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NoOneSpecial writes...

So, I’m trying to understand something about Batman Incorporated. The League is sanctioned under the UN, so they operate, more or less, within the law, but the UN can limit what they do publicly.

The Team is not something the public or the UN is aware of, so they are off the books. I’m guessing the League consider the Team to be largely an internal matter amongst themselves and don’t want to drag the UN into it, since most of them as their own protégé they are training, and others are young heroes they want to help mentor. But by the end of Season 2, the League recognize the Team as equals and allow them to plan their own missions. Of course, they still work together, but the League no longer claims to be an authority figure over the Team. But does that mean the Team is no longer monitored by the League? And if so, that means they are not bound by the UN and they don’t seem to be during Season 3.

This brings up the issue with Batman Incorporated. Batman and other Leaguers decide to quit and continue to work together in secret since the UN is blocking them thanks to Luthor. Jefferson is not pleased by this or the fact they were still working with the League behind the scenes. But how is this any different than what the Team was doing? They go on covert missions and help the League behind the scenes, while the public is unaware of what they do, and they don’t have permission from the UN. A good example would be in Season 1, when they go on a mission to Bialya, where the League is not allowed to go. So, the League were already working around the UN by using the Team. So, why would it be an issue for the League to use Batman Incorporated in what is largely the same manner? What was the difference in Batman, Katana and Metamorpho infiltrating Santa Prisca for intel, when the Team did that very same thing as well?

Yes, there is the argument that they are being no better than the Light be adopting their methods, but wasn’t this part of the reason the Team was created in the first place? After Cadmus, they realized the bad guys are getting smarter on how they operate, so the Team would help level that playing field. And yes, Jefferson has a point when he says they shouldn’t be keeping secrets. But the League was also doing this when it kept the Watchtower hidden.

And minor thing, but didn’t the Reach Ambassador expose the Team to Secretary Tseng during the conversation with Captain Atom? And if he didn’t, why didn’t Lex expose them to further his antihero campaign?

Also, are the Team, well-known among, I guess I would say, the villain community? Black Manta obviously knows them and told Captain Boomerang. But the Team has been going nearly 10 years now. Wouldn’t some word of mouth have gotten around about their exploits?

Greg responds...

1. The Team is still monitored by the League. But they leave much of the running of it to the Team's older members. They aren't bound by U.N. restrictions but should be. It's a cheat because the U.N. as an organization is not officially aware of the Team's existence. The members of the U.N. who are, keep the secret for their own reasons.

2. In a way, it's not. One of the things that upsets Jeff is that nearly everyone was in the dark. Another is that Batman Inc. (which was never really their name - though Jeff's repetition of it started to stick) wasn't simply going on covert missions but was manipulating people and events. It's not the Santa Prisca mission that upsets Jeff. But the Brooklyn manipulations are an entire other story.

As Jeff stated, he sees a value in the Team's covert existence and missions - not for the sake of them being covert - but because it allowed the young heroes to learn and grow outside the spotlight.

As for how prominent the Team is within the super-villain community, it's a mixed bag.

Response recorded on November 08, 2021