- Batman is NOT dead. And I don't mean this in some spiritual pep talk sort of way. That he now "...lives on through all of us." I'm not being sentimental. What I mean is, the world cannot know he's dead. Most don't even know he was human. Vampire. Demon. Ghost. We all know the myths. But that's all we have left of him. The fear he instilled. That is his legacy. And we need to honor that. We need to honor him. To acknowledge his passing flies in the face of everything he fought for. Everything he was. The criminals, the monsters, the ones who dedicate themselves to doing wrong need to think he can't die. They need to think he's still out there. Batman lives. Always.
Batman #687 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2009. It was published on June 10, 2009.
Synopsis for "A Battle Within"
The history starts with a scene of the past, years ago Bruce Wayne was preparing himself for going hunting the Riddler when he and Alfred are suddenly attacked in the Batcave. Gas and darts are thrown to Batman, and he discovers that the aggressor was Dick Grayson, Robin, as a test Batman imposed to him. After this Robin happily comments the attack and says that he could even have the cape and cowl. Later we are brought to the present, were Alfred sees to the Batman and Robin suits. As Alfred watches in the Batcomputer a situation with terrorists and the police, we are brought there. The police is having problems because the terrorists have an arsenal to invade a little country. Then the Batmobile arrives and traps the terrorists. It is revealed that the person inside the Batmobile is Dick Grayson, Nightwing, as he is having a conversation with Alfred. Alfred says Damian to go do his homework and then return to talk with Dick, but he cuts the communication. Then Alfred remembers the moment when Superman and Wonder Woman gave him Batman's cowl, after Bruce death. Superman asks Dick if Bruce had any contingency plan if he died, but Dick is interrupted by Alfred, who brought something to drink for Superman and Wonder Woman and Superman asks Alfred if he is well and Alfred answers: "No, sir. I'm not. My son died." After that it is shown that Dick is crying because he wasn't prepared for Bruce's death. Alfred is crying with him and Dick takes the decision to make a secret and little funeral. Bruce's funeral is shown with Dick saying that Batman will never die. Back to the present, Alfred discovers that Damian is missing. In fact Damian went fighting Dr. Phosphorus and he's not going well on it. Dick arrives and defeats Phosphorus, after that he tells Damian his errors on the battleground and then they go to the Batcave. In the Batcave after a conversation with Alfred about who must take the cowl, Dick makes a decision. Dick decides to have his own Batcave to forge his legend, because he doesn't want to use what was from Bruce. The new Batcave looks like the one showed in "The Dark Knight" movie. We are brought to a Gotham Bay's bridge, were Scarecrow is causing mayhem and has hostages. Some policemen with special suits adventure to go for Scarecrow, but the fear gas is corrosive and they inhale it. Someone saves them and goes for Scarecrow. After someone's appearance, Scarecrow decides to liberate the gas: the new Batman.
Appearing in "A Battle Within"
Featured Characters:
- Batman (Dick Grayson) (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth (Flashback and main story)
- Bruce Wayne (Flashback only)
- Damian Wayne
- James Gordon
- Justice League (Flashback only)
- Black Canary (Flashback only)
- Green Arrow (Flashback only)
- Superman (Flashback only)
- Wonder Woman (Flashback only)
- Robin (Flashback only)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Davis (Single appearance)
- Gotham City Police Department
Locations:
- Gotham City
- Bat-Bunker (First appearance)
- Batcave
- Gotham Bay Bridge
- Gotham Cemetery
- Project Cadmus
- Tobek Chemical Corporation
- Robinson Park (Mentioned only)
- Watertton Bank (Mentioned only)
- Wayne Manor
- Wayne Foundation Building
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Batman: Long Shadows.
Trivia
- The subtitle for this issue lists it as an epilogue to the Battle for the Cowl storyline. However, it is considered part of the Long Shadows storyline and is reprinted in that collected edition.
Quotes
- The dynamics of a family are always difficult. All triumphs and tragedies are fraught with emotion. The successes are that much sweeter. But the failures can be so devastating that... well, it can feel as if the very act of breathing becomes a labor. But breathe we must. We must find that strength to go on... fortify ourselves to overcome the worst any clan might face. The passing of a relation... the loss of a loved one... a death in the family.
- —Alfred Pennyworth[src]
- Am I "all right"? No, sir. I am not. My son has died.
- —Alfred Pennyworth[src]
- You prepare yourself for this day... well, prepare is the wrong word... do you prepare yourself for the sun to rise, or for water to flow from a tap? No. These are knowables. These are eventualities. I knew I would never see him as an old man. No, he's leave us in a box, with jet black hair, and the only lines on his face would be ones brought by injury. You knew it wouldn't end well. Despite all the training, all the brilliance. All the strength... under it all there was just flesh, blood and bone. And a man who never feared death. You know as wel as I do he was frightened of a great many things, but his own mortality barely made the top hundred list with him. I just... I... I just wasn't ready to lose him.
- —Dick Grayson[src]