Okay, getting this out of the way, I don't think Batman crushes all independence and demeans every attempt at self-empowerment at all:)

But much more interesting to me is the 'whatever happens in this world happens for a reason' story reasoning route. It's not weird Babs relates it to getting shot--we've seen her relate plenty of things to her getting shot but I think it's extra weird to see it as relating it to her shooting and to Bruce's loss. 'Sometimes our only comfort is believing there *IS* no chance'? What? But that's her--or what they've assigned for her as an outlook. (Is no chance for her? Really?) It's not Buce's outlook. He comforted himself another way. Weird. Interesting, though!