Batman is a central pillar of DC across their comics, TV, and movies. Most things DC revolve around the Dark Knight. One of the most influential Batman comic runs in recent years was written by Tom King. He changed many aspects about Bruce Wayne, making him a deeper and more nuanced character.
Some huge events took place in Bruce's life over the course of King's run and it will undoubtedly change Batman going forward. Although his run was cut short, King's time on Batman will be remembered alongside all the other great runs on the series.
10 He Gave Bruce Happiness
Batman is not know to be a happy character, in fact many jokes are made about the amount of brooding he does. For most of his time in comics, he has only had his mission to focus on, but King shook up the status quo in a big way by having Bruce find happiness with Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. They were to be married and it brought Bruce a lot of joy, but Selina worried that he couldn't be an effective Batman if he was happy and broke off the marriage, only to rekindle it later.
9 Bruce Questioned His Belief In Batman
After his heartbreak with Selina, Bruce became more violent as Batman, even viciously lashing out at Mr. Freeze. He then joined the jury that convicted Freeze and delivered an incredible speech. Bruce talked about putting all his faith in Batman and believing him to be above everyone else – only to realize that Batman was nothing but a man, just as flawed as everyone else and able to make mistakes. It shows that Bruce truly believed himself to be infallible, but now realizes how wrong that was.
8 Lost His Father Figure
Bruce was raised by Alfred. In many ways, Alfred was his father. Alfred was also Bruce's closest friend, ally, and biggest supporter. Bane ends all that in City of Bane. When Robin snuck into the city, Bane punished the Bat-family by killing Alfred in front of Robin. This shook Bruce and in one move took away Bruce's father for the second time in his life. This was a huge emotional shift for Bruce, but some wonder if Alfred is already being resurrected in Infinite Frontier.
7 Confronting His Father
A huge focal point of King's run was reuniting him with his long dead father. Even though this Thomas Wayne was from a different reality, it was still his father. While Bruce was happy to see him, that was shattered when he realized he was actively working against him. Thomas wanted Bruce to see he wasn't Batman, and that he needed to stop. Bruce proved him wrong and closed the door on his father.
6 Bruce Fails Nightwing
Batman #55 was a devastating issue for fans since it saw Nightwing get shot in the head by KGBeast. The aftermath of this event left Batman angry and out of control a little bit.
On top of that, he felt helpless when he was unable to help Dick recover from his injury. Dick was a totally different person and nothing Bruce did could help him. King inflicted a lot of loss onto Bruce and each one hurt him differently.
5 Repeated Failures
A running theme through King's run is the failures of Batman. He fails to save the new hero Gotham, and in the end Gotham Girl succumbs to evil as well. Then he relives the failures of The War of Jokes and Riddles, feeling the need to confess before he gets married. He fails Nightwing, fails Alfred, and in the end fails Gotham. King's run makes a point of showing Batman as a man that lives through failure.
4 Re-Discovering Why He Is Batman
In the ending of I Am Bane, fans read through what is shown to be Bruce talking to his mother. She tells him that the only reason he is saving Gotham Girl is so he can finally retire. With a super being on his side, he could end the war in Gotham and live the quiet life. Yet Bruce rejects this premise, saying that he does this not because of some vow or because he wants an end to Batman, but just because she needs his help so he helps her.
3 Breaking His Psyche
Bane and his team of villains trapped Batman in a machine that pulled out his worst nightmares from his mind and twisted them to try to break his mind. Batman faced down countless numbers of his own worst nightmares, even one where Catwoman dies in his arms. He breaks out of the machine and fights his way through a multitude of villains, all while reminding Bane that he can't be broken by nightmares – his life is a nightmare.
2 Sees a World With His Parents
As a wedding gift Booster Gold decided to show Batman a world where his parents never died and he didn't become Batman. It was a terrible world, Catwoman was feral, and Batman was a murderer and in the end he still lost his parents. This only served to prove that the world needs Bruce and his tragedy in order to have Batman.
1 Breaking Free of His Parents Legacy
The first issue of King's run has Batman facing death and asking Alfred if his parents would be proud, which Alfred says yes to. Over the course of this run, Bruce confronts his father in person and his mother in his mind. Throughout both of these interactions, he finally breaks free of their legacy acknowledging that no vow causes him to be Batman and that he no longer needs to seek their approval.