all panels from batman (1940) #416 , apologies for the shitty quality
I find this issue so interesting and extremely important for bruces relationship with dick and jason.
in this issue dick meets bruce for the first time since he was fired
"i haven't heard from you in eighteen months"
(jason was adopted roughly over 6 since his training as robin was 6 months long and he's been robin for some time. also mentioned later that they haven't talked since then.)
dick talks about everything that happened in that time with college and the titans (which i wont get into, please read the issue for yourselves for that)
also please note that dick takes off his mask to have this heart to heart first before telling bruce to take of the cowl later in a panel i haven't added.
when dick demands for an explanation this is what bruce gives. that dick had grown out of the mantel so bruce fired him and he took in jason because:
"he's so full of misguided anger and frustration. – he reminds me of myself just after my parents were killed"
this is often the excuse bruce gives for taking in jason btw and the one usually used to justify the whole child soldier thing. bruce also makes a comparison to himself and is probably projecting some of that rage he felt directly onto jason and saying he has it too. whether he does or not or if he has it but bruce is making it worse in his head bc of projection is up to you.
dick calls out his bull which again shows dick knowing bruce so well that he manages to get this man to tell the truth.
"i recruited jason because the batman needs a robin. – i couldn't do it alone"
bruce starts off as referring to 'the batman' as a different person when he's talking about 'needing a robin'. a need, something he has no control over and isn't his fault vs in the next line referring to himself and making it more of his own inability to work as batman without a robin.
"i said i wanted the truth, bruce." "i admit it. – i was lonely. – i missed you."
once again dick further breaks down bruce's walls and we get the real reason, the more selfish one and also the most vulnerable one. the truth as dick says. he missed dick and he needed someone, a robin by his side.
i could go into a further analysis with my opinions on this but just here are the panels and my analysis of the quotes and situation. ty for coming to my not really a ted talk.