SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Detective Comics #975 by James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez and Raul Fernandez, on sale now.


After taking decisive action against one of her fellow Gotham Knights two issues ago, and facing the consequences of her actions last issue, Batwoman is put on trial by her peers in Detective Comics #975. James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez and Raul Fernandez "The Trial of Batwoman" features the Knights convening around the figurative round table to pass judgment on their colleague.

But while Batman is seeking the opinions of five of his apprentices, it turns out that Batwoman isn't the only person that some of the Bat-family have concerns over.

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Red Robin, Damian Wayne, Nightwing, Red Hood and Batgirl each have their own thoughts regarding Kate, but if Batman was hoping for any kind of consensus, he doesn't get it. The team's notions regarding Batwoman are not only varied, but Batman finds himself on trial as well – undoubtedly unexpected by him while putting his "jury" together.

The Former Robins Pass Judgment

Tim Drake leads off, citing his unique perspective. Tim notes that he's the only member present to join the team for reasons not born out of tragedy. In fact, as longtime fans know, Tim became Robin to save Batman from darkness that was consuming him. Tim then cites that, in turn, Batman and Robin historically have made the lives of others better – but that Batwoman's deed did not further that end. Tim's words effectively condemn her actions.

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Dick Grayson goes next, but takes a more moderate stand. Dick is willing to give Kate the benefit of the doubt, believing that she honestly saw no other options. He stops short of giving her a pass, though, feeling that she can eventually earn her way back on the team, but not until she can regain their trust. Dick adds that had it been he who had committed such an act, he imagined he would be facing repercussions of some kind. While giving her a more sympathetic view, Dick isn't ready to welcome her back just, either.

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Dick then yields the floor to Damian, but the current Robin has no opinion to offer. Instead, he behaves exactly how one might expect a normal child to behave during such adult proceedings – scoffing at the discussion, and instead offering up the unrelated notion that none of the others present can rightfully call themselves "family." Damian's flippant statement, ironically, serves as the first voice that serves no condemnation of Kate.

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Jason Todd steps and concedes that his position is in support of Batwoman, but for unexpected reasons. His condemnations aren't of Kate, but are instead levied against Batman himself. Jason largely sees this assembly put together by Batman not to judge Kate for her assassination of Clayface, but instead to judge her for breaking the golden rules of Batman. To Jason, the issue isn't Basil Karlo's death – it's that Kate disobeyed Bruce. Jason's statement not only gives Kate her first vote of confidence, but also turns it against his mentor.

A melancholy Batman remains surprisingly restrained, and turns to Barbara Gordon, who puts forth the most scathing condemnation yet – only it's again directed at Bruce. Barbara turns the discussion away from Kate and back to Bruce himself, and his motives for creating the Gotham Knights in the first place.

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Barbara cites Tim's reasons for creating The Belfry, and alleges that Bruce's reasons for allowing Batwoman to join were his own, and not necessarily aligned with Tim's vision of protecting Gotham. Levying dual accusations at Bruce, Barbara believes that his reasons for enlisting Kate weren't to oversee the team, but instead for him to oversee her.

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Kate's father Jacob Kane, after all, has the paramilitary group known as The Colony under his control, and has eagerly tried to recruit his own daughter to its ranks. Barbara accuses Bruce of welcoming Kate solely to keep her away from her father – an accusation Bruce noticeably doesn't deny.

It's Barbara's second point, though, that's perhaps most damning to Bruce. Barbara further alleges that Bruce simply recruited Kate because, as his cousin, Kate is the closest living relative to his mother, Martha. Barbara surmises that Martha herself just might have wanted Bruce to commit the same act Kate did, implying that this tribunal is Bruce's conflicted response to actions that his mother might have called for – ones that he himself opposes.

In questioning Bruce's own motives, Barbara deflects the discussion away from Kate, turning the trial of Batwoman instead into an impromptu trial of Batman himself.

Why Bruce Is So Conflicted

If Bruce does indeed see Kate as the closest living person to his mother, Barbara's allegations imply a potential shake-up to his core beliefs. The Bat-symbol has long stood against killing for any reason, but do Kate's words hint that Bruce's mother might have believed differently? Batman, who historically has held a zero-tolerance policy towards killing, has been uncharacteristically indecisive regarding Batwoman's deserved fate – the very trial he has called for confirms this. Does Bruce see something in Kate that he remembers in his mother, that is staying his hand from a harsher sentence? Or is there perhaps something deep down inside Bruce that's telling him what he doesn't want to acknowledge – that Kate was right?

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Regardless, Batman's trial of Batwoman has failed to yield any kind of decisive vote, and in fact has brought into questions his motives as much as her own. While there is no consensus on her return, her days as a Gotham Knight nonetheless seem to be over. As do those of the Gotham Knights themselves, for if this trial achieved anything, it was to further fracture the team.

The perhaps-ironically titled "Batmen Eternal" arc begins in Detective Comics #976, on sale March 14, and stands to explore the fallout from the team's division.