10 Times Batman Was A Total Jerk‏

6. The Whole Of All-Star Batman And Robin

DC Comics

Once upon a time, Frank Miller was one of the most respected writers/artists in the comic book industry. Which is pretty funny to imagine now, because he's spent the past decade making absolutely terrible stuff. When he could find the time between making totally unsubstantiated and insane claims about the Occupy movement.

One of those pieces of terrible stuff was All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder, which is one of the most insane comic books to ever be written, and also a treasure trove for jerky moments from the caped crusader. It starts early with the oft-told story of how the dynamic duo met, after young gymnast Dick Grayson's parents were killed in the middle of their circus act. For some reason Bruce Wayne decides this kid would make a perfect sidekick in his fight against crime, which is when he formally adopts him as his ward and they have a jolly nice time... well, that's what usually happens, anyway.

In All-Star Batman & Robin he drags the kid into his car against his will, calls the grieving child a "retard", and then strands him in the Batcave for days without food. It turns out this wasn't just jerkiness for the sake of it, but a test of his survival skills. When Alfred ruins said test by giving the newly-orphaned Dick some fast food, Batman straight-up slaps his faithful butler.

Things don't get any better from there. With a few more beatings the young Grayson is ready to be Robin, which is the saddest origin story ever, but there's still plenty of douchiness from Batman to go around. He rings up Clark Kent at work to ask him to do some Superman business, revealing that he knows his secret identity and almost giving it away. He argues with the Justice League and makes out with Wonder Woman against her will. And he gets an actual thrill out of crippling street thugs, which isn't so much jerky as... psychotic? So maybe this is more a time that Batman was a psychopath.

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Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/