Common Loot

Suicide Squad is approaching quickly and while it seems that Rocksteady can’t seem to catch a break, there are so many others out there who are willing to sling hate for the sake of it. Sure, this is Kevin Conroy’s last performance as the caped crusader as he died November of 2022 so it is understandable that people are getting angry about the final cutscene that has since made its way onto Twitter. The angriest of folks are those who had no interest to play this game in any sort of way, so what is going on here?

I don’t want to say that I fully understand the complete emotions of those who are expressing their displeasure, but people (and bots) on social media tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Of course it makes sense that I have thoughts on this especially when it comes to understanding the narrative concepts that surround this game which has had nothing but an uphill battle.

When it comes to the scene, people have seemed to miss the subtitle of the game- Kill the Justice League. The premise is right there; therefore, I don’t understand why folks are surprised as the title is “The Suicide Squad,” something we are vastly familiar with. Not only have we two movies and a series of comics, but we also have the Harley Quinn show, and several Batman games that predate the Suicide Squad. The tone of this game has already been front loaded to the point where we understand that this is not a team of good guys.

So, taking the end that has been leaked and taking the context clues of the past, I have to ask- what the fuck did you expect? Do you think at any point of time these characters might show some sort of level of sympathy for the heroes we have come to love? And naturally, I have to ask, did you know that Batman has died before? So… what is up with this time?

The context of this scene where Batman is killed, as we are told we would be doing thanks to the title of the game, people say that it is rather insulting. To kill off a character like this does absolutely nothing. But, we are missing all sorts of context that could have been revealed during the rest of the game. There is a strong lack of proper narrative missing from that scene, so perhaps its just the fact that Batman dies is what bothers people. It doesn’t matter how it is set up or done, the fact that he’s dead doesn’t sit well with folks who have come to love him.

To be rather introspective, folks don’t like the scene not just because Batman is killed off, but because we are the ones who pulled the trigger. There are people who can’t make peace with the idea that Rocksteady simply gave us the tools, but we are the ones who ultimately made the decision to go along with the game and follow it to the dreary conclusion. Does that make us bad people? No, and it doesn’t make Rocksteady bad either, they are simply exploring a storyline that may pay off for the future of this franchise. 

Some figures have stated that it is actually how he is killed off- carelessly and without any sort of remorse. I’ll state that by the context clues we have, perhaps that is just the way they are. The Suicide Squad is a ragtag group of villains that come together to kill the Justice League, and that seems like exactly what they are going to do here. It makes sense that in the end you actually kill them. I have to hammer this concept in over and over again because people have this falsehood ingrained that what they see isn’t what they believe in their heart. 

There is a level of disassociation when it comes to accepting the media for what it is. People can’t accept the death of Batman because it goes against every single thought they have of him. Heroes in general are not allowed to die and move on because these heroes mean more than the ink they are drawn with. They give people hope and strength. There are many times where we quote the great lines of these superheroes as a way to cope with whatever situation comes. 

Seeing how a hero could be killed off sends a bad message to those who thought they were invulnerable, but people also forget the lessons that the writers tried to employ to the readers. After all, Batman himself said “A hero can be anyone,” and we have seemed to forget this especially considering some of the other heroes within this DC universe. Batman isn’t the only hero,  but he’s certainly one of the best- and that is why everyone has such a hard time overcoming this. There is a deep emotional connection to a character that rarely shows any sort of emotion besides the need for justice and general poor mental health. Perhaps we see a bit of ourselves in the hero, trying to balance our lives in ways that seem absolutely incomprehensible. 

There is another aspect to this though, something more realistic. With the passing of Kevin Conroy, the famous actor who gave Batman his iconic voice, passed away November 10th, 2022 from intestinal cancer. People see that killing off Batman so relentlessly as a slight against the memory of the beloved actor. Unfortunately, we are never going to know what Kevin Conroy thought of this scene as he read the script. Did he feel like he was the only one to voice Bruce Wayne and take the role based on obligation? Did he hate it? Or perhaps he took it knowing his health situation and decided that perhaps this was the best way to say goodbye? No one is ever really going to know for sure. Maybe the people closest to him, but acting out of his general interests while he can’t defend himself or say anything validating the decision is in bad taste. 

Back in 2021, there was a situation where folks were using Terry Pratchett to promote anti-trans rhetoric, using quotes and situations from his book out of context to besmirch the name of the famous writer. Those who were keenly aware of his works and personality came to his defense including his daughter. People taking Terry Pratchett’s words to convey something else entirely different was a huge issue at that time, one that has flown under a lot of radars, and brought forth a concept of validating one’s own ideals by taking the dead’s words to accurately push their agenda since the writer couldn’t ever defend themselves. We are kinda seeing something oddly similar when it comes to Kevin Conroy, and it is best to let him and his spirit rest before we start making wild claims in either direction. 

Whether or not you agree with the character death, the concept to which this is explored has yet to be fully unraveled and we have plenty of time to explore this thematic end to the character as well as the inevitable rebirth. After all, this isn’t the only time Batman has died. 2022’s Gotham Knights also dove into the death of Batman within the first few minutes of the game, leaving off with a questionable ending that made folks really wonder if he was really dead or not. 

Either way, if this story crafted by Rocksteady is the core timeline that separates itself from the standard canon provided to us by the Arkham series, then we have a lot of ground to cover. Perhaps heroes are really dead and we shall no longer invoke the name of Kevin Conroy. Maybe we get experiences to explore the other characters and see a real Gotham that has to move on without our caped crusader. There is so much potential to come out of this single event- to pass the torch in a way that is more definitive and irreversible. Batman can’t always be around to save the day. Sometimes people need to learn their own way to become the hero that lives within each of their hearts- and ours.

After all, one day we are all going to be gone too. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ever stop living and exploring our own potential within this life. It can be tough and difficult to navigate at times but as long as we keep finding motivation in the heroes and media that we love, we can take their lessons and apply them to ourselves; pushing through the hard times. At the very least, may we have the strength to find help when we need it. In the words of the late, great David Bowie, “We can be heroes, just for one day.”