It’s odd to think about, but in a lot of ways, Batman and the Punisher are cut from the same cloth. Both heroes lost their families to gun violence, and the tragedies they suffered radically altered both Bruce Wayne and Frank Castle, putting them on a path they’d walk for years. But given Punisher’s predilication for firearms and Batman’s opposition to them, it’s easy to see the two heroes as completely different. But a new foe in Gotham is highlighting the similarities between the Dark Knight and the Marvel Universe’s most lethal, gun-toting vigilante.
The final arc of Batman and Robin has introduced Cyrus Mercer, aka the Quiet Man. Cyrus is a former soldier who wanted to make one big score by selling reclaimed silver to the Falcones. However, the deal was botched by the Ventriloquist, who massacred almost everyone at the deal and caused Mercer to take the fall for the whole affair. But the Quiet Man isn’t out to get his revenge on the Ventriloquist for a deal gone wrong. There’s a wrinkle to Mercer’s past that highlights how eerily similar Batman and the Punisher are.
Robin Points Out That Batman and Punisher are the Same
In Batman and Robin #29 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Fico Ossio, Marcelo Maiolo, and Steve Wands, Arnold Wesker, aka the Ventriloquist, is backsliding into his old habits. He breaks into the GCPD storage and reclaims his old dummy, Scarface, and prepares to commit yet another massacre. Meanwhile, at Blackgate Penitentiary, Batman and Robin visit Mercer and let the Quiet Man know that he’s been used by Wesker’s split persona to help weaken Two-Face and Penguin’s forces. Batman has almost all of the pieces of the mystery, but doesn’t understand why Mercer blames Scarface for the death of Cyrus’s son.
Mercer reveals that after he came back from serving in the Army, he was a driver and would often take his son Alvin along for some of his hauls. One day while hunting, the two discovered an abandoned mine shaft, which is where Mercer found the silver he wanted to sell. After making the deal with Falcone, Alvin assisted with what was supposed to be an easy job. But when the bloodshed happened, Alvin was in his father’s truck that was littered with bullets. One of Falcone’s men took the truck, and Mercer never saw his son again.
After leaving Blackgate, there’s tension between Damian and Bruce. Batman still sees the Quiet Man as a murderer while Robin takes Mercer’s side. Batman pulls over and tells his son to say what he really wants to say. Robin points out that there are a lot of parallels between Mercer and Batman. Damian asks Batman to consider what would happen to a regular person who suffered through Bruce’s loss in Crime Alley, what would happen to someone who couldn’t travel and learn and turn themselves into something like Batman. It’s hard words, but Batman thanks his son for his candor.
Robin is Right, Batman Could Have Easily Become Punisher
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
I find it interesting how much of the Punisher there is in a character like Cyrus Mercer. A former soldier who wanted to do right by his family, only to lose everything and become a killing machine. But having him in this story really does do a great job of highlighting the differences and similarities between Batman and the Punisher. I mean, let’s be real, Damian makes a really good point when he’s calling out his old man. Bruce had a lot of advantages when he lost his parents in Crime Alley.
Frank Castle, on the other hand? He didn’t have the money or connections to travel the world. He couldn’t learn how to hone his anger and channel it into something greater. All he had was what he could easily get his hands on and use the skills he had as a vet to make the change he felt he needed to make in the world. While it doesn’t make what Batman went through any less traumatizing, it is important to recognize that without the things he had in his life, he very well could have ended up like the Punisher.
It’s good that he didn’t obviously, because Batman ended up being one of the greatest forces for good, while Punisher is despised by hero and villain alike. But it’s nice to see a little awareness in comics from time to time. We don’t need to fault Batman for having a system and privileges that Punisher didn’t. But without it, the truth is that without the advantages Bruce had, there wouldn’t be a Batman in the DCU. Just someone else, like the Quiet Man or Punisher. It’s not easy to speak truth to power, but good on Robin for doing so.
What do you think about Punisher and Batman’s similarities? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
