# The Batman Who Laughs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-who-laughs/800274>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 31, 2017, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-who-laughs/800274 "2017-10-31T09:57:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kane\_Creole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e57/32.png) [@Kane\_Creole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kane_Creole)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-who-laughs/800274/21 "2017-11-02T14:39:30Z")

</div>

Damn. My vision doesn’t extend into the cosmic ray spectrum. Mea culpa.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-who-laughs/800274/22 "2017-11-02T18:05:07Z")

</div>

> [@Kane\_Creole](#):
>
> **Half Man Half Wit** says something challenging and a little straw man-ish. Would consenting young boys submitted to sexual slavery be any better than non-consenting young boys submitted to sexual slavery? Well, no. Where did I write that?

To me, it seems a reasonable reading of these lines:

> [@](#):
>
> The cannibalism, while horrible, is **not the issue**. The problem with this concept is that the Robins are … apparently in a coerced, dependant sexual relationship with Batman.  
> …
> 
> These children in their costumes and in their chains **look coerced**. By reason of their age, in addition to being mentally unfit, the boys cannot make a choice on their horrific actions. (Bolding mine)

You hold their inability to make a choice to be relevant; to you, the central moral issue seems to be the enslavement of the Robins. But what would we have if there was choice on their part? Still horrible, crazed cannibals.

Furthermore, in what follows, your focus is entirely on the issue of enslavement and rape, citing sources as to how these issues apply here, while the fact that the Robins are killing and eating people is mentioned barely in passing.

Your entire conclusion centers on this being a rape relationship that is not portrayed in a negative enough light. One could make an equivalent argument to the effect that the cannibalism isn’t portrayed in a negative enough light, which you, however, don’t make. So, what exactly is it that, to you, singles out the aspect of rape as being what makes this worthy of condemnation, rather than that of cannibalism?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-who-laughs/800274/23 "2017-11-02T18:49:56Z")

</div>

I think it looks great. It’s been a long time since Batman and Superman were regarded as comics for kids. Why shouldn’t they explore adult themes. The marketplace will inform them if they’ve gone too far.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-who-laughs/800274.md?page=1)