It's Official: Batman Is a Failure, & DC Just Proved It Beyond All Doubt

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Harley Quinn 2024 Annual #1!

Summary Batman's reliance on gimmicks makes it easy for criminals without them to escape justice in Gotham.

Criminals who avoid calling cards can easily get away with crimes due to the police's reliance on Batman's methods.

Gotham has hundreds of unsolved crimes due to the police not knowing where to look without clear, gimmicky clues.

DC has officially proven that Batman has undeniably been a failure for Gotham. Since he was created in 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Batman has always been perceived as an important and powerful hero for Gotham, as he works to stop its rampant criminal activity. However, a shocking new reveal shows that while Batman has done good work over the years, he's still completely failed to rein in crime.

In Harley Quinn 2024 Annual #1 by Erica Henderson, Harley and her crew have just completed a robbery from a bank that has made them rich beyond their wildest dreams. As they watch the news, Harley is shocked to see that not only did they manage to avoid Batman at the scene, but they've also gotten away with the crime. With no clear evidence left behind that points to her, she and her gang completely elude the police.

This major moment shows that Batman has set up outrageous expectations for law enforcement to find obvious clues about who orchestrated the crime. If Gotham's law enforcement have no way of immediately knowing who did it through over-the-top gimmicks, criminals are able to get away scot-free.

Batman Allows Criminals Who Don't Use Gimmicks to Get Away with Crimes

Sometimes It Pays to Be a "Normal" Villain

This reveal serves as a major blow to Batman's work in Gotham. Years of being regarded as the "World's Greatest Detective" has made the police reliant on his skills and the types of criminals he attracts. Anytime he's called in to investigate a crime scene, there's usually some type of calling card like the Riddler's riddles or the Joker's literal cards that helps him and the police know who's behind the crime. However, by avoiding these glaring clues, any criminal in Gotham can get away with a crime because "the cops don't instantly know who to look for."

Batman can't be everywhere, so that leaves hundreds of possible criminals open to sneaking past him while he's dealing with another.

Of course, this isn't to say that Batman hasn't put a stop to petty crimes like this in the past. However, this usually requires him to be on the scene as the robbers are making a getaway, and it's something that every criminal in Gotham knows. Batman can't be everywhere, so that leaves hundreds of possible criminals open to sneaking past him while he's dealing with another. Since it's established that the police aren't capable of knowing where to look if they don't have a clear clue, this suggests that there are hundreds of unsolved crimes in Gotham that will forever be open-ended, since the perpetrators didn't resort to gimmicks.

Harley Quinn Proves Crimes Can Go Unsolved

Zatanna Could Have Been Branded a Criminal Forever

Close

What's impressive is how the main story of this comic shows just how easy it could be to get away with crime in Gotham if criminals avoided their gimmicks. Harley Quinn 2024 Annual #1 is primarily a mystery as Harley tries to solve who tried to frame Zatanna for murder. Surprisingly, she can't solve the crime on her own — because the evidence just isn't there. However, this mystery is instantly solved when the Bronze Tiger and Guy Mandrake immediately make themselves known and cause havoc on the cruise ship.

These supervillains could have easily gotten away with their murderous plot if they hadn't made themselves known by the end. Of course, it's revealed that they originally plotted to kill Harley, so they likely revealed themselves out of frustration rather than just trying to get away with it. Still, it's a major turning point in the story, since Harley, Zatanna, and Vandal Savage were stumped about who really framed Zee. Batman will always be remembered as one of DC's best heroes, but this is a massive loophole that shows that he's been a failure at protecting Gotham from hard-to-see crime.

Harley Quinn 2024 Annual #1 is available now from DC Comics!

HARLEY QUINN 2024 ANNUAL #1 Writer: Erica Henderson

Artist: Erica Henderson

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artist: Erica Henderson