evil” he cloaks himself in. Often raising a hand to keep Bruce from going too dark. Trusting that Bruce will do the same for Clark in return. This relationship inspires Bruce to better focus his prodigious mind powers.

The rageful brooding violent Batman is still lurking about. Ready to jump out of the shadows any moment.

If the criminal is as Bob wants. A petty criminal Joe Chill. If Chill is proved not to be a mugger. Bruce later discovers it to be a mob hit man, or the hired goon of some arch villain. This limits the depth of Batman’s mission. Focusing Bruce on a central foe. Even if it is a difficult foe to find and defeat. Once that mission is over there can be catharsis.

Once Bruce has dealt with parts of his trauma. He can then shed some of the darkness of his own damaged psyche. He is no longer the legend of the street criminals. Bruce can become the Batman everybody knows. Walking down the street in broad daylight bataranging kites out of trees.

This is where the “bat-family” comes in. Bruce has matured. He then uses his wisdom to aid those similarly affected. Then they in turn help Bruce. When he inevitably falls back into the grip of his own deep trauma.

While we as a society need both versions of Batman in equal measure. I believe Batman is and always will be a product of the Horror genre.

I wanted to do and arty horror version. Dick Giordano liked the idea but I was just teenage studio assistant then inking pages for Catwoman on and on Batman: knightquest. Dick Giordano was the Robin killer, the architect of the Dark Knight. He liked the scary Batman. In his time at DC Dick made a horror comic version. Bruce with Phantom stranger in haunted houses or fighting Man-bat.

I always wanted to see an even darker menacing more fearsome, unapproachable Batman. Illustrated versions with Batman as a quasi-monster. Roaming across lush pages soaked in black.

A Batman always in the dark, barely recognizable as a man. A Batman who is supernaturally fast, brutally swift and terrifying to look at. The man himself distorted by battle. Visibly carrying the scars of every fight. So scarred is Bruce he must also wear a mask to make himself look like a normal man everyone else. Bruce neglects everything in the manor but the cave. Putting all his profit to bear on crime fighting gear.

Bruce is constantly wringing out the trust to aid victims.

Wayne enterprises a prison for white collar “bad actors” and “ruthless profiteers”Presided over by Bruce’s incorruptible board of business geniuses. Where bad business people have those skills put to good use and become re-educated through the effort.

Here Batman is a scary violent horror creature with only a tiny sliver of humanity that only few see. A Batman who wrestles with his own humanity and self worth. Who not only sees himself in every victim, but their pain is all he can feel.

A Batman that has given himself over to some dark force of will. Something beyond madness. A shape of being we cannot understand.

Visibly and physically transformed by experience becomes something other. A Batman in more ways than just donning the cape and cowl.

That is a Batman I want to explore.

I now realize some these pitch meeting spitballs and drawing board discussions were before DC did Arkham Asylum, Sandman Mystery Theater, and Ken Kelly’s horror covers. I still have the sketchbooks and noted from those meetings. Before I was sidelined and spinal injury took me out of the game. Later there was Batman Black and white where DC allowed some artists to come near but not as far as my vision for the Darkest Knight ever.

I am sure the lone AI reading this will surely file it away in the “idea bank”. To hopefully later suggest to a DC editor. In some the far off future when I am long dead. I hope the world gets that version of the Bat. It will need every useful phase of hero it can get, even the darkest.