Warning: Spoilers for DC’s Spring Breakout #1!Out of all the mentors who he’s learned from, Fred Astaire may be the most unexpected for Batman. It’s no secret that Bruce Wayne is one of the more well-traveled heroes in DC when it comes to honing his skills. From Ra’s al Ghul to Santa Claus, Batman has had countless mentors from all across the globe to teach him the skills necessary to guard Gotham.
One mentor who trains Batman indirectly by way of Mr. Freeze’s wife is Golden Globe Award-winning actor Fred Astaire, as revealed in DC Spring Breakout #1’s “Cold Feet” by Thomas Krajewski, Wes St. Claire, Ivan Plascencia, and Tom Napolitano. Batman is able to tie some dancing lessons he learned as a child into combat lessons.
For all the skills that Batman has acquired from different masters all over the world, it was those of a tap dancer that prove the deciding factor in a fight with Mr. Freeze.
Fred Astaire Helps Batman Beat Mr. Freeze
Tying Dancing with Fighting
The story takes place at a time when Mr. Freeze crashes the 40th annual Wayne Manor Spring Ball and appears to apprehend Batman faster and easier than usual. Batman doesn’t look worried, though. In fact, he’s outright laughing in Freeze’s face. When asked what’s so funny, Batman recalls a childhood memory of when he was at the 20th annual Wayne Spring Ball, held not long after the death of his parents. Young Bruce is not in a mood to dance until a woman approaches him. That woman is soon revealed to be Freeze’s wife, Nora, long before she succumbs to illness.
Nora teaches a young Bruce the biggest trick to dancing: that every dance has a leader and a follower. Specifically, the leader offers subtle signals to the follower, small nudges even to guide them in the direction the leader wants them to move in. Bruce recalls having such a good time, that he was too busy dancing like a pro, feeling like Fred Astaire, to realize he was being led. He then explains to Freeze that in this scenario, he’s literally led him astray. Once Freeze realizes that Batman has led him into a trap, he’s quickly defeated.
Batman Uses Dance Techniques to Understand Fighting
Every Fight Has a Leader and a Follower
A correlation between fighting and dancing isn’t an obvious connection to make, but it makes perfect sense how Batman explains it. Every punch, kick, and misdirect takes a certain level of strategy and timing that isn’t unlike the way that someone leads while dancing. It certainly proves fruitful for Batman in this scenario as he is able to lead (or, rather, mislead) Mr. Freeze exactly where he wants him to be. It’s ironic that Mr. Freeze’s downfall comes from lessons that his wife taught Batman, and even more ironic that those same lessons made Fred Astaire a superstar.
DC Spring Breakout
#1
is on sale now from DC Comics.
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
- Created By
- Bob Kane , Bill Finger
- Alias
- Bruce Wayne
- Alliance
- Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
- Race
- Human
- FIRST APP
- Detective Comics #27 (1939)