Traveling the World Alibi

[Banana-Hotdog]

So, like any good nerd, I was having a discussion about Batman on Super Bowl Sunday when the subject of Bruce's 7+ years in training world-tour came up.

Where do the citizens of Gotham think Bruce was for those 7-12 years? In the film "Batman Begins" he donated his coat to a random homeless man and disappeared. He was declared dead and 7 years later he was back in Gotham. In the movie it was a heat-of-the-moment decision and there wasn't a real strategic alibi in place. So I guess the people of Gotham assumed he was murdered on the streets of Gotham like his parents and his body was just never found. Even if that were the case, the film didn't spend any time on how Bruce explained his absence and subsequent return.
But what is the excuse in the comics? Was it believed that he was just living a playboy lifestyle and trying to sleep with a girl in every country or something? Did he fake his own death in a plane crash and then a decade later make a triumphant return like Tom Hanks in "Cast Away"?

When Bruce left Gotham, where did the people believe he went? He's such a celebrity that it had to of come up.

 

[Cobblepot]

I don't think that ever been brought up in the comics. But being a rich kid the obvious alibi would be for him to go to a foreign university. Something he did afterall.
But in the comics he doens't need an alibi, he could just be travelling the world for a few years. No need to expalin to other people what he's been doing.

 

[Banana-Hotdog]

Thanks, Cobblepot. It's an interesting subject to bring up. If Bruce claimed to be going to a foreign university he would have needed to forge documents proving he was enrolled in classes, paid people off to say that they had taught/attended a class with him... How meticulous do you think the young Bruce Wayne should be when he's just starting to put everything into motion?

I'm trying to remember if he had any sort of explanation in Batman: Year One, but I don't have it handy.

 

[RustyCage]

I've actually been sort of looking forward to someone pointing this out in TDKR, like Reese discovered the Tumbler blueprints in TDK.

 

[Cobblepot]

Thanks, Cobblepot. It's an interesting subject to bring up. If Bruce claimed to be going to a foreign university he would have needed to forge documents proving he was enrolled in classes, paid people off to say that they had taught/attended a class with him... How meticulous do you think the young Bruce Wayne should be when he's just starting to put everything into motion?

I'm trying to remember if he had any sort of explanation in Batman: Year One, but I don't have it handy.

Bruce actually went to foreign schools and attended classes in crimonologie, pschycology etc. It's mentioned in The Untold Legend.

Year One just mentions a 12 year absence.

 

[Banana-Hotdog]

Bruce actually went to foreign schools and attended classes in crimonologie, pschycology etc. It's mentioned in The Untold Legend.

Year One just mentions a 12 year absence.

I know he actually went to schools to take those classes and wouldn't need to forge documentation/ pay witnesses for that time. But that's a very small portion of the time in which he was gone. Oh! Plus, he would really need to change his transcripts since all of his classes he took involved criminology, forensics, criminal psychology, etc. It's kind of a redflag!

"Where were you for twelve years, Bruce?"
"Taking classes."
"For twelve years?"
"Yep."
"I've got a copy of your transcripts right here and it looks like you went to school for about four years... what about the other eight years?"
"Um...well I can tell you what I wasn't doing! I wasn't training to be the world's greatest martial artist--that's for damn sure!"
"lol"

 

[Cobblepot]

He's a rich kid, many rich people travel the world at some point to discover themselves. Some stay abroad for years. Why does he need to explain his absence?

Richard Gere and Angelina Jolie went to Tibet, just to name a few.

 

[Banana-Hotdog]

Why does he need to explain his absence?

...because when Batman started showing up Bruce was suspect #1 and he would have been under investigation by the police AND the mob.

And the Richard Gere/Angelina Jolie thing is a very weak argument. It's not like everybody knows Jon Voight was murdered in front of Angelina Jolie who inherited the billion dollar technology producing/military contract having company of her father, became a brooding teen who vanished for 12 years to return to LA at the exact same time that a female vigilante started making noise on the streets of LA.

The fun of this conversation is to think about this from the point of view of Hugo Strange or Harvey Bullock, Flass, Loeb, The Riddler, early Gordon, Max Cort, or the countless mob bosses who would have tried to pin down who Batman is. Bruce Wayne is the prime suspect and he needs as much of an alibi as possible.

I would just like to see a Batman story go into better detail about what all Bruce did during his hiatus and how he covered his tracks.

 

[aandfrugby25]

Banana-Hotdog raises a good point he did take alot of criminology classes during his time at school abroad. And BTW with our interest in rich and famous people these days i would think people would be very interested in what he was doing. Paris Hilton cant have a party on a yaht in the middle of the ocean without paparazzi snapping some shots. I dont believe it is common at all for wealthy heirs to completly drop out of the public eye.

 

[bat-lad]

Well your right about that because Bruce Wayne kind of throws him self out there but was only recently like in his twenties. There are a ton of Millionaires even billionaires that the paparazzi doesn't give a crap about. Just take a look at the Forbes top 400 and you'll see tons of names you've never heard of all Billionaires. And again Bruce Wayne wasn't a house hold name until he started causing the playboy ruckus in his twenties.

It is a good question I just always assumed that Gotham City shrugged him off as if yester years story. Sure they were sad at the time but they have there own lives to figure out let alone a rich kids life.

I'm in the process of writing a story that covers those years from Bruce being a kid and the time he becomes Batman and basically I have him returning to Gotham when he is Twenty and then dawning the cape and cowl when he is 24 and he doesn't become the arrogant playboy until he is 26. So there are some gaps in there that should keep his name not ever crossing in with Batman. I also explain him studying regular courses in foreign colleges (like business and economics) but actually learning about criminology and forensics from ex British Secret Service agents that all have a strong and unified connection with Alfred.

 

[Cobblepot]

All I'm saying is that the public assumes he did some soul searching. The few that have linked his comeboack and the firts appearance of the Batman, where misdirected by his playboyisch behavoir and clever orchestrated theatrics by Bruce and or Alfred.
Gordon has suspected earlier on, but when he finally wants to confront Bruce with it he finds him drunk with a few ladies he's blown off and dismisses the idea.