The following contains spoilers for Batman: The Audio Adventures #1, on sale now from DC Comics.
Throughout Batman and Commissioner Gordon's long relationship, there has always remained one constant -- Batman sneaks up on Gordon when he least expects it, often causing his older friend to nearly jump out of his skin.
The Batman: Audio Adventures #1 -- new tie-in comic to the HBO Max audio drama, which was recently renewed for a second season -- reveals that there is a certain logic to Batman's decision to rely on jump scares. Batman tells Gordon in the issue, "It's the principle of the panopticon. You know I can't always be watching, but you're never certain I'm not."
What's A Panopticon?
The panopticon that Batman speaks of is a prison design crafted by English philosopher Jeremy Bentham in the late 1700s. Panopticon means "all seeing" in Greek, and Bentham's design was for a round prison where prisoners were always within view of security guards. While it was technically impossible for the guards to always observe the prisoners, Bentham theorized that if the prisoners felt like they were constantly being watched, they would take pains to remain on their best behavior.
Batman's choice to adapt these principles to his interactions with Gordon likely come from his criminology background, a subject that constantly comes up whenever stories delve into Batman's early years. The Dark Knight's origin story, first detailed by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in 1939's Detective Comics #33, featured a brooding Bruce Wayne ruminating on how "criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot" -- and the desire to exploit the panopticon principle goes a long way towards keeping these foes on their guard.
Gordon's annoyance at Batman's constant jump scares has often been played for laughs over both characters' long histories. Nevertheless, during the 1993 "Knightfall" saga when Jean-Paul Valley temporarily took over for an injured Bruce Wayne, Gordon realized that a different man was behind the Bat Cowl partly due to the fact that Jean-Paul didn't employ the same tactics. Detective Comics #666, for instance, saw Gordon and Jean-Paul talking in his office. After Gordon turned away for a moment and saw Jean-Paul still behind him, he remarked, "You're still here... Usually I turn and you're gone." When Jean-Paul replied that he wasn't certain their conversation had ended, Gordon murmured, "That never stopped you before." Gordon would eventually pick up on a number of these small discrepancies before finally confronting Jean-Paul about his identity.
Batman: The Audio Adventures #1 is written by Dennis McNicholas, penciled by Anthony Marques, inked by J. Bone, colored by Dave Stewart, lettered by Feerran Delgado and features covers by Dave Johnson, Michael & Laura Allred, and Marques, Bone & Stewart. The issue is on sale now.
Source: DC