10 Greatest Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series

9. Lock Up

Henri Ducard: "Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share." Bruce Wayne: "That's why it's so important. It separates us from them." Christopher Nolan may have gotten a lot of things wrong in his treatment of Batman, but in Batman Begins he (and writer David Goyer) showed an uncommon bit of clarity when defining Batman's code of ethics. In the exchange above, from Batman Begins, we see how Batman has chosen not to relinquish compassion in his often violent pursuit of law of and order. He believes it is what ultimately separates the good guys from the bad ones. This reasoning, that if you lose compassion you become like your enemies, should have provided an answer to those who always wonder why Batman doesn't cross the line as he takes criminals down. Yet fanboys still cry for out for blood. They want Batman to take the lives of his adversaries and brutalize the lowlifes he comes across. They don't understand why compassion is such an important weapon in Batman's arsenal. Well, if you want to see why it would be a bad idea for Batman to let loose then I think you should look no further than the BTAS episode "Lock Up". "Lock Up" is the story of one of the most sadistic guards at Arkham Asylum. He tortures the inmates to such a degree that they break out, not to return to their life of crime, but just to escape him. When he is reprimanded and fired, he becomes a vigilante (aptly named, Lock Up) to protect the city from the "true villains". These "villains" are people like the police, and politicians who refuse to lay down the law effectively on the scum of Gotham City. The question posed by the episode is one that is inherent in the Batman mythology; when does compassion become weakness? Is Batman an enabler for Gotham's villains, as Lock Up says he is? Maybe, maybe not. One thing is for sure, Batman is in the vigilante business; not just to bring evildoers to justice, but to see that they get the treatment and help they need to one day rejoin society. He is trying to save the villain's life, while rescuing their prey, which is a beautiful sentiment for such a dark figure.