Robin #14 Discussion/Spoilers

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Why doesn't Bruce acknowledge that it was his and Selina's plan to send Damian in to begin with? That it was his and Selina's idea, as was brought up in King's run, to send Damian in and get Alfred out, to act as a hostage that Thomas Wayne wouldn't kill and would underestimate, and to have Damian take out Gotham Girl so that everyone else can go in?

Probably because Bruce really sucks at taking responsibility for his actions and for when his plans backfire.

Bad writing. I don't think that was King's original intention when he had Damian go in.

[Arctic Cyclist]

Bad writing. I don't think that was King's original intention when he had Damian go in.

Thematically speaking, Damian being captured and tortured and forced to be responsible for Alfred's death due to Bruce's decisions does make sense and ties into The War of Jokes and Riddles. Just as the death of Kiteman's (Hell Yeah!) son is a consequence of Bruce's scheme, which Kite Man (Hell Yeah!) was forced to witness, so was Alfred's.

King's run, had he a tight editorial team that kept him on track and reined in the BatCat, could have been amazing. It's his Go Set a Watchman. There's To Kill a Mockingbird in there, but his refusal to actually explore the consequences of Bruce's actions and how by repeating his mistakes —including attempts to have a relationship with someone who can't change who she is, once a thief as an adult, always a thief— he continues to prevent his own happiness and destroys everyone he comes in contact with.

It's bad writing because it's milquetoast writing that allows for a rich white man, and women if we count Claire, Selina, Harley, and Ivy as we should, to be the victims despite their being entirely responsible for everything they've done and the damage to others they've caused.

Which, yes, is craptastic writing. Especially since Alfred's death was foreshadowed in The Brave and the Mold, as well as Snyder's All Star Batman. Not owning it makes it even worse.