DC Reveals Batman's New Status Quo

Grant Morrison's final issue of Batman and Robin came out today. In the comic's final panels, Bruce Wayne revealed a huge secret to the press. io9 spoke with DC Comics editor-in-chief Bob Harras about Batman's new status quo. Spoilers!
In Batman and Robin 16, Bruce Wayne returns from his time-traveling shenanigans and announces that A.) he's been funding Batman in secret for years; and B.) that the Batman franchise is going global. Harras told us about Bruce's grand confession, what it means for the DC Universe as a whole, and what to anticipate from Morrison's new series — Batman, Inc. — which showcases Batman's adventures across the planet.
First off, what can we expect from Bruce Wayne now that he's outed himself?
This is an incredible game-changer for the character. What Grant's been doing for the last five years is taking elements from the Golden and Silver Ages and adding them to modern continuity. You'll see both of Bruce and Batman in play during Batman, Inc. You have this character who changes from a playboy to someone who's socially responsible, and where that leads us is going to be very, very interesting.
This is one of the Top 10 moments in Batman's history. Grant's been doing this larger story for a while — he's gone from Batman R.I.P. to Batman and Robin to Return of Bruce Wayne to this. It's like a longterm novel that's coming to fruition.





What sort of reaction can we anticipate from Batman's friends, foes, and the countries Bruce is setting up shop in?


You'll get a reaction coming from those characters like Superman and Wonder Woman because this change is new territory for them. You will also that this change will be of interest to Batman's villains. Any and all of them will be very interested to find out that Bruce's been funding Batman. Grant's going to have some fun with that — he's mentioned how Bruce's confession is the ultimate deflection. By coming forward, Bruce is protecting his secret identity even further. As for stories about setting up franchises in new nations, that's definitely part of the plan — when Batman comes into a new country, it changes the status quo.
Batman, Inc. hits stores November 17.





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Bruce should be using his money to hire artists for Batman's comic books who can draw better than a Chick tract.

I think the biggest question I have on this is when did Tim turn into Spanky from the Little Rascals?

Either that or did Big Boy finally stop with the coffee shops and invest heavily in Wayne Enterprises?

Still waiting for his Official BackAlleyBrawler No-Prize

I knew it was coming but the way he announced that seemed like we have entered Joepisto territory.

It seems that I need to comment on all Bat related threads but...

#1. This whole is more or less so unoriginal at this point and seems like it's bandwagoning with Ollie in smallville, Claire from Heroes, Marvel's Civil War, and Stark in Ironman.

#2. This is more or less a no **** moment that noone should even remotely be surprised at. Bruce works with Batman continuously throughout his career. He probably is the funding of JLA either directly or indirectly and either way it would be easy to find out, He works with the super community with pretty much no problem... He has to have a contact somehow.

#3. Sorta makes the whole Tim becoming crippled thing a waste.

#4. His villains spend all their time trying to mess with him and want to hurt him more than kill him so it's like most of them have some idea of them working together or being the same person...

#5. Gordon and many of the good guys already know... and this is somewhat confirmed back in Birds of Prey vol1 when Barbara Gordon tells the Commissioner about her being Oracle and then tells him about being Batgirl and he's just like "I knew that a long time ago"


So what do I think of the story? I'm ok with it to a degree... maybe it will rectify Dick grayson and make people care about his character enough to learn his history. But I'm pretty sure this is only going to go on for a while and then they have something major happen and Bruce will realize that the whole Batman inc. is a huge mistake and he will go back to just himself, or quit and that will usher in a new Batman... or they'll reboot or Bruce will find some fountain of youth thing like the JSA...

Seriously, this is so badly drawn... is this a prank?

Exactly how mind-numbingly stupid to you have to be at this point to not make the connection that Bruce Wayne is probably not just funding Batman but actually is him?

Its moderately interesting as the evolution of Batman goes, so I'll buy a couple of issues. I normally don't read Batman, just Batgirl and Red Robin, but I'll give it a go.

Look above at the panel with Alfred in the background. Look at the background. They're supposed to be giving a press conference at the street level.... so how does a shot looking down at the dais have skyscrapers behind them and not the street? Did someone Team Teleport them to a rooftop?


And this....

Oh, good. Having Batman, Inc around will give all the thugs that Batman punched, crippled, and/or hung upside down from a skyscraper and interrogated someone to sue.

So how does Batman plan on going global? Is he going to form a Batman Corps? Sell McBatman franchises?

Given how awesome this week's issue of Batman and Robin was, I'm pretty psyched for this. I just hope I'll be able to read Batman Inc. and whatever other Bat books I want to rather than having to pick up the entire line to make sense of it all.

Everything about this is awful.

Morrison should leave comics for a while.

I smell a DC Universe Reboot in the not too distant future.

I have to point out with the art that it's not just "the artist's" fault here.

It the fault of the the...
Editor: for not catching it.
Penciller: for being so sloppy.
Inker: for not making the judgement call and not inking some of those lines
Colorist: for letting those lines appear

It seems to me the colorist is a hack on everything but faces which is semi ok if you have a non-lazy penciller/inker, but it seems to me the whole artistic team is lazy and if this is as landmark as they are saying it's really asinine to be that damn awful.

Way to jump the shark DC. Makes me sic to my stomach. BATWORLD!!!!

I really can't see this idea lasting long, especially with this hatchet job on the artwork.

So, is Bruce going to train a corps of Batmen while Dick stays on as Batman in Gotham?

Or is he going to use teleportation technology to go around the world where he feels he's needed?

Now Bruce's revelation that he has been funding Batman for years I don't mind. It helps deflect speculation that he is Batman somewhat but it may open a few unwanted doors in terms of liability for Batman's actions.

To use a quote from an episode of Batman TAS: "If the Batman is on a spree, Wayne must pay the fee!"

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