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DC Comics to kill off Batman?
DC Comics will kill off Batman as one of a "series of cosmological cataclysms" designed to prop up circulation in the face of the increasing newsstand and cinematic domination of rival Marvel. That's according to the Times, which says the axe is due to fall in April's issue 676, representing the latest in a string of …
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Thursday 24th January 2008 16:32 GMT Torben Mogensen
Superheroes never die ...
... permanently.
Granted, a few members of superhero groups have died permanently (or, rather, they haven't been resurrected yet), but superheroes with long-running solo-titles and high name recognition are never gone for very long.
It has happened, though, that the person behind the mask has changed. Even Batman was for a while someone other than Bruce Wayne. So a possibility is that they will (more or less permanently) kill Bruce Wayne and have someone else take up the uniform and name after a suitable time, with DC announcing The All New Batman, Like You Have Never Seen Him Before.
Additionally, both Marvel and DC are known for occasionally making "resets", where they write off all that has happened before, starting all their titles over from scratch. So after killing a suitable number of heroes, they may announce The All New DC Universe, Like You Have Never Seen It Before.
In other words: Yawn, what else is new?
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Thursday 24th January 2008 16:32 GMT Peter Kay
Not again...
I'm not sure Batman needs to die, although, admittedly the return of Superman was actually quite good - as far as Superman stories go (The return of Green Arrow was a fun story, but completely ridiculous, and Green Lantern's return stretched credibility almost as much).
Can't some people just stay alive?
At some point, Batman probably does need to retire or die, and be replaced (probably by Dick Grayson) by someone who isn't emotionally crippled and can actually form long term relationships... whilst strapping on rubber/neoprene at night and beating up other men. Never mind..
To try and not get too fan nerdy though - please no more commissioner's wife or female Batman sidekick deaths - it's lazy plotting and somewhat misogynist.
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Thursday 24th January 2008 16:35 GMT Alex
A new Batman?
Well it's time for batman of the future. Qualifications are rich, smart, gadgets everywhere, big mansion.
Come on guys, you know who it's going to be (hint see picture). Yes it's MS Batman!, and hopefully he will lock up i-pod users by the dozen for crimes commited again'st humanity (string 'em up by with their pathetic "please don't mug me" white wires.....
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Thursday 24th January 2008 16:35 GMT Anonymous Coward
One step further
DC has done something like this before, with a super villan called Bane. Who "Broke the Bat"
Leading to someone called Jean Paul Valley taking over the cape.
see Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bane_(comics)
Interested to see how they actually kill the Bat. As to do that would mean killing Dick Grason and anyone else who could take over the mantle of the Batman.
/annorak
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Thursday 24th January 2008 19:23 GMT Kevin Campbell
@Peter and Alex
did you ever see the cartoon "Batman Beyond"? In that universe, Bruce Wayne is a retiree who, after a strange set of circumstances, takes on a teenage martial artist as his "replacement." The kid has the "new" Bat suit complete with rocket boosters, loads of hyper-groovy sensors, and even a "stealth" mode where he becomes more or less invisible a la Predator.
Perhaps DC who, IIRC, "sanctioned" that cartoon is taking it to comic form. There has also been talk of a Batman Beyond movie. Perhaps this is the first step in that direction. In the pilot episode of Batman Beyond, an aging Bruce Wayne (in the aforementioned "new" Bat suit) is forced to defend himself with a gun because his age had finally caught up with him. Having previously stated that he would never use a gun, he decides it's time to hang up the cape. Fast forward several years and along comes the kid. yada yada yada good story.
I could be all wet, but the dominos seems to align rather well.
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Thursday 24th January 2008 19:25 GMT Karim Bourouba
canon
there are a number of batman timelines that are considered canon, such as the dark night returns etc.
Stopping Brucey from being Batman now would need some serious justification for the more geekier fans.
At the end of the day, there are loads of different permuatations to cater for all future Batman films/series/comics/graphic novels/lunchboxes/commerative dog blankets/hand crafted gifts and cross stich designs.
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Thursday 24th January 2008 19:25 GMT Seanie Ryan
irony?
"Green Lantern's return stretched credibility almost as much"
funny to read that in a thread that is discussing fictional characters with
(usually) non-terrestrial powers.
>> The Green Lantern is credible enough, but for him to return?... nah..
bit too far fetched for me<<
:-p
anyway, everyone knows I am the true Batman
anyone remember the line in South Park, return of Chef
"And he lived for eternity .... until he was hit by a train in 1892"
or something like that...
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Friday 25th January 2008 09:37 GMT Rob Holmes
@ Matt
"But, I guess I can see the problem. What new powers does one bestow on these characters that hasn't already been done before?"
I submit the characters Wonderboy and Young Nasty Man to the house!
As for powers? Well, how about the power of flight? That do anything for you? Thats levitation, homes! Or how about the power to kill a Yak? From two hundred yards away? With MIND BULLETTS?!?
Or, you know, whatever floats your boat.
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Friday 25th January 2008 10:56 GMT Anonymous Coward
RE: Nobody stays dead
"...in the comics, except Gwen Stacy, Uncle Ben and Jason Todd, it has been famously noted by smarter readers than I."
Jason Todd has been revived. Indeed, many have suggested that he might take over as Batman if DC did kill him off. Gwen Stacy nearly got brought back this year and a last minute editorial swerve reversed directions. Uncle Ben has been brought back and killed off loads of times.
Only Bucky stays dead. Except he got revived too and is Captain America now.
Anyway, hasn't this whole Batman being killed off story been debunked already? There's some suggestion it was the original plan (though "killing him" was going to mean ascending him to being a New God, meaning he'd still be around and could fight Darkseid in the upcoming Final Crisis, which isn't really "killing" a character off), but Warner have pointed out they have a new Batman film coming out this year, so this isn't happening.
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Friday 25th January 2008 11:31 GMT Steve-SCB
Underpant perverts persist
This is just more soap.
In (whatever time duration the accountants dictate) the poor old guy will wake up in the shower and find it was all a dream, but such a good dream he could actually be the Bat Man! OooEeerr, da da da da - da da da da
Bat Copter Icon, cuz its the right color
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Friday 25th January 2008 13:00 GMT Chris Cheale
Actually...
Look up Batman & Dracula: Red Rain.
If memory serves, at the end, despite beating "Dracula", Batman himself has become a vampire - so he's already dead. Vampire Batman gets my vote - just like Batman but just every so slightly more evil, stronger and harder to kill... Wayne Industries would have to invest in some serious sun block research however.
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Biting the hand that feeds IT
