You know what might be interesting? All of you comic book fans will probably jump on me for this, already knowing five versions of the thing I’m about to say should exist, but here goes:
It might be interesting to learn that Bruce Wayne’s father was some kind of vigilante himself. Maybe not in a tights-and-gadgets capacity, but with all the money the Waynes have, he’s likely to have funded and overseen some kind of vigilante group. He seems (at least from his short appearance in Batman Begins) to be a forthright kind of guy.
In fact, I’m reminded vaguely of that Batman cartoon that was on for a while, Batman Beyond. That’s the one where Bruce Wayne is retired, but some high-schooler takes on the role of the new modern-age Batman, funded by Wayne himself. I think a pre-Batman story might be interesting in this regard.
Note that if you know of such a story and start quoting issues of such-and-such a comic, I will simply start to nod and gaze dreamily off into space. What you’ve really got to do is drop a graphic novel in my lap.
