The following contains spoilers for Batman #130, on sale now from DC Comics.
Batman is one of DC's most iconic characters, a hero who's been reinterpreted countless ways over the last eight decades. But that hasn't kept him from dying -- a lot. There has even been something of a notable uptick in just how often that sort of fatal consequence can happen to the Caped Crusader -- and it's worth exploring what that could mean.
Batman's latest apparent death comes at the hands of Failsafe in the pages of Batman #130 (by Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles). It's also far from the Dark Knight's only death lately, as DC has made a real habit of killing off Bruce Wayne in the core-DC Universe and alternate realities alike. It's happening so much, it's worth wondering if they'd just be better off with Bruce gone once and for all.
How Batman Dies (This Time)
Batman #130 concludes the "Failsafe" storyline that began in issue #125. Failsafe is an android designed by the Batman of Zur-en-Arrh as the ultimate counter to the Dark Knight. Activated after the Penguin faked his death at Batman's hands, Failsafe has torn through every defense and countered every attack that the DC Universe could throw at it. By Batman #130, there's just Batman, Robin, and Superman left. While the latter does his best, he's quickly brought down by Kryptonite. Batman and Robin rush the robot and manage to add a bit of programming to the machine in a hope of breaking its resolve. But the robot ends up still trying to eliminate Batman.
Taking a mysterious weapon from the Fortress of Solitude, and seemingly atomized Batman with a laser blast. Failsafe takes off to parts unknown, leaving a heartbroken Robin and a smoldering crater where Batman once stood. The final page of the issue and the nature of the death suggest Batman is still alive though, transported or lost somewhere else. In-story, it's a shocking and tragic moment. But it's also somewhat dulled through no fault of its own. It's just that Batman has been at death's door too often in recent times.
Is Batman More Interesting Dead Than Alive?
As a mortal man compared to the supernatural or extraterrestrial heroes he works alongside, Batman's eventually going to die. But stories over the last fifteen years have spent a lot of time focusing on that happening -- both within and outside the core-DC Universe. Grant Morrison's Batman run played with the Dark Knight's death in the potential future, and Darkseid eventually killed him during the events of Final Crisis. Alternate-reality Batmen from storylines in Earth-2, Tom King's Batman run, DC vs. Vampires, and DCeased all met grisly ends. It's a trend that carries on today -- with events like Dark Crisis and series like Justice Society of America #1 including the death of Batman as a major plot point. It also continues in other media like the Gotham Knights videogame and the unrelated upcoming Gotham Knights CW series.
Batman's latest death is just as likely a fake-out as all the others. It came shortly after Batman installed empathy into Failsafe, a desperate bid to give it a moral compass and keep it from attacking them any further. But it's a notable continuation of one of the most prevalent trends in Batman stories in recent years. Many stories have found more purpose in Bruce Wayne as a sacrificial lamb than a central piece of the story -- with Damien's potential destiny to replace him playing out in storylines like Batman vs. Robin. It's a somewhat odd trend to see with arguably the publisher's most marquee character, but it does also help shift the spotlight onto his extended cast of friends and allies. It serves as a big unifying motivation for characters to take different arcs. Maybe Batman's most valuable trait comes in the death of Bruce Wayne, putting the entire concept of the Dark Knight to the test with the originator gone. While it's likely the core-DC Universe Batman will be back in no time, it's worth considering if it'd be better if he didn't.