Batman killing criminals in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is nothing new. The hero's decision to repeatedly break his one rule was, and still is, a major point of criticism in the film. People have posted videos examining everyone he's killed or the different martial arts styles he used, but today we have something a little different. Not only does the video below provide a more personal headcount of each of Batman's kills but it also attempts to explain WHY he kills and why it was so decisive for fans.
This video comes from YouTuber Folding Ideas, who took it upon himself to catalog the various action scenes in which Batman kills his enemies. All the big set pieces are there, from the Batmobile chase to the famous warehouse scene where Batman unloads over 30 years worth of mommy issues on some unsuspecting criminals. Excluded from the video is the Knightmare sequence due to the scene being a hallucination (maybe; who knows what's going on there) and Batman isn't actually killing people in the present day.
Some of these figures have to be guessed for the more ambiguous deaths, but the number is still fairly high. Arguably the best example of Batman's brutality against criminals is the warehouse fight, hands down the best action sequence in the movie. Folding Ideas breaks down the scene using an immensely helpful labeling system to keep track of all the goons. As it turns out, punching someone so hard into the floor that the wood breaks will probably kill that person.
What this video really does to set itself apart is the analysis at the last three minutes. The video is also concerned with explaining why this version of Batman kills and why people, in the end, may need to accept it. As the editor points out, the viewer needs to look at the version of Batman (or any adaptation of any character for that matter) not through their own lens, but the lens of the film. How Batman is supposed to be is different for everyone, and no creator can possibly cater to everyone. We can argue if Batman should or shouldn't kill for eternity but in the end, it only matters if it's justified in the world of the film.
The editor also makes a point of laying out how different people viewed Ben Affleck's take on the Dark Knight. The views of a fan, critic and studio executive are going to differ greatly from each other. In the end, I would say that Batman killing does not work in BvS only because it is not properly set up in the movie. There is never one point in the film where Batman killing is addressed. It's there because it's cool. It's a non-issue to the film when it could have played a huge thematic importance in both the redemption of Batman at the end and his relationship and differences to Superman throughout it. But that's just how I see it.
Fortunately, Batman is on the path to redemption, and we'll see where it takes him in Justice League, which hits theaters on November 17, 2017.
