The Candlelight Oath:
For reference I am collating every occasion I can think of that the candle oath comes up, particularly in terms of the wording of it. I know I'm skipping over some but I'm also restricted in terms of how many images I can have.
"-And swear that we two will fight together against crime and corruption and never to swerve from the path of righteousness!" "I swear it!"
(Detective Comics #38)
"Swear that you will fight against crime and corruption...and never swerve from the path of right!" "I swear it!"
(Batman #213)
"If you're to be my partner, you must swear you'll avenge their deaths by devoting your life to warring on all criminals!"
(Detective Comics #484)
"Swear that you will fight against crime and corruption -- and never swerve from the path of justice!" "I swear it!"
(Untold Legend of Batman #2)
"--I knew I wanted to be exactly like him: a sworn avenger in the cause of justice!"
(Secret Origins #13 1986)
"Batman and Robin." I made a promise to my parents that I would rid the city of the evil that took their lives. That remains unchanged. Only now...I am no longer alone.
(Batman: Dark Victory #13)
"Think, Bruce, you remember--'to fight against crime and corruption, and never swerve from the path of justice...?'"
(Batman: Gotham Knights #11)
"But then I took an oath. To carry on in my parents' memory and the legacy Batman had created. From that light I watched our world grow..."
(Dark Crisis #1)
"This is the beginning of a new life, son. Of service to others. Of helping." "I--I am...I vow to help...to make the world a better place. And I swear that I will fight against crime and corruption...and never swerve from--" "The path of righteousness."
(Batman #138 2016)
I love the words. I love the echoes and repeats and the patterns of what people use and where they focus their attention.
Also I die over Zdarsky's version actually, it's one of the best of all, especially as it has Dick saying the words himself, rather than swearing to affirm Bruce's words.
Some of the early ones are so very heavy with exposition: Detective Comics #484 is hilarious in terms of going"'your parents died! as did mine! Let's swear to fight crime to avenge their deaths!" Good job there, Bruce. That's the level of subtle also heavily noted in the time you asked Tim if you could adopt him and started with "your parents are dead. You have no one."
It's interesting in terms of its placement, because the oath almost always comes when Bruce first takes Dick back to the Cave as Batman, and reveals his identity. Before Robin. Before Dick begins training. During the hunt for Zucco.
But it's so important to both Bruce and Dick, and echoes for both of them. It's a password that they use. And Dick's memorised it, as if he's said it many times in remembrance of the first occasion.
Endlessly interesting to me that no other Robin has taken this oath, knows the origin of the costume, or the origin of the name (at least as far as I'm aware).
Interestingly we do know Barbara swore a version of the oath.
(Batgirl Year One #9)
Steph was at the swearing of an oath, but it’s not the candle oath and I refuse to count it in this tally as its intent and phraseology is actually COUNTER to the self-sacrifice and pursuit of a higher ideal that Bruce and Dick’s oath is:
(Batgirl #3 2009, do not get me started on this, it’s NOT THE SAME)
