Why Batman Really Needs the Batcave
No, it’s not just a place for him to keep his stuff.
Batman is profoundly, psychologically dependent on the Batcave. It’s complicated but so is Bruce Wayne.
Have you ever gotten the feeling that when Bruce is alone in the cave and then Alfred or (whichever) Robin walks in, it’s rather an intrusion isn’t it? He never kicks them out but they don’t belong there. Not in the way that he does. There’s a reason for that.
At first there was just a tunnel that led to a garage disguised as a barn.
Then it was expanded to include a hanger and workshop.
But it was the movie serial that first got it right with the Bat’s Cave in 1943. Director Lambert Hillyer* saw the need for Batman to have a place of deep contemplation. Sure it looked cheap and silly but somehow in some way, Hillyer got something right.
Bob Kane was on the set when he saw it for the first time and immediately called Bill Finger in New York long-distance (which was kind of pricey back then) to tell him about it.
Finger (truthfully the real creator of Batman) instantly saw that a piece of something that was badly missing had been found.
The Batcave proper first appeared in 1944.
I have for a long time been of the school of thought that believes that while Superman is a front and the real man beneath is Clark Kent, conversely Bruce Wayne is just a public mask that Batman wears. I’m now having some second thoughts about this.
The Batcave is the place that Batman uses to withdraw from the world and maintain the connection between the two men in Bruce Wayne’s body. He can best do this in a place with few distractions and vast, cathedral-like darkness.
Remember, darkness and shadows are where he draws his power from, so it makes sense for him to immerse himself in it when he needs to renew his inner strength.
All of it serves his needs as he descends out of the light. Garage allows him to relax while he works on his gear. All men need that.
Lower down his lab allows him to pursue the higher functions of his mind.
Finally, his trophy room, which is really more of an archive. A place where he can contemplate his life and rededicate his concentration upon his life’s purpose.
Bruce Wayne and Batman can only find each other in the shadows.
*Hillyer was the director of the rather underated Dracula’s Daughter
