When did Batman (allegedly) stop calling his foes by their villain names?

[Mark Trail]

According to a recently published CBR article, "he has another rule along with no killing. That rule is not to call his antagonist by their chosen villainous moniker, but rather their real name."

If accurate, when did that start? I've heard him call the rogues gallery by their villainous alias many times over the past 80 years.

And, yes, I know the article gives examples of him referring to The Penguin as Cobblepot, Two-Face as Harvey Dent (something he also did in The Dark Knight), and Poison Ivy as Dr. Pamela Isley, largely from TV, film and/or video games. But, even then, my recollection is that he's use the "nicknames" as well.

Is this something that's now canon or just some poorly researched Reddit fan theory? And if it's canon when did it take hold?

[bat39]

I can understand why he would have that rule...to take away the power of their larger-than-life villanous personas and reduce them to just another cowardly and superstitious criminal to take down.

But yeah, its not something that's been consistent, even in comics of, say, the last couple of decades or so. And I don't think its something that has ever been explicitly been brought up.

[Digifiend]

According to a recently published CBR article, "he has another rule along with no killing. That rule is not to call his antagonist by their chosen villainous moniker, but rather their real name."

If accurate, when did that start? I've heard him call the rogues gallery by their villainous alias many times over the past 80 years.

And, yes, I know the article gives examples of him referring to The Penguin as Cobblepot, Two-Face as Harvey Dent (something he also did in The Dark Knight), and Poison Ivy as Dr. Pamela Isley, largely from TV, film and/or video games. But, even then, my recollection is that he's use the "nicknames" as well.

Is this something that's now canon or just some poorly researched Reddit fan theory? And if it's canon when did it take hold?

Sometimes he has to use the nickname. Some villains actually manage to keep their identity secret, for example, we don't know for sure what Joker's real name is.

[sifighter]

I can understand why he would have that rule...to take away the power of their larger-than-life villanous personas and reduce them to just another cowardly and superstitious criminal to take down.

But yeah, its not something that's been consistent, even in comics of, say, the last couple of decades or so. And I don't think its something that has ever been explicitly been brought up.

Yeah sometimes I think it’s to hit a nerve with the villains, like you can probably just ruin the riddlers whole day if you just continue to call him Edward or Penguin Oswald, trying to strike fear is hard when you get called out like that.

Other times I think he does it for empathy though, like whenever poison ivy or mister freeze go crazy and he tries to calm them down or talk to them like a person.