After Bruce diagnoses Clark's mental problems, and then mentions Batman, Incorporated, Clark chuckles, noting the irony of Bruce "the loner" forming a network of Batmen, and then asks:
Do you ever worry about the fact that you've got so many others following in your footsteps? About your responsibility to them?
Good question--and one that Batman flat out ignores, instead repeating his standard rationale for Batman, Incorporated (and hinting that Superman should consider a "whole squad of Superman"--a version of which we saw a couple issues ago, of course).
So what about it--what responsibility does Bruce bear for the members of Batman Inc.? There have been plenty of stories, not just in the Batman canon but throughout superhero comics, in which average Joe or Jane puts on tights and a cape in an attempt to emulate their favorite hero. These stories usually end with an adm0nishing message of "I admire the intent, citizen, but leave it to the pros" speech from the hero (if the wanna-be hero doesn't learn that lesson himself or herself). Certainly heroes can't be held responsible for people who freely choose to take up heroing out of inspiration, though they should certainly try to discourage this activity when they can. (Remember Steve Rogers' reluctance to endorse the Young Avengers--and they had some idea what they were doing!)
But there's a crucial difference with Batman, Incorporated: Bruce is recruiting and approving his international allies himself, "licensing" only those he judges worthy of carrying the mantle through a rigorous proces of testing and quality control. While our first thought is of the tremendous honor bestowed on the Bat-chosen--I'm waiting to be the Batman of New Jersey myself--Bruce is also saddling them with tremendous responsibility, such as living up to the legacy of Batman, as well as the dangers that come with the job, such as the stark raving loonies that that legacy attracts. Perhaps that's what Supes meant by responsibility--not only to face the evil that a Batman finds (and attracts), but also to have the same dedication that the original Batman has always had, which has driven him to some fairly extreme decisions and actions. What happens when the Batman of Brazil, or Egypt, or Laos, or Norway tries to push himself (or herself) to the extremes that Bruce has, but fails--and fails big?
And Superman didn't even mention another relevant aspect of responsibility here--Bruce's responsibility to the people of the world whom he presumes to protect with his new "army." It's one thing for him to protect Gotham and take personal responsibility for anything that goes wrong, but by sanctioning Batmen around the world, all of whom wear some version of his symbol (his "brand"), he's implicitly taking responsibility for their actions as well. It's almost like his private version of the Superhuman Registration Act that kicked off the Civil War over on Earth-616: Batman is "registering" heroes around the world, giving them resources and support, but also assuming responsibility for them. Batman, Incorporated is an entity now, and all roads lead back to Bruce Wayne (both as Batman v1.0 and the organization's source of funding).
It is quite an interesting perspective on Batman Inc. Check out the entire article at Comics Professor
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