This article contains spoilers for Batman #124.
Batman‘s “no killing” rule has been given a new, better explanation. Batman’s “no killing” rule is commonly seen as a central part of the character – ironically so, given the Dark Knight actually killed in his first comic back in 1939. That fact has been airbrushed out of history, however; so much so that, when Zack Snyder showed a live-action version of Batman killing indiscriminately in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, it ignited a controversy that runs on to this day.
The “no killing” rule has always seemed more than a little odd. Precious few of Batman’s villains are capable of redemption; Victor Zsasz is a serial killer, Scarecrowed has brought Gotham to its knees on numerous occasions, and of course nobody would grieve for the Joker if Batman ever snapped. Batman’s typical justification has been that he believes killing one of his villains would reduce him so he became no better than they are, but few have found it convincing. Jason Todd – the Red Hood – will never forgive Batman for not killing the Joker after he was murdered by the Clown Prince of Crime.
Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter and Jorge Fornes’ Batman #124 finally provides an explanation for the “no killing” rule that makes sense. The issue sees Batman admit that, when he first returned to Gotham after training as a vigilante, he intended to be a killer. While he was gone, the killer was arrest and actually confessed. Bruce Wayne had already made an oath not to kill, and yet he still found himself breaking into the prison, wanting to see the man who had murdered his parents. It was only when the killer turned his head, allowing Bruce to see his face, that he relented and decided not to kill him. In that moment, as he looked upon the face of a killer, Batman saw something that terrified him. He saw the face of the man he could be.
The story personalizes Batman’s “no killing” rule in a tremendously effective way. Batman’s campaign against crime has never been an abstract cause to him; rather, it is imminently personal, flowing from the tragedy he suffered as a child when his parents were murdered before his eyes. In the same way, Batman #124 retcons Batman’s “no killing” rule as a deeply personal idea; Batman was effectively created by the acts of a killer, and he does not want to become like the man who cost him everything. This is the real reason Batman insists even villains like the Joker or Victor Zsasz will not die at his hands.
This retcon fits well with established canon. It’s only a subtle change to established continuity, adding further depth to the position Batman had taken for years – one that, on reflection, had always seemed so very abstract. This is a detail that really deserves to be remembered by future writers, and built upon as a foundational aspect of Batman’s character going forward. The creative team behind Batman #124 – especially writer Joshua Williamson – are to be commended.
