Is This The End Of Bruce Wayne...Or Is It Another Publicity Stunt?

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: BBC News

Will Bruce Wayne meet his fate at the hands of the Black Glove? Or will he narrowly escape certain death, only to retire into obscurity?

Sounds like the final words of a Batman television series episode.

I think that the real question is, "Will Bruce Wayne be back as Batman in a year or so as if this never happened?"

Honestly, when I read this morning that DC comics was either going kill off Bruce Wayne or have him retire, I thought it was a joke. Then I started seeing more articles popping up about the subject. That's when I thought to myself, "Oh crap!, Is DC doing this sort of stuff again? Are comic book sales so low that they have to resort to killing off or maiming their main characters again?"

Way back in the early 90s DC decided to boost comic book sales by killing off Superman and having Batman receive a spinal adjustment at the hands of the villain, Bane, that put him out of commission for a year. Well, if you remember, both Superman and Batman were back as good as new before the readers interest could fade.

Is that what is going to happen this time?

In the next issue of the "Batman RIP" story arch, which hits newsstands Wednesday, we will find out the fate of Bruce Wayne. According to Scottish writer Grant Morrison this will be "the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman."

"What I am doing is a fate worse than death - things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all," Morrison said in the recent interview with Comic Book Resources.

Regardless of whether Wayne lives or dies, he will be replaced as Batman, possibly by either Tim Drake, who has been Robin since 1991, or Dick Grayson, the original Boy Wonder, who now protects Gotham City as Nightwing.


If I were a betting man, I would have my money on Bruce Wayne returning as Batman sometime in the future. I couldn't fathom the series continueing without him.

See Also: Christopher Nolan Still Denying That There Will Be Another Batman Sequel / Angelina Jolie Turns To Tera Patrick For Catwoman Advice / Don't Expect To See The Joker In The New Green Arrow Movie / The Dark Knight (2008)(Warner Bros) / The Dark Knight - Ledger Takes The Joker To A Whole New Level / The Dark Knight - Preserving The Iconic Images Of Batman & The Joker / Batman: The Dark Knight - Have Bat-Pod, Will Travel