WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman #94 by James Tynion IV, Guillem March, Rafael Albuquerque, David Baron and Clayton Cowles, available now.

"Yes, Father. I shall become a bat."

This classic line originated in Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's Batman: Year One, which in 1987 delivered a dark and gritty retelling of Bruce Wayne's origin story. The moment is iconic because it came at a time when Bruce was broken and defeated. Sitting beaten and bloodied in his study, he looked at a marble statue of his father's head, just as a bat came crashing through the window. Upon seeing it, Bruce was then inspired to become the Batman.

It's a defining moment in Batman mythology that has been referenced on multiple occasions. In that scene, Bruce had the choice to give up, or to take things to the next level -- something he eventually did by suiting up as the Dark Knight.

As he once again finds himself beaten and bloodied, Batman #94 homages this iconic scene -- and it serves as a turning point on the eve of the Joker War.

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In Batman #93, the Caped Crusader was dealt a series of devastating blows. First, he lost his entire family fortune -- which ranged in the billions of dollars -- to the Joker. On top of that, Catwoman was shot by the Clown Prince of Crime's new girlfriend, Punchline. To make matters worse, Deathstroke brutally stabbed his sword through Batman's leg, to take him out of the fight until the Joker was ready for his next move.

As a result, Batman #94 opens with Bruce Wayne on the ropes. He's in his Wayne Enterprises office which was modeled to look exactly like his Wayne Manor study. With Deathstroke's sword still in his leg, Batman slowly moves towards his chair, leaving a trail of blood behind him. He laboriously sits on it, until Lucius Fox eventually arrives to tend to his wound, much like Alfred did in Year One after Bruce called for him using a summoning bell.

The scene is framed to look just like the one in Year One and the events are clearly meant to echo the ones from the seminal comic.

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Batman Better Bat 1

Thanks to Lucius' help, Batman gets up and heads out to try and find Catwoman. However, he only finds more of Joker's goons, who proceed to shoot him and chase him away. Batman is clearly fighting a losing battle, without much in the way of allies and without any funds to speak of. However, that won't stop him, because this isn't where the homage to Year One stops.

As the issue comes to a close, Batman puts on a new suit and he steps back outside in the middle of a lightning storm. There, he stands triumphantly and addresses his deceased butler: "Yes, Alfred," he says. "I will become a better bat."

In Year One, Bruce took things to the next level by becoming the Dark Knight. Batman #94 recreates this scene, culminating with Bruce declaring he will become even better. This all seems to imply that, as the Joker War is set to ignite, Batman is intent on taking things to the next level yet again. Before, that meant becoming Batman. Now, it means becoming better.

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