scans_daily | (no subject)

Goddamit, why do unprofessional writers seem to get Batman better than the ones who get paid to write about him?!

Because they actually enjoy writing the character? (and aren't hammered down by editorial mandates and such)

Because you can't pay someone and get real passion.

Exactly.

Suuuure... *inches away from the hippy*

Also, because--"All unsolicited submissions and other unrequested works will not be accepted and will be destroyed, unread."

Hence, the existence and importance of fan fiction.

Because, nice though this is, they don't have to worry about an ongoing comic franchise. I'm sure if you asked many current writers to pen a "Last Batman story" you'd get something like this. Heck Batman Beyond pretty much did with the "Alone at the end" outlook.

Actually, there are stuff like dreams, alternate realities or an imaginary stories that may or may not happen (sort of like what Ben 10 did).

So they just walk happily away and let this guy die alone in an alley?

What a family of assholes

According to the artist the family walking away is his own.

Thye still look pretty happy hugging while this dude is bleeding to death,

That's not the same he saved, the ones that are walking away are the spiritual representation of his own parents.

As said, that final panel of people walking away -- that's the Waynes. The last we see of the people old-Bruce saves is that third-last panel, where they're having a hug.

For all we know, after a hug, they immediately called 911 for old-Bruce.

Huh, I thought he was having a heart attack, which you could credibly pass off as just winded.

Me, too. Even after re-reading the comic, it's still not too clear that he has been shot.

He told them he was fine. Convincingly. He's Batman.

"Don't worry about me. Whew, that was a close call, wasn't it..."

He's willing to die to save that boy from the psychological trauma of watching him bleed out.

Okay, I know that that's Bruce in the middle, Dick on his left and Tim on his right, that's obviously Helena behind Babs and Cass on the far right but who is the apparent cross dresser next to her? Still this is a wonderful comic strip with great art, much better than my own stuff.

It's Selina.

Exactly what I was wondering!

For some reason, I had just assumed that was Jason in drag ^^"

I though that was the case for a second too till someone pointed out that that was Selina O_o.

It's Selena

I'm not sure, but something about this isn't quite right. It's beautifully handled, but I don't see Batman dying in another Gotham alley.

Aaron "The Mad Whitaker" Bourque; still, infinitely better than people who think it should be at the hands of the Joker.

Probably the fact that the bullet wound wasn't noticed. Because I'm fairly sure the wound would be noticed, and thery'd do more than just accept that he's 'winded'.

Though part of me thought that somehow, those he's been around would be there. Clark, at least...

Bloodlyshiva, who will re-register one of these days.

This is how I always thought Batman will die, in an alley saving a couple and their child(s) from a bullet shot and that he will die with the Joker.

Ehh. It's a toss-up, I suppose, between the big symbolic "fuck you" to evil he had going versus Darkseid, and this one, making peace with his past and closing the circle in another way.

Personally, I like this one - it's a more humane, thoughtful, mundane take on how Batman's legacy might die, and it's a good ending for Bruce, who really can't seem to imagine himself dying peacefully in a bed somewhere.

But it's all a matter of preference in the end.

Eh, I like it too.

ok, i see Cassandra, Barbara, Dick, Jason?, Tim? (Or Damian Dick Tim?) but who are the other two girls?

oooh never mind.just read the above posts

Fantastic stuff. I'm envisioning this as an animated short film, like one of those Gotham Knight pieces.

It's nice, but I disagree. No matter what, one day, Bruce is going to die in bed, next to his wife, at the age of 80+. In a city where nobody has to feel afraid anymore.

"next to his wife,"

Bruce getting married? Like that will ever happen.

Selina Kyle does not like you.

He doesn't think he will. But he will. Things happen despite the best plans of God and Man.

BOOO!

Surrounded by his loving family too. Or okay, they'll be over in 5 minutes when she calls them.

Yes. This. (Still an awesome story though).

I like it, born in the dark alley, die in the dark alley.

This is really how the Earth-2 Batman should have gone out back in the 1970s instead of by some no-name villain. It would have made him stand apart more from his Silver Age Earth-1 counterpart.

Have to admit though I am NOT one of those who enjoys the Bruce will die "all alone" or that he will "push away everyone" in the end idea. It was the main problem I had with the Old Man Bruce in Batman Beyond. Somehow Bruce at his worst (think Murderer/Fugitive when he rejected "Bruce Wayne" altogether or JLA: Tower of Babel or the whole Brother Eye thing) has not been able to shake off those who somehow love him. Even with all her dunkings in the Lazarus Pit, Talia will never let go of her "Beloved", Selina has her own baggage so she knows the score and keeps coming back for more, Alfred will stay until he dies, Clark has been willing to forgive Bruce anything (even the "The last time you inspired someone was when you were dead" line) and Diana - who was most adamant that she couldn't trust him or work with him when she voted him out of the JLA - was with him at the end of 52 at Nanda Parbet (or whatever its called) and had him arrange her new identity and job. Sasha's forgiven him for basically ruining her life and being ultimately responsible for turning her into a cyborg or whatever. Hal's still his friend (Cry for Justice OOC stuff nothwithstanding) even after all the garbage Bruce has thrown his way, Zatanna's in love with the guy even despite the fact she mind-wiped him, heck even Plastic Man's forgiven him for what happened in the Babel storyline. And I don't see any way Tim or Dick (or J'onn Jonzz when he comes back) ever really abandon him. They accept the way he is. So this whole Bruce gets old and dies alone thing never seemed plausible to me. If people were going to ditch him for his abuse and paranoia, they would have already.

Everyone has periods in their lives when they need to be alone. Bruce had his. And then Terry came along. And I say again, he will marry, even if it is late in life. And his family will be his joy and terror to his dying day, and they will surround him and grant him peace. And he will know, even if the battle will never be won, it will never stop being fought, and for the right reasons.

(In this universe, maybe Babs and not Selina. Maybe.)

damn
this seriously made me cry
what an amazing writer and artist