DC Needs to Kill Off Bruce Wayne For Good

In 2008, DC Comics published Final Crisis, written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by J. G. Jones and Marco Rudy. Final Crisis was many things: a potential conclusion to the DC Universe, a finale for the New Gods, with the death of the great Darkseid, and the supposed end of Bruce Wayne, hinted at thanks to the iconic Final Crisis cover, which depicted Superman holding Batman‘s skeleton beneath the cape and cowl. Bruce Wayne was dead, and DC stuck with this story for quite a while. DC had done so decades earlier when they teased that Superman was really dead after his brawl with Doomsday, and Marvel even placed Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man’s shoes for 30 issues of Superior Spider-Man before Peter Parker inevitably returned.

But then DC confirmed that Bruce Wayne wasn’t actually dead, just displaced in time. Some fans were happy to hear that their favorite character would return in The Return of Bruce Wayne miniseries. Others, who had grown to love characters like Dick Grayson, stepping in for Batman, or grew attached to characters like Batman Beyond, or who accepted a DC Universe without Bruce Wayne, may not have been overjoyed to hear of his “resurrection.” Should DC Comics kill off Bruce Wayne for good? Bruce Wayne contributes a lot to DC Comics, but his absence also allows other characters to spread their wings––previously constricted to Bruce Wayne’s shadow as Batman.

The Best Of Bruce Wayne

Bruce Wayne is Undeniably the Foundation of the Dark Knight

It’s quite an obvious observation, but there would be no Batman without Bruce Wayne. Ignoring all the real-world meanings to that statement––the fact that Batman is Bruce Wayne and the characters were one at the time of their creation in 1939––the fictional character of Bruce Wayne is the one who saw his parents murdered in Crime Alley, Bruce is the one who saw the bat fly into Wayne Manor, and he’s the one who traveled the globe, honed his body and mind and returned to Gotham City as more than just a man, but something else entirely.

Bruce Wayne has starred in some of the best comics ever published. Fans have watched Bruce’s character development and struggle, from adopting Dick Grayson to coming out of retirement in The Dark Knight Returns. Bruce’s early years and even his old age have been well documented for over 80 years of publication.

No one can deny the quality or the significance of comics like “Year One” or even modern classics like The White Knight. But because Bruce Wayne is so well-known, and any comic reader around the world can easily recall Bruce Wayne’s basic history, is it time DC retired the original Batman… again? For good this time?

Batman Comics Without Bruce Wayne

What Were Batman Comics Like When Bruce Wayne Was “Dead”?

DC did, at one time, retire Bruce Wayne. Bruce’s “death” may not have been permanent (as few comic deaths truly are), but fans should give DC Comics credit for sidelining one of their flagship characters, one of the Trinity, for quite a while.

When Darkseid pierced Batman with his Omega Beams, readers really thought Batman had died. Sure, there was a healthy dose of skepticism (this was comics, after all), but some readers were really shocked when DC doubled down and not only kept Bruce Wayne out of comics but replaced him.

Dick Grayson was always the next best choice to become Batman. Though he never wanted the cape and cowl, his resistance to the Batman mantle ironically made him all the better suited for it. Batman isn’t something someone should want, and it’s something they should be forced to inherit for the good of Gotham. Dick understood the assignment, and he and Alfred developed a remarkable partnership during Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin comic series, published in 2009.

Speaking of Robin, Damian Wayne became the Robin to Dick Grayson’s Batman, and the Dynamic Duo had never been more dynamic. Batman smiled, and Robin was actually the one who needed restraint. Dick and Damian were amazing characters in Batman and Robin, and better together––better because of Bruce Wayne’s absence. They finally had room to grow and could stand firmly in the spotlight without the light commonly tilting in Bruce Wayne’s direction. It’s not DC’s fault. Bruce Wayne is an incredibly commanding character––they built him as the smartest person in the room and the most dangerous, even in a room filled with Justice League members like Superman and Wonder Woman.

A New Battle For The Cowl

The Bat-Family Went to War Over Batman’s Cape & Cowl

How did Dick Grayson acquire the Batman mantle? Well, it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t as simple as just walking into the Batcave to don the cape and cowl. Dick Grayson had to contend with others who wanted the Batman throne, namely Jason Todd. The Red Hood was more angered than ever, feeling he deserved the Batman title above all others. Jason’s war and hatred of Nightwing led to the Batman: Battle for the Cowl miniseries, which saw the Bat-Family splintered and wounded after Bruce Wayne’s apparent death.

Battle for the Cowl was an amazing miniseries and the perfect way to launch the era without Bruce Wayne. Batman was never a healthy part of Bruce Wayne’s life, so it made sense that the Batman identity would lead to further division and conflict within the Bat-Family. DC needs another Battle for the Cowl. The hyped launch of the Absolute Batman comic title proves that DC fans are looking for something new. Yes, the new Absolute Batman is still Bruce Wayne, but his character is almost unrecognizable.

DC tends to find its greatest successes in miniseries and comics outside standard canon (such as Batman books that star other characters as the Dark Knight). DC should at least test the waters of putting Bruce Wayne back on the bench in favor of other members of the Bat-Family. DC also has plenty of other great characters to choose from. The list is already set thanks to some successful comics in the past that have experimented with the idea of a Batman without Bruce Wayne.

DC’s Future & A New Batman

From Damian Wayne’s Batman 666 to Jace Fox’s I Am Batman to Terry McGinnis’s Batman Beyond

Dick Grayson wasn’t the only hero who donned the Batman cape and cowl in Bruce Wayne’s absence. In various alternate realities and possible futures, many members of the Bat-Family have willfully or regretfully worn the Batman mask.

Dick Grayson may be the most worthy, but that didn’t stop plenty of other characters from donning the cape and potentially tainting the Batman name. An alternate version of Tim Drake became Batman during the “Titans Tomorrow” arc, where many Teen Titans––now adults––assumed the roles of their mentors, such as Connor Kent becoming Superman.

Other possible futures include the dark one depicted in Batman #666, which presented a Damian Wayne whose wish came true: he became Batman. Damian’s Batman was a little edgier than Bruce Wayne’s. Damian had always wanted the title of Batman, claiming it was his birthright because he was Bruce’s biological son––more worthy than any of the other Robins. This outlook was misguided. In Batman Beyond, Terry McGinnis stumbled upon the Batcave and became Batman, initially to get vengeance for his father’s death, then later to carry the Batman torch.

Readers can dig even deeper to find other Bat-Family characters who became Batman in one book or another. Jace Fox became a version of Batman in I Am Batman. Thomas Wayne became a gun-wielding Batman in the Flashpoint universe when his son Bruce was killed in Crime Alley instead of him and Martha. These were very successful books with characters fans have grown to love and want to see more of.

However, things always seem to circle back around to Bruce Wayne. These versions of Batman seem to come and go in miniseries and tie-in titles. DC found a lot of success when they sidelined Batman after Final Crisis. Fans have come to love other versions of Batman, like Batman Beyond. It’s time DC put Bruce Wayne on ice again, if only to test the theory that Batman could thrive without the man behind the mask who laid the foundations.