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WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for DETECTIVE COMICS #1096!
… Batman is trying to move beyond his identity as a figure of vengeance.
Tom Taylor and Mikel JaninsDetective Comics#1096 wraps up the mystery of the killer Asema, a.k.a.
Evelyn, Scarlett Martha Scotts mother.
In the present-day narrative,Scarlett and Bruce have been sleeping together, making for a rather messy entanglement.
Batman is now faced with a moral dilemma: saving the man who murdered his parents.
If Bruce does nothing, Chill will die, but technically, not by his hand.
For Bruce,its also about preserving life whenever he has the power to do so.
In the scene, Asema says,Im not asking Batman to kill.
Im just asking Bruce Wayne to wait,pushing for a loophole in his moral code.
Bruce admits in his internal monologue that it would be easy to stand by and let Chill bleed out.
You have to save the life, Bruce.
Custom Image by Andrew Dyce (from Melnikov and Manapul)
During this fight, fans gain deeper insight into the No-Kill rule.
For Batman,choosing not to kill is not just about showing mercy or maintaining the moral high ground.
Batman responds,I know.
And Im truly sorry.
But he has to live with what hes done.
Just as you will have to live with all the hurt youve caused, Evelyn.
In this context,Batmans No-Kill ruletakes on a new meaning.
It is part of their sentence, forcing them to live with the consequences of their actions.
Some might even say that living with guilt brings far more suffering than death.
Batman responds,No matter what lies you tell yourself, youre not honoring them.
You are not my mothers vengeance, Evelyn.
That phrase has become nearly synonymous with him.
It suggestsBatmanis trying to move beyond his identity as a figure of vengeance.
Catwoman is inarguably a queen.
Detective Comics #1096is available now from DC Comics!
