Batman has been the ultimate symbol of justice for as long as many of us have even been alive, declaring war on crime and possibly the criminally insane. One of the Caped Crusader’s most famous attributes is his arsenal of gadgets, the likes of which millions of us have longed to own. Who are we kidding? We still would love a go in the Batmobile! Let’s also not forget his signature Bat-signal, a shining beacon of hope. Its iconic design offering comfort for the citizens of Gotham as it signals to Batman that crime is afoot.
Or does it?
According to a recent fan theory, it’s possible that the Bat-signal is not actually meant for the billionaire detective after all. A post on Reddit speculates that it’s actually meant for the criminals themselves.
Think about it: what are the chances that Batman will even see the signal? He spends a lot of his time in the Batcave so how likely is he to see it in time to stop a potential criminal? The commenter theorizes that the signal instead acts as a warning to would-be ne’er-do-wells who are looking to lose sight of their morals (we couldn’t have made that sentence any posher if we tried).
Here’s the post in full:
Think about it? It seems ineffective to call on a vigilante by shining a light in the sky. There is a huge chance he won’t see it, or notice it in time for the crime to still be stopped. My theory is that the bat signal itself doesnt actually apply to batman, but rather it is a warning to criminals, like saying “we called him, nows your chance to drop everything, go home, and turn your life around”, and there is a silent alarm mechanism within the signal that sends a signal directly to batman’s computers Also, Epstein didnt kill himself
It actually makes sense, and the theory goes further by suggesting that if Batman can’t see the signal, perhaps there’s a “silent alarm mechanism” within the Batcave that alerts him as well. If true, that means the Bat-signal is nothing more than a bright finger pointing at Gotham’s crooks in a “we can see what you’re doing” kind of way.
And while some may argue against this, we’ve definitely heard worse theories. Like the one that says Batman is actually Joker’s brother.