Who do you think will find and rescue Bruce Wayne?

[Buried Alien]

Whom do you think is most likely to discover that Bruce Wayne is still alive, locate him in the past, and bring him back to the present?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Name Already Taken]

Tim, in the present, in a remote location, but extremely deranged and mentally unstable after his ordeal and multiple lives. Since this is just speculation, I'll tag a spoiler theory on how it plays out in my mind for a potential future for the parties involved in the scenario.

Tim and a sidekick go galavanting around the world looking for Bruce, more or less finding clues because Tim is deadset in belief that Bruce is still alive somewhere and somewhen, finding clues that Bruce has left behind at points in more recent time that may have held meaning when he was alive. No one believes Tim, except maybe one or two people following him closely (Spoiler and Ras) in his theory, everyone else chalking it up to hopeless delusion. It has Tim finding Bruce, albeit totally wacked out of his gourd towards the end of Red Robin, with him being completely shattered from his travel through time and many lives from the Omega Sanction. A deal is struck with Ras by Tim and Dick to emerse Bruce in a Laz pit to cure his insanity/instability and rejuvenate him physically (younger age), on condition Damien be allowed to be Robin for a time, along side his father as Batman as his mentor with Morrison's continued writing of his current B&R title once Bruce thinks he is ready to be Batman again. In the mean time, Dick still wears the cowl, Tim does the Red Robin thing for a time, and loveable little snot D is Robin. Damien goes rogue, and then the status quo goes back to what it was, with Bat family number of titles shrinking to what titles sold well since it's rebirth.

I have only read the first 2 issues of RR, so feel free to mock/flame/argue with me on that, since I haven't kept up regularly with that title and wear it may be headed since issue 2 came out.

Thoughts/Speculations?

[Psavell2]

I have to say, I don't know, since logic can't be applied to comics, because writers and editors can do whatever they want. The actual solution and return will probably occur in Batman And Robin, although Batman is also possibility. I think that either it will be a team effort on the part of the entire batfamily, particularly Bruce's three "sons", or possibly Bruce may find his own way back.

But I do hope that Tim's journey in Red Robin plays a significant part in Bruce's return, since his series would otherwise be a waste, and it's my favorite book so I want it to count for something. I'm sure he won't find Bruce by himself, but perhaps over the course of the next year he gathers enough compelling evidence to convince the others that Bruce really is still alive, and maybe even where they need to look and what they need to do. That much at least would make it worthwhile.

[AJM]

It's Morrison's story so the only possibility from the above choices is really Tim, but i chose other because i don't think it will be him. There's been a little hint that we might see some form of Bruce in the third Batman & Robin arc, and Morrison said that by the end of the first 13 issues, we'll know what happened to Bruce. So it looks like it might be Dick and Damian who find him.

[carabas]

I reckon Ra's Al'Ghul already found him, probably centuries ago.
And that Bruce Wayne is perectly capable of rescuing himself.

[Maestro]

I say Batman finds that meteor thing that made Vandal Savage immortal, and that he's alive and been hiding out for all these centuries

[Samy]

I dunno, I think it would be a pretty drastic change to the mythology of Batman that he'd suddenly be thousands of years old and immortal. It'd be adding a pretty supernatural concept to the character who's the "most human superhero". I'm not sure Warner would allow for that, though it would be pretty ballsy.

As for the thread topic itself, I imagine it'll be Dick and Damian simply because that's who Morrison is writing about and he'll presumably tell the entire story in his own book. Though I'd love it if he could see past his own nose and delegate that part of the story to another book, such as, say, RED ROBIN WHOSE WHOLE BOOK'S CONCEPT IS BASED ON FINDING BRUCE WAYNE...

[Jim Thompson]

I say Batman finds that meteor thing that made Vandal Savage immortal, and that he's alive and been hiding out for all these centuriesNow this would be interesting -- and something I could see Morrison doing.

[NickGuy]

dr fate!!!!!!!!!!!

[Samy]

Hourman III!

[Jorriss]

Considering it seems likely Batman is dead right now, I'd say he saves himself?

[Quinnhop]

Bruce will save himself.

Srsly. He's the goddamned Batman.

[Chiroptera]

I say Batman finds that meteor thing that made Vandal Savage immortal, and that he's alive and been hiding out for all these centuries

I actually think this would be pretty awesome myself.
Though I think they'd need to change it so that he's not incapable of dying. He just no longer ages. It would make him just as vulnerable as ever, still need the armor, gadgetry and all that, but now - so long as he's not killed, his endless crusade truly is endless.
It would actually add a new tragic element to his character, because there's just no way he'll every truly defeat crime in Gotham forever, he'd be at it for all eternity. Refusing to surrender in his never ending crusade.


With that said... I don't think that'll happen.
Here's my bet.
In the page where Bruce is shown in the cavern on pre-historic earth he was sketching a bat on the wall with charcoal.

I think that will play a part. I think during Red Robin/Tim's search for Bruce they will come across this charcoal bat, and they'll time-date it to figure out what point in time Bruce is in. From there it's just a matter of finding someone who can open a rift in time to that era to let Batman step through back to the modern day.

Personally, I'd really love it if this story remained bat centric. Keep it all within Bat linked characters. Zatanna could be the one to open the vortex. Oracle does the age dating on the charcoal drawing, Tim's the one who finds it. I'd like to see it kept 'in the family' as it were.

[Lemurion]

No one will rescue him: he will save himself.

[earl]

It's Batman, he don't need help. He probably used a time machine to plant something in Earth's ancient past for just this happening.

Batman's the detective and he will figure it out.

[Vidocq]

He will save himself. I wonder how would he react to the Batfamily now a days though. Tim in Madrid looking for him, even though their was no reason for him to be in Madrid, the murderous fruit of his loins is Robin and his Jason went insane and tried to kill everybody...again. Once again only Dick has given him a reason to be proud. Though Cassandra has kept her nose clean hasn't she?

[CountAchilles]

Its going to be Tim Drake who'll do the job,for me. The guy is almost losing sanity more and more with every issue,its like he's obsessed with finding Bruce. I think that after he'll find him,he'll start getting back to normal as we knew him.

[Psavell2]

Tim in Madrid looking for him, even though their was no reason for him to be in Madrid

There is a reason, we just don't know what it is yet. He's looking for something specific, but he doesn't know exactly where it is. Hopefully the first arc will end by showing us what it is that he's been looking for, and then I'm sure we'll understand why he searched in the places that he did.

[El Castigador]

i say either he gets himself back or its Robin with the help of Supes(Bats BFF) or one of the flashes probably Bart

[Jeff O.]

Knowing Morrison, it's just gotta be Professor Carter Nichols (http://www.supermanartists.comics.org/batman/carternichols-batman24.jpg).


"FOR SO STRONG IS THE BOND BETWEEN BRUCE WAYNE AND HIS YOUNG WARD DICK GRAYSON, THAT A TELEPATHIC WARNING BELL RINGS A SHRILL ALARM ACROSS THE CENTURIES!"

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[Doug Seid]

He probably used a time machine to plant something in Earth's ancient past for just this happening.

I laughed so hard at this, mostly because after reading R.I.P I wouldn't be surprised at all.

[Retro315]

I think Ra's al Ghul puts Tim onto the right track, which is Vandal Savage. I think Vandal Savage has some inside knowledge of what went down - being immortal, and from the time of Anthro, and having MET Anthro while raiding it makes plenty of sense.

I think people really ought to pay more attention to Cal "Cave" Carson and the cave drawings he found.

That being said, I think Booster and Ted Kord (maybe with Tim along for the ride, with a dose of Rip Hunter's involvement) do the actual rescue mission.

That being said ... couldn't Bruce Wayne (Bruce FRIGGING Wayne) of all people crank up his willpower to the point where a Green Lantern Power Ring for Sector 2814, in the year 10,000 B.C., enlists him into the Green Lantern Corps, and he leaves a message for Hal Jordan (with detailed instructions, plus latitude and longitude, which Batman figures out using trigonometry and the sun's position to determine EXACTLY where Anthro's cave was) inside the Sector 2814 Power Ring which Hal Jordan then unlocks in the present day while reminiscing about Batman?

You have to be Morrison's "Bat-god detective and smartest man on Earth" to think of something like that ... or just Bill and Ted.

[Captain Jim]

I laughed so hard at this.

Yeah, me too.

[Boy Constrictor]

I don't even want to think about how Bruce gets back because it's most likely going to be a ridiculous explanation that I will try to forget ever happened.

[Infinity Man]

Do we know that they will bring Bruce back? Maybe they will just leave him out, and keep Dick as Batman.

[carabas]

Do we know that they will bring Bruce back? Maybe they will just leave him out, and keep Dick as Batman.You're pretty new to superhero comics, aren't you?

[Buried Alien]

You're pretty new to superhero comics, aren't you?

And yet, if the "Dick Grayson as Batman" experiment proves wildly popular and successful with audiences (as it has during the first few months, at least) over a long period of time, DC just *might* consider the unthinkable. DC typically reverts to form because audiences respond negatively to a change and demand a return to previous conditions. If, by and large, fans respond positively to the new direction and show a willingness to follow it for an extended period of time, DC might actually milk it for as long as it can be sustained.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Cash Lone]

Bruce has probably already returned - probably has some scheme cooking in the background, even potentially be the grand architect baddie behind everything.

[Infinity Man]

You're pretty new to superhero comics, aren't you?

Well yes, I am, but I am aware of the tendency these companies have for bringing back people they have killed. So please don't think I'm uneducated enough to think "Bruce Wayne is dead, therefore he isn't coming back". My point is who says that DC has to bring him back. Maybe they might break the cliche trend of killing a superhero and brining them back, by leaving him dead. This is highly unlikely I know, but it might happen.

[Buried Alien]

Well yes, I am, but I am aware of the tendency these companies have for bringing back people they have killed. So please don't think I'm uneducated enough to think "Bruce Wayne is dead, therefore he isn't coming back". My point is who says that DC has to bring him back. Maybe they might break the cliche trend of killing a superhero and brining them back, by leaving him dead. This is highly unlikely I know, but it might happen.

It could happen depending on what happens with the sales figures and general audience response to Dick Grayson as Batman in the comics. If Dick's being Batman continues to sell well and proves a sustainable trend, then Bruce's return might be put on hold indefinitely.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Psavell2]

Well yes, I am, but I am aware of the tendency these companies have for bringing back people they have killed. So please don't think I'm uneducated enough to think "Bruce Wayne is dead, therefore he isn't coming back". My point is who says that DC has to bring him back. Maybe they might break the cliche trend of killing a superhero and brining them back, by leaving him dead. This is highly unlikely I know, but it might happen.

That's understandable, but the only problem with it is that they already showed the readers that he isn't really dead. Therefore even if they wanted to keep Dick as Batman, they'd still have to resolve the plot about Bruce being lost in time.

[Buried Alien]

That's understandable, but the only problem with it is that they already showed the readers that he isn't really dead. Therefore even if they wanted to keep Dick as Batman, they'd still have to resolve the plot about Bruce being lost in time.

Yep, but they don't need to feel obligated to do it right away.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Infinity Man]

That's understandable, but the only problem with it is that they already showed the readers that he isn't really dead. Therefore even if they wanted to keep Dick as Batman, they'd still have to resolve the plot about Bruce being lost in time.

Yes I know. That is actually why I don't think they will leave him dead. If however there was none of this "lost in time" stuff, it could be entirely possible that they leave him dead.

[Psavell2]

Yes I know. That is actually why I don't think they will leave him dead. If however there was none of this "lost in time" stuff, it could be entirely possible that they leave him dead.

Oh, absolutely. In the long run they may have painted themselves into a corner by setting all that up in advance, but I understand why it seemed like a good idea at the time. And of course they can drag it out for as long as they want, perhaps even have it result in Bruce's being unable to resume the role of Batman when he returns. If this is how they decide to go, though, you are right that it would have been easier to be able to just leave him dead.

[Jorriss]

That's understandable, but the only problem with it is that they already showed the readers that he isn't really dead. Therefore even if they wanted to keep Dick as Batman, they'd still have to resolve the plot about Bruce being lost in time.
There's an easy way to fix that though imo. Just have him die. Make it so it isn't found out he was sent back in time and he just dies in the past. If it turns out he was sent to the past, what difference does it make? If they really want to mess with time travel they could just stop him from being killed.

...Man I hate time travel plots (usually).

In any case, this doesn't require him to return in a timely manner.

[Munkiman]

I think Dick'll help him out. Somehow.

Maybe Booster and Rip Hunter can help out, though.

Still, no rush. Let's wait a little before we make Dick give the cowl back.

[Ratwedge]

If Marvel couldnt keep Steve dead there will be no way DC would not bring back Bruce.

[Munkiman]

Bruce isn't even dead, everyone just thinks he is. So of course he's coming back, that was never in question. The only question is how long will he be gone? I hope there's some decent build-up to it.

[gorosaurus]

And eventually, Batman will be rescued by...oh, lets say...Moe.

A little more seriously, I would guess Prof Nichols- does he really have working time machine in current DC continuity? Rip Hunter would be a logical choice- since it's been established "RIp Hunter" is a a fake name to keep foes from killing in his past; maybe Rip is Batman?
Thus Batman RIP.

I guess the Moe scenario makes more sense.

[CMBMOOL]

Here's what I believe will go down....

First have Tim feel defeat that his quest seems hopeless, but he gains some encouraging words by Booster Gold, with Rip and Skeets in tow, who states that they know when in Time Bruce is.

Booster explains to Tim of how Bruce really escaped death, and together along with Batman, Robin and Superman, who Booster brought along to try to assist, will together go through the last locked time era Bruce was in.

Then together the heroes finds Bruce and convinced him of his true lifestyle and brings him back to the present.

The event ends with a fight/talk between Dick and Tim over Dick's decision to "Replace" Tim as Robin and both men go their seperate ways from Bruce and co leaving him with Damien to train to be the next Robin. :redface:

[Captain Jim]

While I readily agree that DC could re-evaluate their plans on the basis of Dick's popularity in the role, and perhaps drag things out a bit longer... there is no way they will keep Dick as Batman long-term. Given Didio's committment to using the iconic forms of all of the DC characters, I just can't imagine such a thing.

[Munkiman]

A little more seriously, I would guess Prof Nichols- does he really have working time machine in current DC continuity? Rip Hunter would be a logical choice- since it's been established "RIp Hunter" is a a fake name to keep foes from killing in his past; maybe Rip is Batman?
Thus Batman RIP.

No, Rip is Booster Gold's son.

[nepenthes]

It's pretty likely that Hurt will have something to do with Bruces return since he features in the fourth arc, which we already know is about Bruce. I think it's likely Tim Drake, Ra's Al Ghul and possibly Azrael will be there too

they seem to be all connected in this, Azrael being a former pawn of the Devil and now a pawn of Ra's, with Lane being a character invented by Morrison who played a role in Batmans figurative death in RIP. and Ra's well he's probably known all along that Bruce spent time in the past.

Not too mention Damians arc is also on a colliding course with his grandfather

I doubt it will extend outside the batcircle to people like Booster or Vandal Savage though. Final Crisis is over, and not many people were happy with how Batmans "death" got muddled up in RIP and FC. maybe Didio will take something from that

edit - what if Ra's Al Ghul is actually old Bruce Wayne, insane from too many dips in the Lazarus pit ha ha

[carabas]

Yes I know. That is actually why I don't think they will leave him dead. If however there was none of this "lost in time" stuff, it could be entirely possible that they leave him dead.It's academic. Even if DC would like to keep Bruce Wayne lost in time, Time Warner, DC's owners, would never stand for it.

[Jeff O.]

A little more seriously, I would guess Prof Nichols- does he really have working time machine in current DC continuity?

Well, Morrison of course said, “What if all the Batman adventures from the 1930s until now were all part of one guy’s life, and he’s really gone through all this stuff, and it’s happened over the space of, say, 15 years, potentially?” (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=147734)

That would make time-travel "old hat" for the Earth-Zero Batman, having already worked with the likes of the Three Musketeers, King Arthur, Robin Hood, Marco Polo, Cleopatra, and the prehistoric Tiger Man. (http://www.comics.org/search.lasso?query=carter+nichols&type=character&sort=chrono&Submit=Search)

This would have been old hat before Batman was experimented on by Dr. Hurt in "Robin Dies at Dawn!" and before Bats was affected by Professor Milo's gas.

Before Professor Nichols used a time machine, he helped Bruce and Dick travel through time via hypnosis (akin to the way Christopher Reeve's character in SOMEWHERE IN TIME later journeyed to the past via self-hypnosis). Would Morrison say the trip at the end of RIP / LAST RITES / FINAL CRISIS is real, but Bruce's earlier trips were mere dreams or hypnotic suggestions? Dreams that could be shared and experienced by Bruce and Dick at the same time?

And when Nichols hypnotized Bruce [in the link I gave in my previous post], Bruce's (live) body remained in trance in the present and Bats seemed to have another body in the past -- or else the Dark Knight was able to bilocate across the centuries.


__________________

[earl]

Maybe they might break the cliche trend of killing a superhero and brining them back, by leaving him dead. This is highly unlikely I know, but it might happen.


I keep thinking that in the end of Blackest Night is going to be a big reset on a bunch of characters that were killed or at least I hope so. I could see them pretty much resetting the JLA back to the classic lineup except Batman and then Morrison's upcoming series about the multiple-Earths being the one where Batman returns.

[Buried Alien]

Would Morrison say the trip at the end of RIP / LAST RITES / FINAL CRISIS is real, but Bruce's earlier trips were mere dreams or hypnotic suggestions? Dreams that could be shared and experienced by Bruce and Dick at the same time?


A retcon that would make the entire Golden/Silver Age history of Batman an extended hallucination?

An intriguing idea...

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[earl]

I think it could be played out using some of the hypertime ideas that DC comic book universe keeps changing, as what was 'real' in 39 isn't the same as 79 or 09 but the current Batman might perceive these past experiences as hallucinations or that the details of how certain things happened seem to change.

Most of the key pre-crisis stories still kind of happened, but the facts on how it happened are a bit open to interpretation (by whoever is writing the story this time).

I thought it would have been a whole lot cooler for when the Flash shows up for it be the exact Barry Allen from Earth 2 and he is the only one that really realizes that all that has happened since is way different. The Bruce Wayne he knew was a way different guy than the guy that has developed over the past 20+ years of comics. It seems they are not going to go this way, as they have changed certain elements of Barry Allen's origin, but it could still be something played upon as the Flash stories go forward.

I know lots of people were pretty disappointed in how Final Crisis unfolded and all, but I thought there was some pretty neat ideas playing on this kind of stuff. I'm kind of curious to see how some of it plays out going forward.

[Mundungus]

Bruce probably used a time machine to build a batcave during the stone age just in case, so if he was ever trapped there (not saying he would, y'know) he could resume his crusade against evil during the early days of humanity. Weeding it out before it got too crazy.

[Jeff O.]

A retcon that would make the entire Golden/Silver Age history of Batman an extended hallucination?

An intriguing idea...

At the least, perhaps the recurring, well-meaning hypnotic experiments of Carter Nichols made Bruce's mind more susceptible to future manipulations by others less noble.


In pre-Crisis Earth-Two continuity, it was Carter Nichols who was entrusted to deliver the Batman Diary to the Daily Star. The Diary at first appeared to be Batman's delusional memory of events concerning the JSA and World War II (but was later revealed to actually be an elaborate code).


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[FeminineMystique]

I keep thinking that in the end of Blackest Night is going to be a big reset on a bunch of characters that were killed or at least I hope so. I could see them pretty much resetting the JLA back to the classic lineup except Batman and then Morrison's upcoming series about the multiple-Earths being the one where Batman returns.

Nope, it's gonna be the guys from the "Cry for Justice" mini most likely as Robinson is taking over. Plus the Dick Grayson Batman, Donna Troy and Batwoman

[cobaltinee]

Ican say other. The other means his partner Robin knows how to bring Batman home. Alfred the butler also knows to bring home. thanks.

[Protoman]

Tim, because he's the best robin EVER

[DeTroyes]

Bruce will save himself.

Srsly. He's the goddamned Batman.

QFT.

He probably already has a "stuck back in time" contingency memorized and is just gathering the things he needs to implement it.