Scans_Daily

I seem to remember the Bruce Wayne of Batman Beyond to be much more human than this. Hardened due to tragedy, yes, but still caring in his own way. He put his life on the line to help Terry multiple times in the series. In Return of the Joker, he kicked Terry out as Batman in an attempt to protect him. Old man Wayne was a hardass, but I never got the feeling that he didn't care about the people around him. If anything, him caring about them was what led him to become more distant - he realized that his presence as Batman had eventually harmed them all. Bruce would distance himself from Dick after that event, but more out of a sense of, "I've got to keep away from the kid for his own good," rather than, "I'm going to strip him out of his costume and leave him for the paramedics and never admit to making a mistake."

Also, this flashback makes no sense to me in the comic's own internal continuity. Why does the Joker kidnap Alfred of all people? Why is the Joker still alive post-Robin, since the book already established that Return of the Joker happened? And why is Dick even mentioning Alfred without explaining who he is, since Terry likely doesn't know anything about Alfred?