13. No Relationship Development Between Wayne & Miranda Tate
Batman is not James Bond, and yet the development of Wayne's relationship with Miranda Tate amounts to meeting, having a couple of conversations, getting soaked in the rain and then having sex, and a few furtive glances exchanged over loaded conversations about energy sources. There is little to no hint of any romance between the two, even if Tate appears to be somewhat over-interested in meeting Wayne when we first meet her, until they're naked and in each other's arms despite the lack of any authentic development in their relationship. If their relationship development was authentic, then the twist involving Miranda's true identity might have had more impact - even if we suspected she was Talia long before she mentioned it with a well-placed knife between the ribs. But without that authentic emotional foundation to their relationship, Miranda's betrayal fails to realise its potential impact, and while the twist makes for an entertaining narrative development it could have been so much better. Additionally, without the proper development, the promiscuous liaison between Wayne and Tate feels like an unnecessary narrative detail that served no purpose in Talia's grand plan, and so would surely be deemed a frivolous distraction to limited or no ends. An odd decision in an otherwise tightly choreographed plan.