This seems like something that would be a relief for me to read. Can you tell me which issue this happened in? >_> ...It happened in Hush. Yes, I know. (And there have been other occasions where he was thisclose to killing someone - often someone who'd made the silly mistake of attempting to do away with Nightwing or Robin. Or the lovely, lovely time where he tried to kill Joker under fear toxin because he saw Jason dead.)
Besides, is my memory faulty or didn't he say that Stephanie was never really Robin, somewhere down the line? No, Steph asked him on her deathbed and he told her she had really been Robin. Which is the only thing I try to remember about that scene, given that Willigham has Steph saying that it's all her fault she's dying. *headdesk* (About the Vesper Faurchild situation and Bruce's emotional state - it's fair to say being an emotional wreck is his most constant state of being since the Crisis.)
I thought he was doing well with Cass, and I don't think he was close enough to Steph to have much of an influence on her beside the Scary Bat God aspect. But honestly, I love the fucked-upness of the relations in the Batfamily too much. Dick himself has pretty serious guilt issues.
My reaction to that was a little more extreme than "ugh", honestly. *takes pills* *breathes* So was mine, but I don't want to think about it. It never happened! :D
it didn't stop him making the same mistake with Stephanie I'd say he made the opposite mistake. With Jason, he did nothing but encourage him further, and didn't do anything to stop until it was far too late. With Stephanie, every tiny mistake she makes leads directly to a threat that he'll do everything to stop her. Irony pwns.