Nolanverse Bruce/Jim: Devotion
Hi, everyone! The following essay contains spoilers for all three Nolanverse films. Enjoy the essay! :)
Nolanverse Bruce/Jim:
Devotion
By
BradyGirl_12
Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon have always shared a special relationship whether in the comics, TV, cartoons, or movies. In the Nolanverse set of films, they also radiate UST.
In the comics, Bruce and Jim share a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ relationship. Jim never asks who Batman is behind the mask and Batman never tells, but it’s a good bet that Jim knows or at least strongly suspects. Even discounting his daughter Barbara’s close relationship with the Bat-Family as Batgirl, Oracle, and now Batgirl again, he can put two-and-two together, but chooses to pretend not to.
In Nolanverse, he probably suspects, even with the scene at the end of The Dark Knight Rises showing his surprise as Bruce finally tells him. I prefer to think of that scene as just surprise at confirmation of his suspicions, but either way, there is a strong partnership there, as in all incarnations, but let’s look at Nolanverse and why you can slash them.
In Batman Begins, Jim is more of a junior partner but still a partner. Bruce chooses him as one of the few honest cops on the GCPD to start his quixotic crusade. Does he know that Jim is the cop who comforted him on that terrible night that his parents were murdered? I’d say yes, as chances are good he might have asked Alfred to find out his name or done it himself when he was older. There’s the first connection between them, powerful for both: for Bruce as he remembers that comfort on a night where his world crashed down around him and Jim because he remembers his aching sympathy for the little boy who witnessed such horrors.
The second is their devotion to Gotham. Bruce is willing to give his fortune, ancestral manse (opposing Ra’s got it burned down), health and happiness for the city. He even plans on giving his life at the end of The Dark Knight Rises.
Jim sacrifices career (stuck in the same grade of Sergeant because of his refusal to play along and become corrupt, where in other cities he could have a promotion and better pay), family (they leave him), health and conscience for Gotham.
In The Dark Knight, Jim saves Batman’s life, more equal as Police Commissioner now, and can implement Batman’s foolish plan to take the rap for Harvey Dent’s crimes.
In The Dark Knight Rises, Jim persuades Batman to return, pleading, “We were in this together.” The intensity of their bond causes Batman to hold Jim’s hand throughout this scene as Batman pours out his fears and doubts, but Jim believes in him. People say that Selina sparked his interest in leaving his seclusion, but Jim getting hurt was probably another factor. And Jim’s unattached now! ;)
This scene is nirvana for Bruce/Jim fans. The emphasis on togetherness, their shared crusade, and the hand-holding make it a delight to watch over and over again. Combined with Selina stealing his mother’s pearls and his fingerprints, Bruce is inspired to come out of retirement as a vulnerable, injured Jim pleads his case. How delighted were you to see Bruce back in action even if only rappelling down to Jim’s room from the exam room? While conventionally Selina is Bruce’s love interest in this movie, it’s almost as if Director Christopher Nolan layered in this motivation from Jim to parallel Selina’s.
Remember, when Bruce started his crusade in Batman Begins, he goes to Jim and utters the words, “Now we’re two” as it pertains to cleaning up the corruption in Gotham. Jim is right there at the start of the career of the Batman.
There is shared devotion to Gotham between Bruce and Jim along with shared adventures in all three films: Arkham Asylum and the mad dash to save Gotham from Ra’s insidious plot (Batman Begins), the battles against the Joker (The Dark Knight), and the fight against Bane and the Occupation (The Dark Knight Rises).
They come from totally different worlds: Bruce is the Prince of Gotham, a child of wealth and privilege, and Jim is blue-collar, working his way up the workday ladder of the GCPD. Yet they click immediately because of their shared dedication to Gotham.
So, in essence, they are good candidates for slash fans because of their mixture of similarities and differences.
Another reason? Bruce’s daddy issues: the loss of his father (his mother barely exists in Nolanverse, sad to say), the complex relationship he has with Alfred (Master/servant, father/son), Henri Ducard/Ra’s Al-Ghul (It’s my headcanon that he slept with Ra’s during training. That look they shared during one of the training scenes just screams “Get thee to my bed, acolyte!”), Lucius Fox, who supplies Bruce’s money (allowance) as CEO of Wayne Enterprises and his Bat-tech (toys) and finally, Jim Gordon, who comforted him on the night he lost his parents.
Their relationship makes sense and works for them. And Bruce isn’t just ‘settling’ for Jim. While myself and other authors happily ‘ship Smallville or Superman Returns Clark with Nolanverse Bruce, and there’s TDKR Selina to go with Bruce, Jim is an excellent choice, especially if you stick only to Nolanverse and don’t cross over to SV or SR.
The age difference makes them a little more intriguing. If Bruce was eight at the time of his parents’ murders (often the age given in canon), and Jim was a young patrolman (possibly a rookie or officer early in his career), that could make him 14-15 years older at the very least, or possibly older. At any rate, the May/December romance gives authors plenty of fuel: Jim can’t believe that the young, gorgeous Bruce Wayne could be attracted to a man so much older than him, or that the rich Prince would love a commoner like him. Angst aplenty! But on the flip side, Bruce can’t believe that Jim can love the ‘wastrel’ Bruce instead of the Batman.
Identity porn is another fun way to play with these two. Jim often falls in love with Batman first and must learn about the real Bruce, though an author could certainly twist it to write Jim falling for Bruce first.
Protectiveness is a big part of their relationship. Batman protects Jim on the streets and Jim returns the favor as we saw in The Dark Knight. Often it must feel like it’s just the two of them against the world.
Both are lonely men. Bruce lost Rachel after the Joker murdered her and Jim lost Barbara to separation and eventually divorce. By the time The Dark Knight Rises opens, both are exhausted, world-weary men, the weight of the world heavy on their bones.
There are so many possibilities! You can write them as men growing older but still loyal to each other, discovering each other in the twilight of their lives, or they declare their love to each other earlier in their relationship. You can stick to canon or diverge to whatever you want to explore.
Bruce and Jim share convictions, devotion to Gotham, and a strong partnership, a sure-fire formula for slashy goodness.
Besides, they’re incredibly sexy together! ;)
Notes: If you’re looking for more on this pairing, check out the Bruce/Jim comm, nowweretwo.
The tdkr-kink meme is active but is mostly dominated by the Bane/Blake pairing. Go, read, prompt and fill more Bruce/Jim!
I also highly recommend Sarren’s Revelations, one of the finest pieces of fanfic I have ever read and a fantastic introduction to the pairing if you’re new to it. If you’re not a newbie, you’ll love it even more!
Nolanverse Bruce/Jim:
Devotion
By
BradyGirl_12
Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon have always shared a special relationship whether in the comics, TV, cartoons, or movies. In the Nolanverse set of films, they also radiate UST.
In the comics, Bruce and Jim share a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ relationship. Jim never asks who Batman is behind the mask and Batman never tells, but it’s a good bet that Jim knows or at least strongly suspects. Even discounting his daughter Barbara’s close relationship with the Bat-Family as Batgirl, Oracle, and now Batgirl again, he can put two-and-two together, but chooses to pretend not to.
In Nolanverse, he probably suspects, even with the scene at the end of The Dark Knight Rises showing his surprise as Bruce finally tells him. I prefer to think of that scene as just surprise at confirmation of his suspicions, but either way, there is a strong partnership there, as in all incarnations, but let’s look at Nolanverse and why you can slash them.
In Batman Begins, Jim is more of a junior partner but still a partner. Bruce chooses him as one of the few honest cops on the GCPD to start his quixotic crusade. Does he know that Jim is the cop who comforted him on that terrible night that his parents were murdered? I’d say yes, as chances are good he might have asked Alfred to find out his name or done it himself when he was older. There’s the first connection between them, powerful for both: for Bruce as he remembers that comfort on a night where his world crashed down around him and Jim because he remembers his aching sympathy for the little boy who witnessed such horrors.
The second is their devotion to Gotham. Bruce is willing to give his fortune, ancestral manse (opposing Ra’s got it burned down), health and happiness for the city. He even plans on giving his life at the end of The Dark Knight Rises.
Jim sacrifices career (stuck in the same grade of Sergeant because of his refusal to play along and become corrupt, where in other cities he could have a promotion and better pay), family (they leave him), health and conscience for Gotham.
In The Dark Knight, Jim saves Batman’s life, more equal as Police Commissioner now, and can implement Batman’s foolish plan to take the rap for Harvey Dent’s crimes.
In The Dark Knight Rises, Jim persuades Batman to return, pleading, “We were in this together.” The intensity of their bond causes Batman to hold Jim’s hand throughout this scene as Batman pours out his fears and doubts, but Jim believes in him. People say that Selina sparked his interest in leaving his seclusion, but Jim getting hurt was probably another factor. And Jim’s unattached now! ;)
This scene is nirvana for Bruce/Jim fans. The emphasis on togetherness, their shared crusade, and the hand-holding make it a delight to watch over and over again. Combined with Selina stealing his mother’s pearls and his fingerprints, Bruce is inspired to come out of retirement as a vulnerable, injured Jim pleads his case. How delighted were you to see Bruce back in action even if only rappelling down to Jim’s room from the exam room? While conventionally Selina is Bruce’s love interest in this movie, it’s almost as if Director Christopher Nolan layered in this motivation from Jim to parallel Selina’s.
Remember, when Bruce started his crusade in Batman Begins, he goes to Jim and utters the words, “Now we’re two” as it pertains to cleaning up the corruption in Gotham. Jim is right there at the start of the career of the Batman.
There is shared devotion to Gotham between Bruce and Jim along with shared adventures in all three films: Arkham Asylum and the mad dash to save Gotham from Ra’s insidious plot (Batman Begins), the battles against the Joker (The Dark Knight), and the fight against Bane and the Occupation (The Dark Knight Rises).
They come from totally different worlds: Bruce is the Prince of Gotham, a child of wealth and privilege, and Jim is blue-collar, working his way up the workday ladder of the GCPD. Yet they click immediately because of their shared dedication to Gotham.
So, in essence, they are good candidates for slash fans because of their mixture of similarities and differences.
Another reason? Bruce’s daddy issues: the loss of his father (his mother barely exists in Nolanverse, sad to say), the complex relationship he has with Alfred (Master/servant, father/son), Henri Ducard/Ra’s Al-Ghul (It’s my headcanon that he slept with Ra’s during training. That look they shared during one of the training scenes just screams “Get thee to my bed, acolyte!”), Lucius Fox, who supplies Bruce’s money (allowance) as CEO of Wayne Enterprises and his Bat-tech (toys) and finally, Jim Gordon, who comforted him on the night he lost his parents.
Their relationship makes sense and works for them. And Bruce isn’t just ‘settling’ for Jim. While myself and other authors happily ‘ship Smallville or Superman Returns Clark with Nolanverse Bruce, and there’s TDKR Selina to go with Bruce, Jim is an excellent choice, especially if you stick only to Nolanverse and don’t cross over to SV or SR.
The age difference makes them a little more intriguing. If Bruce was eight at the time of his parents’ murders (often the age given in canon), and Jim was a young patrolman (possibly a rookie or officer early in his career), that could make him 14-15 years older at the very least, or possibly older. At any rate, the May/December romance gives authors plenty of fuel: Jim can’t believe that the young, gorgeous Bruce Wayne could be attracted to a man so much older than him, or that the rich Prince would love a commoner like him. Angst aplenty! But on the flip side, Bruce can’t believe that Jim can love the ‘wastrel’ Bruce instead of the Batman.
Identity porn is another fun way to play with these two. Jim often falls in love with Batman first and must learn about the real Bruce, though an author could certainly twist it to write Jim falling for Bruce first.
Protectiveness is a big part of their relationship. Batman protects Jim on the streets and Jim returns the favor as we saw in The Dark Knight. Often it must feel like it’s just the two of them against the world.
Both are lonely men. Bruce lost Rachel after the Joker murdered her and Jim lost Barbara to separation and eventually divorce. By the time The Dark Knight Rises opens, both are exhausted, world-weary men, the weight of the world heavy on their bones.
There are so many possibilities! You can write them as men growing older but still loyal to each other, discovering each other in the twilight of their lives, or they declare their love to each other earlier in their relationship. You can stick to canon or diverge to whatever you want to explore.
Bruce and Jim share convictions, devotion to Gotham, and a strong partnership, a sure-fire formula for slashy goodness.
Besides, they’re incredibly sexy together! ;)
Notes: If you’re looking for more on this pairing, check out the Bruce/Jim comm, nowweretwo.
The tdkr-kink meme is active but is mostly dominated by the Bane/Blake pairing. Go, read, prompt and fill more Bruce/Jim!
I also highly recommend Sarren’s Revelations, one of the finest pieces of fanfic I have ever read and a fantastic introduction to the pairing if you’re new to it. If you’re not a newbie, you’ll love it even more!