In a biting takedown of Batman, Wonder Woman called out the hero and the hypocrisy surrounding his infamous no-kill rule. When discussing why a villain should have been killed instead of kept alive, Batman preaches to his fellow Justice Leaguer that they need to hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to killing. Wonder Woman responds by pointing out she knows she has blood on her hands, and unlike The Dark Knight, she’s willing to acknowledge the fact.
In Wonder Woman #39 by Meredith Finch, David Finch, Jonathan Glapion, Sonia Oback, and Rob Leigh from DC Comics, Wonder Woman joins Batman and Superman in tracking down missing villagers. Unfortunately, they learn a group of bug-humanoid hybrid creatures has killed the missing people to feed their queen. Without anyone to save, Wonder Woman nearly kills the monster before Superman stops her – asking the new God of War if she’s forgotten who she is. At the Justice League watchtower, Batman tells Diana she crossed a line, and if the creature dies, there’s blood on her hands. Wonder Woman responds by asking Batman how many lives have been lost due to his “no-kill rule,” saying that he’s got plenty of blood on his hands himself.
Wonder Woman’s call-out is the ultimate criticism of Batman’s no-kill rule. While having a no-kill rule is noble and heroic on the surface, if he did kill villains such as the Joker after they committed continued atrocities in the DC Universe, then it would stop them for good and ensure no one else gets killed because of them. Since he doesn’t kill villains, they keep returning and committing horrible actions across Gotham City, as there’s no end to their madness because Batman abides by the rule. Because of that, Batman has blood on his hands.
Wonder Woman’s Call-Out Of Batman Is Deserved
Ultimately, Wonder Woman doesn’t abide by the same no-kill rule as Batman, although she tries to avoid doing so when necessary and when working alongside the Justice League. However, in this case, with no one left to save, she can’t understand why the bug creature deserved to live – which made Batman calling her out frustrate the hero, as she fought back against his moral righteousness by pointing out his hypocritical nature.
Batman has earned the right to share his opinion with his fellow heroes, but telling Wonder Woman she would have blood on her hands for wanting to break his no-kill rule isn’t his finest moment. While his heart is in the right place, Batman’s refusal to kill villains, as Wonder Woman pointed out, has put just as much blood on his hands in a much different way.
