Can Bruce forgive Jason and apologize?

At this point I feel like it may be the only way to change things between them.


Despite what some think no--I don't believe Bruce actually forgave Jason. No matter what his relationship with someone is he treats loss with respect. Bruce knows Roy was a close friend of Jason's. He still exiled Jason from Gotham. There are multiple problems with Bruce right now and he's not even willing to question Jason on his actions he just sees himself as right. He even admits that technically Jason didn't break their deal but he's still counting it for the attempt.

Unfortunately I don't see Bruce forgiving Jason unless he understands why he shot Penguin. Except for the possibilities of Bruce running into Willis or asking Jason there are two possible ways he could learn the truth. The long shot of Faye Jr. having read the letters and telling him or Penguin doing it for kicks. (Ma Gunn knows but she's on another Earth.) Otherwise all they have to go on is Jason pestering Penguin for awhile and talking to Alfred about his doubts that their methods are working.

Jason himself has no reason to explain himself at present. If Bruce kept Willis' "death" from him like in old canon it would be something of a sore subject despite previously disliking his dad. It's extremely personal, Bruce already stated that no reason was good enough for (attempted) murder when they made their deal and Jason obviously feels bad for the fall out of his choice. Telling his side in his eyes would be moot.

I think Bruce would be more sympathetic if he heard about Willis' story. Parental loss is another soft spot for Bruce. It's not like he didn't make some rash decisions because of his own loss. (Random example: when he gave a dying Ra's Al Ghul the location of a Lazarus Pit for a potion that would allow him to speak with his parents spirits.)

I don't think Jason should forgive Bruce for awhile but he seems to be feeling guilty about everything.

As for Bruce apologizing...that may be more difficult. Even at times when it's clear he is the only one in the wrong he avoids actually saying the words. Take one of my favorite exchanges with Booster Gold for example.

Superman: That's enough. Blame will be laid later.
Booster Gold: ...Who are you kidding? No, it won't... He'd have to admit he was wrong first.

Booster is calling Batman out for his ego and inability to own up to his mistakes. Just before this Batman tells them that his spy satellite Brother Eye was stolen which has Booster make a sarcastic remark about people calling him irresponsible. It turns out Ted Kord was killed due to a series of events linked with Brother Eye. The satellite almost killed Booster and Bruce had refused to help Ted just prior to his death. Did Booster ever get an apology for Batman's actions? Nope. Bruce tries to make amends for his mistakes, to show through action that's he's sorry.

But in Jason's case he may need to verbalize it.

Jason was beaten badly by his adopted father and a month later Bruce is acting like nothing major happened. That Jason has just needed "the occasional kick in the ass" as if making Jason unable to move on his own for three weeks was no big deal. Bruce knows something is wrong with Jason just based off of the way he acts when talking about Roy's death. I don't think an apology will happen unless Bruce realizes his own role in Jason's depression.

Do I think Bruce is solely to blame for that? No but he did a lot of harm to Jason that only made his feelings of isolation and self hate worse. His solution to "helping" Jason was going to be locking him up with his enemies. Sanctuary was never on the table. Bruce doesn't seem to know what to do with Jason and usually goes with the extreme option. Jason acted out on his emotion and regretted it. Bruce acted out on his emotion and doesn't seem to see the problem.

There's been A LOT of miscommunication between the two and Bruce's actions aren't easy for Jason to understand. Bruce thinks Jason understood that he loved him like a son in Hush but as we see in UTH that isn't the case. Bruce replaced him with another Robin and never avenged him. From Jason's POV it looks like he wasn't all that important. After being beaten by Bruce he thinks he's hated, Bruce says otherwise but what he's saying doesn't match up with his brutal actions. Jason is treated as the only one that was in the wrong. Bruce doesn't even seem remorseful of what he did so why would Jason think he's being genuine?

Woods has hinted that Jason has a death wish and, depending on how much canon Lobdell wants to use from DITF, this is familiar ground for Bruce. He previously described Jason in that story as "someone looking to die." Jason's desperation for family led him to run away from home and Bruce didn't really handle the situation well. In order for Bruce to stop Jason from getting hurt further or killed he might need to spell things out for Jason and improve himself. Otherwise nothing will change except how much it harms Jason.