A Gotham City task force revealed that, contrary to popular belief, Batman sometimes needs to take personal days and days off.
Batman is considered the most dangerous hero in the DCU. Not only because of the gloominess of his heroic personality, but also because he dedicates everything to his career. It has gotten to the point where most fans assume Batman would forget to eat if there weren’t others around him who reminded him to do so. but, Nubia and justice #1 (by Michael W. Conrad, Becky Cloonan, Amancay Nahuelpan, Tamra Bonvillain, and Pat Brosseau) disproved this theory when it was revealed that Batman was having a personal day.
This story shows that Batman has the ability to step back and relax. It’s a surprisingly healthy choice he made for himself, but one that raises a number of questions. The effort he puts into his job often goes too far, and often hurts his life, so perhaps his decision to take a vacation is motivated by the recent changes in his life.
Batman seems to have an aversion to relaxation
Nubia was asked to help Green Arrow and Black Canary patrol Gotham while Batman was out of town. The exact reason was never determined, but as Green Arrow said, Batman was having a “personal day” in a normal work environment, meaning he was on vacation. There aren’t many heroes in more need of a break than Batman, but it’s amazing to think he’d do so so willingly.
Historically, Batman hates devoting time to anything that would distract from his mission. Sometimes this extends to basic needs such as sleep, eating, or sunlight. The joke that Batman is a creature of the night didn’t come out of nowhere. More importantly, it often took someone close to Batman to get him to relax, usually Alfred Pennyworth. Unfortunately, the Wayne family’s loyal butler is no longer alive, and so can’t be sure that his surrogate son is making ends meet. However, this may explain why Batman suddenly took a vacation out of the blue.
Batman is still reeling from the loss of Alfred Pennyworth
Batman’s life has gone through several major shifts over the past few years. Between the loss of his fortune, Gotham’s changing perception of heroes, and the implosion of his family, he’s had to adjust to a rapidly changing world. The biggest shift from his status quo comes from Alfred’s absence. The emotional center of the Bat-family is gone, and without that warmth, Batman has to do the best he can.
This may explain why he took a leave of absence. It might be the last thing he wanted to do, but Alfred wasn’t there to convince him to take care of himself anymore. It now falls to Bruce to listen to the voice inside his head that represents Alfred and heed his sensible advice. So, by setting aside his mission to meet his own needs, Batman is actually honoring Alfred. He wants to make sure Alfred doesn’t have to rest, thinking his son is working himself out on Earth.