End the Batman Series

[Vern Gagne 0]

I'm not a comic book fan, but I do enjoy reading the opinions of the fans here. What if it was announced the Batman series was no longer being written. Write an ending for the series. It can be greatly in depth, or just a quick outline.

 

Oh, feel free to write the final chapter in any comic book series. Batman seems to the most popular character, and the one with the most character depth.

[Zorin Industries 0]

Bruce should die peacefully in his bed at a ripe old age surrounded by his friends and family, with someone to take up the mantle of Batman. With all that he has gone through in his life, he deserves a diginified and happy end.

[Guest Annoyed Grunt]

He grows old and passes the mantle to Dick Grayson. Months later Bruce is killed by a lucky shot while saving an innocent family in Crime Alley.

[Zorin Industries 0]

No, that's too depressing, of all the comic book charcters I think think of it's Bruce who deserves the chance of a happy old age and a peceful death

[Dr. Tom 0]

Bruce Wayne would not want to die peacefully in his sleep. if DC were to kill Batman, they should have him die doing his duty, probably saving Gotham from the Joker or another menace. Having him die an old man in his bed cheapens the character, IMO.

[Nighthawk 0]

Let him have a heart attack while fighting somebody, I always liked that. It's been done, but I can't think of a better way.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Batman is shot in the back twice in Crime Alley and dies. The culprit is never found. The sudden loss of his father and mentor plunges Dick Grayson into depression and homicidal mania and he blows up Arkham and Blackgate in his rage. Alfred leaves for England and is never heard from again. Tim Drake continues his quest to become the World's Greatest Detective and in his first mission as The Batman; ends Nightwing's reign of terror. After a short period of time, Drake accepts the mantle of the Bat and brings the figure back to it's roots, allowing the remainder of the Bat-Family to go into retirement. On Jim Gordon's deathbed, Batman shares the identity of his mentor with Gordon.

[Guest TheMadmanGreg]

I always envisioned that a retired Bruce, having long ago passed the mantle on to Tim or Dick, is called out of retirement by some demonous threat... something that the Justice League couldn't take care of himself. In one act, he shows them all that all the superpowers in the world can't account for mortal human willpower. Yeah...

[{''({o..o})''} 0]

He goes into retirement and gets even richer selling his Bat-Shark repellent.

[Steviekick 0]

I always envisioned Batman going off the deep end and truly going insane. Let's face it, he's not the most stable man in Gotham City and dealing with/thinking like the psychotically criminally insane definitely does not help. He becomes too obsessed with his work and actually winds up becoming a criminal due to excessive force and lack of respect for life, eventually killing off a cop or two who he feels aren't doing their job. He turns on those who are close with him (Robin, Nightwing, & co.) as he takes over Gotham. The authorities have to do something drastic to stop him--release the Joker to take him out. Both of them wind up killing each other in one final battle.

 

Batman just becomes a legend, Alferd winds up faking Bruce's death, Nightwing continues (and doesn't take up the Batman mantle thanks to the stigma of how evil he was), and Tim Drake becomes the world's greatest detective...but not as a super hero, but as an investigator for DC's equivalent of S.H.i.E.L.D.

[Nighthawk 0]

Don't release the Joker, send Superman to kill him.

[Steviekick 0]

That's the hard part...Superman would never kill someone, regardless of how psycho they are. Joker, however, would kill anyone just for the hell of it. Especially if they are his arch rival.

[The Metal Maniac 0]

What if, instead of Superman (because he won't kill) they brought in a few other DC heros to take him out?

 

I dunno which ones exactly (I'm not a big comics fan) but I bet you could get a neat story out of a bounty being placed on Batman's head, and a few heros trying to bring him down.

 

Of course, he's Batman, so he could kick everyone's all until they all gang up on him, but whatever.

[Nighthawk 0]

Ok, then Superman just comes in to restrain him and he has a heart attack in the ensuing battle. The problem is that exact same thing happened already.

[Zorin Industries 0]

Just to make clear, I think Btamn dying in his sleep is the right way to end the character, but not the series. In fact I think the perfect end has already been written, which is of course, The Dark Knight Returns.

 

By the way Voltron, nice Beyond pic in your sig

[Steviekick 0]

What if, instead of Superman (because he won't kill) they brought in a few other DC heros to take him out?

 

I dunno which ones exactly (I'm not a big comics fan) but I bet you could get a neat story out of a bounty being placed on Batman's head, and a few heros trying to bring him down.

 

Of course, he's Batman, so he could kick everyone's all until they all gang up on him, but whatever.

That would be cool, especially because it would definitely bump up the profile of whoever took him out. If they are looking for a bounty hunter, there is no better choice than Lobo.

[Guest netslob]

i'd have him be pistol-whipped to death by the Joker...or Two-Face...or Doodlebug...or a girl scout, i don't care, so long as he dies...and STAYS dead.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Ahem... Sorry to interject here, as I'm not a comic book fan as of late but...

 

There was a TV series brought out, called Batman Beyond. ...ok, you've probably know about it, so that's about all I need to go into on that, but would you guys kill off Bruce before this begins or sometime afterwards? Since this is just one of many ideas of the future of Batman.

 

Just thought to add another layer to the discussion. Cause, I can't do much else (since I know little of the Batman Universe).

 

For those of you who don't know Batman Beyond (ya, right): http://www.batbeyond.com/ Go there for details.

[Steviekick 0]

I've assumed that Batman would be killed in the line of duty, not during his retirement as shown in Batman Beyond. I really didn't like that show.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I always envisioned Batman going off the deep end and truly going insane. Let's face it, he's not the most stable man in Gotham City and dealing with/thinking like the psychotically criminally insane definitely does not help. He becomes too obsessed with his work and actually winds up becoming a criminal due to excessive force and lack of respect for life, eventually killing off a cop or two who he feels aren't doing their job. He turns on those who are close with him (Robin, Nightwing, & co.) as he takes over Gotham. The authorities have to do something drastic to stop him--release the Joker to take him out. Both of them wind up killing each other in one final battle.

 

Batman just becomes a legend, Alferd winds up faking Bruce's death, Nightwing continues (and doesn't take up the Batman mantle thanks to the stigma of how evil he was), and Tim Drake becomes the world's greatest detective...but not as a super hero, but as an investigator for DC's equivalent of S.H.i.E.L.D.

Yeah, it's pretty obvious you don't get the Batman/Bruce Wayne character and what makes him tick.

 

One, you could argue that Batman is already insane. He's willingly split his psyche into different personalities, is obsessed with what he knows is an impossible task, and is haunted by one single moment in his life which he refuses to move on from. Part of this psychosis is an obsession with the absolute sanctity of human life. Even the thirst for vengeance that gave birth to the Batman persona is tempered by the reason he became Batman in the first place: the absolute desire to NEVER SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM HAPPEN AGAIN. The foolish and impossible quest to end all crime in Gotham. Batman isn't simply a creature of vengeance and fear, he's to be a symbol of hope to the decent people of Gotham City; that one man CAN make a difference. If Bruce were to go insane, he'd simply keel over because his mind would be too overwhelmed by the double life it's undertaken. What you're suggestion goes against every known and accept statute of Batman's character: it isn't well thought out character writing, it's inane fanboy drivlings. For those of you familiar with the death of heroes in Mythology it's necessary for the death of a hero to have a certain symmetry with his birth. That's what I tried to bring in my idea. What you have just utterly destroys the deepest character in comics for a story that just about everyone will HATE.

 

The obsessions of the Batman persona (and there fore the template for what would happen to him if he went "insane") are:

 

- Absolute sanctity of human life in all areas.

- Perfection, not matter how impossible it may be to achieve. (This goes for both his own physical and mental training and the city of Gotham)

- To protect and inspire the innocent people of Gotham.

- To allow the justice system in place in Gotham to do it's job (Unlike how it failed his parents) and bring the wrongdoers to justice.

[Steviekick 0]

Calm down, Zsasz. That's just how I would like to personally see the end of Batman: him becoming what he hates. Yes, I do know that Batman was created to prevent anyone from enduring what happened to him. I personally love it when they show Batman being completely insane/irrational. So to me, it makes sense. Besides, they'e never going to kill of Batman anyway, and this whole thread is people just talking about their ideas. You don't have to go around all psycho.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Calm down, Zsasz. That's just how I would like to personally see the end of Batman: him becoming what he hates. Yes, I do know that Batman was created to prevent anyone from enduring what happened to him. I personally love it when they show Batman being completely insane/irrational. So to me, it makes sense. Besides, they'e never going to kill of Batman anyway, and this whole thread is people just talking about their ideas. You don't have to go around all psycho.

Oh, I wasn't angry. I just didn't like your idea and gave a lengthy post detailing reasons why.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

As I have a fair knowledge of Greek tragedy, the tragic hero ALWAYS has at least one character flaw. Achilles was extremely proud, and thus lost his best friend(go read the Illiad). Anyways, what if they had Batman die this way:

One last battle with the Joker, he beats Joker to a bloody pulp, then turns his back, and Joker shoots him, end of the issue: shot of Batman's face on the concrete or whatever. There will always be evil in the world, it can only only be contained, never defeated. Tragic ending.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

As I have a fair knowledge of Greek tragedy, the tragic hero ALWAYS has at least one character flaw. Achilles was extremely proud, and thus lost his best friend(go read the Illiad). Anyways, what if they had Batman die this way:

One last battle with the Joker, he beats Joker to a bloody pulp, then turns his back, and Joker shoots him, end of the issue: shot of Batman's face on the concrete or whatever. There will always be evil in the world, it can only only be contained, never defeated. Tragic ending.

His character flaw is his obsession. His strength is his physical prowess so what you said wouldn't make much sense that way. Exhaustion would work best.

[Jonathon 0]

I'd always like to see him go out by sacrificing himself for somebody else, be it James Gordon or Supes. I always liked it when a masked hero took off his mask to do battle, so i'd like to see him realize that he's going to die, take off his mask, and make the sacrifice...I know that sounds cheesy and lacking in details, but i'd like to see some big, dramattic thing, rather than some "fade away" or "shot in the back" storyline.

[Steviekick 0]

As I have a fair knowledge of Greek tragedy, the tragic hero ALWAYS has at least one character flaw. Achilles was extremely proud, and thus lost his best friend(go read the Illiad). Anyways, what if they had Batman die this way:

One last battle with the Joker, he beats Joker to a bloody pulp, then turns his back, and Joker shoots him, end of the issue: shot of Batman's face on the concrete or whatever. There will always be evil in the world, it can only only be contained, never defeated. Tragic ending.

His character flaw is his obsession. His strength is his physical prowess so what you said wouldn't make much sense that way. Exhaustion would work best.

But wouldn't Batman's flaw be that no matter how hard he works that he is still human? No matter how great physical shape he is in, he will never be near invincible. Unlike characters like Superman and even Wolverine, he isn't physically unstoppable and there is limitations to his armor. That ending is plausible. Batman would beat someone to a near death point, but his opponent could try to kill him, too. Whereas Batman's flaw is his obsession, someone like Joker's strength is their obsession that has made them so violent.

[Guest Indy]

Id always imagine Batman dying, after the fallowing events happened :

1) Joker's past is revealed.

2)Alfred becomes sick. In a 3-5 issue saga, Batman goes out to find a cure but he's too late as Alfred dies in his sleep while Batman stops a bank robbery. At Alfred's funeral, he cries, showing how human he is.

3)Jim Gordon dies at the hands of Joker who is on this unholy rampage of murder and genocide. Jim Gordon sacrifices his life to protect a child from being shot. At Gordon's funeral, we find Batman finally losing it, he rids himself of his humanity and goes to finally stop Joker.

 

He goes to fight Joker once in for all. Barbera tries to talk him out of it but Batman cuts off any connection between them. When Drake and Dick try to stop them, Batman knocks them out, making sure that they don't see what is about to happened. The JLA try to talk him out of it but with his connections with Penguin, Batman has several villians break out, making the JLA too busy to stop him.

Batman finally faces Joker only to have it a trap. Joker somehow immobilzes Batman and sets a bomb to go off. Joker attempts to escape but Batman stops him with a batarang or something. Batman finally reveals his secret identity to Joker, telling him that he is going to end the Joker's terror once and forall, Joker also reveals something: He was responsible for killing Bruce's parents. Joker tries to laugh but Bruce somehow shuts Joker up (cuts his voice box, rips out his tongue, chokes him....who cares). We go to a panel which shows the explosion happen....right where Bruce's parents are killed.

We go two years into the future. Bruce's grave is a huge tombstone with the batlogo carved in it. It's made of a special alloy that can't be tagged by grafiti. Dick and Drake pay their respect to Bruce, saying how he tought them that One man, no matter if he's human or not, can make a difference; Drake is now about 19 (or 18, I don't remember how old the kid is) and Dick is his mid to late 20s. We then see the batsignal in the air aswell flames of an explosion from down the streets. Dick and Drake nodd to each other as it's revealed that Dick has taken the role as Batman and Drake has taken the role of Nightwing. They meet up with the new Robin who is either a 12 year old boy or girl. Dick/Batman goes down to the crime scene where a crook asks "Who are you?"

Dick smiles and says smoothly "I....am.....Batman".

 

The end.

[Steviekick 0]

I liked that ending, except for the part of Dick taking over as Nightwing.

[Guest SP-1]

SPOILERS FROM HUSH ABOUND BELOW: DON'T READ IF YOU DON"T WANT TO BE SPOILED, UNDERSTAND? THERE ARE SPOILERS.

 

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continue forward with Bruce/Catwoman. Down the line, they really do hook up, and Joker gets a whif of it. As tough as Selina is, I believe Joker still has the advantage on her. He orchestrates an elaborate plot to make it appear as if Catwoman has double-crossed Batman, and then murders her (mostly for the fun of it).

 

Batman is initially taken aback, driven into a depression of sorts and takes a hiatus from Batman to figure his life out, demanding that Tim hold off from being Robin for a time. Maybe even to step away from it. His detective mind, however, is relentless and soon pieces begin to stop matching up and he begins finding holes in Joker's plot to frame Selina. Once Bruce realizes what's happened, it's too late: Tim had defied him and gone out as Robin, resulting in his capture by Joker.

 

Bruce knows what and who he is in that instant, perhaps having finally found the healing. Now, suiting up one more time, not out of the pain and anger of a child robbed of his parents, but out of the love of a "parent" who will do anything for a son, and as a man who desires to see Justice served, Batman tracks Joker down and the two face off, atop Wayne Laboratories building where Robin is strapped to a set of explosives. Batman and Joker throw DOWN, and Batman eventually puts him down. Batman frees Robin, but sees that the countdown is at .02. With all his strength, he flings Robin away and takes the brunt of the explosion.

 

He dies shortly after, but not before Nightwing arrives and Bruce tells Tim and Dick how proud of them he is. They protect his identity, and the body is laid to rest at the Fortress of Solitude, care of his good friend, Superman.

 

He dies having found the healing he terribly needed in life. There are a couple things I'd do if it weren't a thoroughly secular comic, but that's probably close to what I'd do now.

[Guest Indy]

You mean Drake, but Yeah, it's pretty bad. But whatelse would happen with Tim Drake?

 

And Poet....Hush is over if I remember. Besides, that ending seems kinda stupids.