BruAce

BruAce is the friendship between Bruce Wayne and Ace the Bat-Hound from the DC Comics and DC Animated Universe fandoms.

Comics
Ace's first ever appearances in the DC universe was in Batman #92 (1955). Batman and Robin saw a dog drowning in the river, and rescued it, bringing him back to the Batcave. The collar around the dog's neck revealed that he has an owner, but with no tag to tell them who he belongs to, Bruce sends out a newspaper add with the dog's photo in hopes that his owner would see it. Knowing that they can't give away the Batcave's location, Batman has the newspaper announcement to be listed under Bruce Wayne. Due to the photo of the dog in the papers and the distinctive mark on his forehead, a black mask was made for the German Shepherd after he jumped into the Batmobile while the Dynamic Duo were leaving the cave. Robin had also made the dog a bat emblem as a dog tag for his collar, as he felt that he and Batman needed to keep the dog's "truce Identity" safe, along with ensuring that no one uses the dog to link Batman to Bruce. The dog is then dubbed Bat-Hound after he helps Batman and his partner stop criminals. As much as Batman and Robin had grown close to Bat-Hound, they returned him to his true owner, John Wilker; along with them learning that Bat-Hound's real name is Ace.

Since then, Batman would borrow Ace from Wilker whenever he and Robin need assistances on cases that requires stealth and tracking that Bat-Hound can provide them with. One of Ace's missions with them was of him pretending to track Batman down when he became a wanted fugitive. Once the case is closed Batman would return Ace back to his owner. Ace gets placed in Batman's care again when Wilker travelled to Europe and then allows Batman to keep him after he got a new job that would prevent him from looking after his dog. Making Ace an official, fulltime member of the Bat-Family.

Prime Earth
In the Rebirth universe that has Ace's origin story be rewritten, he ends up being owned and named by the Joker since he was a pup, before meeting Batman as a full-grown dog. This is why Ace, as one of the Joker's attack dogs, attacked Batman when they first met, before he ends up being abandoned and then sent to the pound. The two meet again two days later when Alfred adopts Ace despite the warning of the dog's mistreatment that would have him being unfit to be a pet. Watching Alfred trying to tame the dog is what gets Bruce to bond with Ace, despite who the dog's previous owner was. He could tell that Ace's aggresses behaviour was due to "wounds" that don't heal, just as he is still "wounded" by the murder of his parents. Eventually Ace responded to the command "Sit!" Along with Ace showing concerns for Brace and staying by his side when he returned to the Batcave with a knife wound. It was revealed at Christmas Alfred had adopted Ace to be a gift to Bruce, just as Bruce's Christmas gift to Ace was a mask he joked about the dog possibly wearing it at Halloween as "Bat-Hound." Bruce's gift to Ace also references the Bat-Hound mask that the original version of Ace once wore. Hinting that the bond they shared in the original universe could still be there.

When Alfred was killed by Bane and Bruce fell into despair over his death, as he no longer had Alfred to help him with the pain of loss and was considering ending it all, Ace was there to pick his owner back up. Showing the strong bond between canine and owner, as Ace sensing the pain Bruce was in was, while he was playing with him and Titus, was what allowed him to help his owner through it. Bruce made sure to bring Ace, as well as Damian's animals, with him when he left the manor.

Batman: Urban Legends
One of the stories in the Urban Legends comic series focuses on Batman and Ace in "Hounded." Batman's monologue references a dog's bond with its owner, as well as his bond with Ace. From how the story has a flashback of four years earlier on the night Batman found Ace abandoned by the Joker and showed sighs he had seen with dogs from underground dog fights, and because he knew that the dog would be put down if he were to turn him over to a shelter, he decided to take him home. Without asking for help from Alfred, Bruce shows Ace kindness and helps him with the scars from his past over the previous year before the events of the story. Bruce understands that Ace found a home in the pain he suffered, along with how scary and alone it can be to step into the light from spending too much time in darkness.

The story begins on a night Batman brings Ace along on portal and got word on a hostage situation, he decides to track them down with small as he turns to Ace in the Batmobile. Ace helps Batman to fight the criminals who got in their way and thanks his four-legged partner for being a good dog, long with Batman's monologue referencing Ace as a partner he can trust. When one of the thugs called Ace "Bat-Dog" Batman told him to not call Ace that, from how it sounds similar to "Bad Dog." The two continue to showcase themselves as an affected team, as well as Ace being a well-trained dog for Batman's line of work. Batman trusts Ace to find the hostages while he takes care of the gunner men, only to learn too late that it was all a trap. Batman reaches out for his unconscious dog before everything fades to black. Leaving the two defenceless as their captors separate them.

With a restrained and guarded Batman being too injured and weak to free himself on his own, it was up to Ace and the animals he freed to find and rescue his owner. Just as Batman hasn't found a door-less room he couldn't escape from, there isn't a cage that Ace cannot break himself out of. When Batman was moved to another location he thought about Ace and felt that he needed to tell his dog that he is sorry for bringing him into his war, from not knowing where Ace is or if he was alright or not. While Ace began his search for Batman by returning to the place they were captured in order to find clues to his whereabouts. Luckily Ace found the injured Batman just in time before two thugs were about to restrain him for the Joker, who "bout" him. After the room exploded and Batman was too weak to move his legs, he tells Ace to leave him along with Ace's former owner, the Joker ordering the dog to come back to him. Ace choose Batman over the Joker, as he refuses to leave him and was able to find a way to get him out of the burning building. Later at the manor a patched-up Bruce helped Ace's new animal friends to find a loving owner or to be sent down out into the wild where they can be free. Along with both Bruce and Ace being happy to be together again and went back home.

Batman Beyond
Bruce and Ace met in Crime Alley when Bruce went there to lay white roses in the alleyway he watched his parents dye, before the Jokerz thug he encountered tried to attack him again. This got Ace to attack the clown thug in order to save old man, who then saves the dog after the Jokerz member injured him. Not wanting to leave an injured dog alone in the cold of winter, Bruce brings him back to his car and then takes him to a veterinary emergency hospital. With both Bruce and Ace desiring companionship, along with there being no one to claim Ace, Bruce decided to adopt the dog as his faithful guard dog and companion in his lonely manor. Since many of the people Bruce was close with had either died or cut ties with him. The flashback events of "Ace in the Hole" revealed that Ace also had a tough childhood and was groomed to be mean, but he is kind to those he likes and can trust, making him and Bruce not so different to one another.

When Terry McGinnis became the new Batman in Bruce's place, he would sometimes lend Ace to Terry whenever he needs his help. Like using Ace's strong sense of small to track down criminals. Along with keeping Ace at stand by in Bruce's car encase danger should arise when he is out. Like when the Royal Flush Gang were about to kill Bruce and Ace jumped out of the car, under Bruce's orders to protect his owner from them, while Bruce set down to take his meds knowing that Ace can handle them until the Tomorrow Knight arrives. Ace would even fight the dangers that find their way into the Batcave, in order to protect his owner. As it was Ace fighting Man-Bat Terry that allowed Brace the time he needed to cure him.

Bruce gets an idea of the hardships Ace went through after Terry lost him when the dog saw his former owner. Who was arrested for legal dog fights. To Terry Bruce didn't appear to worry about Ace, from how he tells the teen that Ace is a resourceful dog. Deep down and after Terry left the room, Bruce showed concern for his dog and wanted to ensure that Ace would never suffer the pain he went through under that dog fighter again. Luckily Terry was able to find Ace and bring home to Bruce, who was happy to have his canine companion again. As much as Ace was happy to be reunited with the owner who cares about him.

Moments
Krypto the Superdog
 * When Krypto calls Ace Batman's pet, Bat-Hound informs Superdog that he is Batman's partner than a "pet."
 * Even though Ace almost calls Batman his "Master," before Krypto helps Ace to correct himself.
 * Ace thinking of himself as Batman's four-legged partner than a pet is why he didn't like the way Krypto nearly called Bruce Wayne Ace's owner, when he brought the powerless Superdog to a warehouse that is owned by Wayne in "Bat Hound for a Day."

Justice League Action
 * Batman has Ace serve as a protective precaution of intruders at the watch tower in "Best Day Ever." After Bat-Hound brings Batman a torn piece of the Joker's clothing, his owner tells him "well done." This has Ace respond with wagging his tail, while sitting stoically.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold
 * Batman whistles for Ace's assistance in "Legends of the Dark Mite!," after Cat-Man realised the rare Sumatran Tiger to attack him. To reword Ace for fighting the tiger and chasing Cat-Man up a tree, Batman gives him a bat dog biscuit that Ace happily eats, before wagging his tail.
 * When Batman returned to the cave after ditching Bat-Mite, he gets greeted by Ace and tells the masked dog of the trouble he went through with his crazy dimensional super-fan. Until he saw a second Ace and realised that he was talking to Bat-Mite who was disguised as Bat-Hound.
 * This is why he made sure that he was with the real Ace after Bat-Mite sent him back to the cave.

Fanon
Due to a few known versions of Ace in the DC universe and media, it got a small group of fans view him as the dog version of Batman, just as Krypto is the canine counterpart of his owner Superman. Since dogs and other types of pets are said to reflect upon their owners. Similar to how Krypto is Superman's best four-legged friend, Ace is seen as Batman's. Due to how the golden age mainstream comics only had Ace appear as Bat-Hound for a view issues, along with how the Rebirth series had Ace as the Joker's dog before ending up in Bruce's care, it has fans focus on the Batman Beyond series. That was one of Ace's first on screen appears beside Bruce, in a descent number of episodes, long before DC League of Super Pets came out and featured a few scenes that made Ace the ideal pet for Batman before they meet one another in the 2022 film. Even though the Batman: The Animated Series spinoff also got a few Beyond fans to feel that Ace was being shared between Bruce and Terry McGinnis. Making Ace Terry's canine partner and friend than just Bruce's guard dog and loyal companion.

Due to the metahuman Ace Batman sat with until she dies in the flashback events of the Justice League Unlimited episode, "Epilogue", it got fans to wonder if DCAU Bruce had in fact named his dog Ace after her. Making the name choice both sentimental and sweet, along with there have been times in the Batman Beyond series where Ace has served as Bruce or Terry's ace-in-the-hole when he goes full attack dog on their enemies on the field. People also found Ace's role in the series to be sweet, from how he was Bruce's only company in his lonely manor after Alfred died while losing ties with the rest of his Bat-family.

Even though four of the Robins get their own dogs in the comics, Ace is seen as the main dog in the Bat-family. This is why Ace is sometimes included in Batfam fanart, is placed in a few official artwork on them, as well as be featured in Bat-Family moments in the comics. Along with these facts being the reasons why fans like to think of Ace as a member of this DC hero family or simply their mascot. From being an animal than a person like the rest of Bat family members are. Ace being seen as the canine member of the Bat-Family can even have this DC friendship be viewed as a familyship as well.

Fandom

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Trivia

 * Due to writers wanting to keep Batman dark and bruiting, since dogs tend to bring out people's softer side, Ace was written out of the comics before returning in Batman Beyond. Along with Ace being returned to the comics in the Rebirth universe series.
 * In Super-Pet stories, like the Krypto the Superdog cartoon, Ace is given a Batman-like mask, cape and his own utility belt, to make him look like his owner. From how each super pet has the same powers as their owners or simply have a similar color scheme to them.
 * There have also been times when Ace is featured to be dark, bruiting and stoic like Batman, rather than playful and friendly like Krypto.
 * Unlike Super-Dog, Ace as appeared as different breeds of dogs in some of the comic or TV universes he has been featured in. The first version of Ace was of a German Shepherd, before he was later changed to a pure or mix breed of a Great Dane.
 * In the Arkham Knight game a dog bowl with Ace's name on it can be found in Bruce Wayne's office in Wayne Enterprises. Revealing that Ace does or might have exited in the Arkhamverse‎.
 * In one of the Batman: The Animated Series films, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman Bullock mentions a "Bat-Hound" as the next possible bat-themed "trouble maker" to appear. This gets Tim to tell Bruce that he had considered on the idea of them getting a dog that could help them on the field. Bruce disagreed and had no idea that he'll end up getting himself a dog years later. When he and Tim had cut ties with one another before the events of Batmen Beyond.
 * Titus, the dog Bruce gave to his son Damian as a gift has been seen as the second bat-hound in the Batfamily. While Ace was the first dog to be part of this DC hero family.
 * When Damian left his father's side, Bruce took care of both Ace and Titus. Along with Damian's other animals.
 * In the first Batman Unlimited film, Animal Instincts one of Batman's allies manages to reprogram one of the Penguin's robotic dogs, who have attacked Batman and ends up calling it Ace the Bat-Hound. Along with Batman using his new robo dog to help him find and fight the animal-themed villains, as well as having Ace turn into a Batcycle.