it’s one thing to enjoy a story where Batman ends up ‘crossing the line’ (like in BvS) and another to say that Batman deliberately taking a human life doesn’t matter to his character. Him refusing to kill is a central tenet of his characterization, specifically in the modern age

Bruce being fine with murder makes everything about his character crumble. Along with the childish anger and prolonged grief comes resolve, steel morals—He values life. His mission is predicated on the preservation of human life.

The grief from the cruelty and finality of death drives his mission. But beyond even the death itself, the morality of his parents—their lessons, their choices, their /professions/ shaped him and served as building blocks for his own morality, his own vision, his own oath.

his initial path born of childish rage evolved to, if it was only about punishing criminals, then he would stop at the mob, at corruption politicians and costumed villains, but he expands beyond that. To protecting life, to an ideal, a vision for how things should and could be

He tries to be who he needed, and that’s exactly what he tries to replicate with Dick.

And this is exactly what makes him an interesting character to me. It is not limiting, it is not boring. It is what makes for good story tension, it’s what sets him apart.