Thomas Wayne: kindly doctor or abusive billionaire?

[Restingvoice]

I prefer Alfred and Leslie remaining as Bruce's surrogate parents. In fact, it's been way too long since Leslie played a part in Batman's mythology. The role seems to have been usurped by Lucius Fox. I prefer a younger Lucius thought but I think there is room for all three. In the older comics, it was kind of unrealistic for Alfred to be butler/medic/actor/mechanic/bat poop cleaner. So having Leslie serve as the medic and later on Lucius serve as Q to Batman was more believable.

I'm in agreement to divide the job. Lucius is the inventor/engineer, Leslie is the medic, and Alfred is the general help or mission control. Alfred still needs to have medical expertise but not as good as Leslie. This extends to Batman too, with Lucius as the engineer, it leaves Batman free to focus as the world greatest detective and number so and so of martial arts.

[Jim Kelly]

What about Doctor Dundee?

[Restingvoice]

What about Doctor Dundee?

Never heard of him

Oh

Oh, that's important. Bring him back!

Not as a confidant but can be a recurring supporting cast since Batfam deals with Gotham Hospital quite often

[gregpersons]

I feel like there's an opportunity for a character — a rewrite of Hush's origin, maybe — to have a parallel background to Bruce, but their parents never died, they never experienced any deep tragedy... but they became an awful and cruel spoiled rich kid who uses their power to hurt people. Like if instead of Tommy Elliott trying to murder his parents for the inheritance (an origin so nonsensical it prevents the character from larger exposure), he grows up and joins the Court of Owls. By day he seems like a great award-winning surgeon, at night he's Hush/Talon/whatever.

There are a number of "dark mirror" villains but none of them are really this. Some versions of the Penguin have sort of mirrored their upbringings (like Telltale's version, which was good)

[Mutant God]

I feel like there's an opportunity for a character — a rewrite of Hush's origin, maybe — to have a parallel background to Bruce, but their parents never died, they never experienced any deep tragedy... but they became an awful and cruel spoiled rich kid who uses their power to hurt people. Like if instead of Tommy Elliott trying to murder his parents for the inheritance (an origin so nonsensical it prevents the character from larger exposure), he grows up and joins the Court of Owls. By day he seems like a great award-winning surgeon, at night he's Hush/Talon/whatever.

There are a number of "dark mirror" villains but none of them are really this. Some versions of the Penguin have sort of mirrored their upbringings (like Telltale's version, which was good)

I could see an alternate Bruce join the Court of Owls only for him to later find out they're evil people.

Or maybe Bruce joins the Court of Owls but turns out hes a spy whos slowly destroying the court from the inside.

[The Kid]

I was reading up the premise to the upcoming Batman movie and I found part of it to be very interesting.

During his second year of fighting crime, Batman pursues the Riddler, a serial killer who targets elite Gotham City citizens. He uncovers corruption that connects to his own family during the investigation, and is forced to make new allies to catch the Riddler and bring the corrupt to justice.

I've been thinking about how Thomas Wayne has been more villainous in recent media and I kinda like it. At the very least, I find it to be an interesting take. I don't think he should be a moustache twirling bad guy but at least someone who is grayer than Bruce ever considered as a kid. But between Telltale, Joker movie, and the upcoming Batman movie, this does seem to be an interpretation creatives outside comics are liking more probably due to changing views on opulent wealth

[John Venus]

Yeah, I think they're definitely going for an evil Thomas for the upcoming 'The Batman' movie. He probably did something to Nygma which made him a super villain the present.

It's the 'in' thing now.