Well, defining in the sense of "you know who I am, REALLY know." But that's about it. It's an acknowledgment of a degree of trust.

I have no recent comics canon under my belt. If I have any, it's been forgotten over the ~25 years since I read a comic, so pardon my talking out of what is most assuredly my arse.

That said, wouldn't that be the moment when he's at his most fully integrated? I've always taken him to be a headcase, and in a Dustin Hoffman-all-method-all-the-time way. Civilian Bruce has a secret, and so adopts a metaphorical mask. Batman has a secret, and wears a literal mask. BruceMan in suit without cowl--that's when he can be fully himself, and not pretend he's not Bruce, and not pretend he's not Batman.

I don't think being fully integrated is a defining characteristic of this guy.

When he's Batman, he's not pretending anything.

I don't think being fully integrated is a defining characteristic of this guy.

Two-face seems to have it together a lot better than Batman does, some times.

I think it's meaningful to Bruce, and I think that the Batcrew gets that it's meaningful to Bruce, but I think the Batcrew still sees no difference (or very very very little) between cowl on and cowl off.

Oh, I think the Batcrew see a difference with the cowl off, if only because if they already know his ID, that almost always means, "Shit, Bruce wants to talk about his EMOTIONS."

The big goon. (Of course, now I'm picturing the Batcrew's eyes getting a little bit wide and darting back and forth in search of an escape route when Bruce reaches for the cowl, and the thought is making me giggle.)

I think that the Batcrew gets that it's meaningful to Bruce, but I think the Batcrew still sees no difference (or very very very little) between cowl on and cowl off.

Oh, I think the Batcrew see a difference with the cowl off, if only because if they already know his ID, that almost always means, "Shit, Bruce wants to talk about his EMOTIONS."

We're saying the same thing here, I think.

(Of course, now I'm picturing the Batcrew's eyes getting a little bit wide and darting back and forth in search of an escape route when Bruce reaches for the cowl, and the thought is making me giggle.)

Didn't they do this when Bruce actually *apologized* in Fugitive?

All the Batbooks I've read haven't explicitly shown Bruce and Selina either getting into bed or out of bed, but I'm assuming they have had Teh Sex, yes?

"Shit, Bruce wants to talk about his EMOTIONS."

snerk. giggle. BWAH!

We're saying the same thing here, I think.

Not quite. I get the impression that there are times when the crew want him to take the damn cowl off and talk to them, especially the older members. I think you're correct for Cass and Tim, but not for Dick, Babs, and Selina. Which could just be an indication of how much more Bat he's become over the years.

All the Batbooks I've read haven't explicitly shown Bruce and Selina either getting into bed or out of bed, but I'm assuming they have had Teh Sex, yes?

Yeah, they've had Teh Sex.

Or so one would gather from Bruce coming to her apartment, her serving him coffee, then in the next panel, her waking up naked-but-for-a-blanket on the couch, (It's not a long couch. I don't understand why they didn't use the bed. He's 6'2". Yes, I'm still hung up on this.) two coffee cups on the table next to her, and a note from Bruce that he had to leave as you see the Batsignal in the background.

(Or from Bruce saying he had an early meeting as Bruce, so he'd just stay there. Which is I think what he said in the last issue of Catwoman.)

but he's still the same guy.

I think with the mask on he is selling the Bat persona. He's in character. With the cowl off in the Batcave, he's Mission Oriented. He becomes Batman to do his job. It's just the persona has been bleeding into his person for a long time now.