Brief Thoughts: "Batman: Wargames"

SPOILERS BELOW

I admit that until recently I had never read DC Comics' "Batman: Wargames" story arc. In fact, it has only been in recent years that I have sought to reacquaint myself with comic books and the going is slow. However, for the last half year I have been hearing repeated mention of this particular story arc's controversial content. Not controversial because of sex and violence but rather controversial in terms of characterization. The most vocal group on this topic has been the internet neo-feminists. Citing it as an example of the continued mistreatment of female characters in comic books they protest the death of the superheroine Spoiler - not just that she died but also how. The problem with this is that in being the most vocal detractors of this storyline the other inherent flaws are more overlooked.

The two greatest flaws the are apparent right off on a first reading are this: Spoiler should never have been Robin and she should not have been able to get to that file. There is no reason that I can see that Spoiler should ever have wanted to be Robin in particular. Even if she wanted to fulfill a Robin-esque role for Batman she should've wanted to fulfill that role as Spoiler. Her own identity. The point of Dick Grayson is that he was the first Robin and he needed to evolve into Nightwing. It was an important step in his life. The point of Tim Drake is that he is so completely and utterly Robin through and through. That is his identity. One day he will either take on his own mantle apart or else become the Bat himself (which I see as more likely) but he is completely Robin. So there is no reason on Earth why Stephanie should've wanted to take on Tim's identity when she had one of her own that she needed to refine. Trying to be Robin was actually a step back for her. It also confuses me as to why Batman would allow her to become Robin when she was so clearly not ready. Why would he wish to not only make the same mistake again but encourage someone who was not meant to try and be this other person? He should've worked toward making her a field operative if anything. Actually, she might've been better off under the tutelage of Batgirl or Catwoman.

Most important of all, the files. It is completely and utterly in character for Batman to have a contingency plan in place for just about anything under the sun. That is the sort of obsessive freak he is and that's why we love him. However, I just cannot believe at ALL that Batman would let not so much Stephanie but anyone, really, other than maybe Alfred access those files. They should've been encrypted within an inch of their lives. Stephanie should not have been able to ever view those files for any reason.

It is difficult when you see a storyline that had good potential and still manages to frustrate in a good way in some of the right places executed badly. The worst is when the whole premise for jump-starting the story has pretty much nothing to do with how the characters have behaved in the past. While I recommend reading this arc for the sake of continuity, I cannot condone the writing that went into it.

SPOILERS ABOVE