Now I have my own ideas about why Batman loves Gotham, but i'm wondering if there's ever been a story that tackles this question. In all the stories about Batman and Gotham that i have read, the implicit love Batman and the Wayne family in general has for Gotham seems to be a constant that no one ever questions. And to a point i get the inherent nature, their love for Gotham is akin to a New Yorker's love for New York. Growing up in those streets, seeped by the culture, the identity, the relationships, the memories, it is not hard to relate to that feeling of being proud of your home. I grew up in Vancouver, Canada and I know I fight for it. I can think of a hundred things that I love about this city, flaws and everything included, and how it was the backdrop to so much of my life. I've lived across the country, overseas, and elsewhere between my childhood and now but this place is still my home.

However, Bruce is a bit different. Martha and Thomas maybe had more of a tie with Gotham and it's people, but Bruce was a child that lived in a manor outside the major city limits. The city has done nothing for him save heartache and pain. Depending on the history you choose to follow, he even spends a huge chunk of his life away from Gotham, learning and growing, and building relationships on a global scale. Before returning to Gotham, he didn't have any friends in the city, no connections, no history; no fond memories, or pivotal influences on his character growth save the death of his family. For any other person, they would see Gotham as a place of bad memories, and even worse futures, not a place to champion. And as far as i know, no story thus far has extrapolated on Bruce's relationship with Gotham, and why he loves it so much (if there is let me know). It's always just implied that he does.

I have my own ideas about about why Batman chooses to fight for Gotham, but I'm wondering if DC has ever explored this side of Batman, delving into when and how he fell in love with this City. It's one of the few things that I have always felt was not explored about Batman's pathos, and what a missed opportunity it is. Imagine a series detailing Bruce's internal struggle about if he should abandon Gotham or not. Could be child Bruce, or just before he comes back. There's so much that can be done in this regard, hell I can think of a couple dozen right away. But regardless, I would love to read it. And if there's existing stories that do explore this, i'd like to read those too.