Bruce Wayne is dead. Long live Batman
Bruce Wayne's death marks the end of an era. Comic book fans, young and old, have been fascinated by the story of a young boy, who watches helplessly as his parents are gunned down by an unknown man in a dark alley. Yes, there is something about a dark and violent death of one's parents which creates bestsellers. Harry Potter showed us that. The brutal way in which Harry's parents are killed by Voldemort has definitely played a big part in making Harry the icon that he is for so many Potter fans. Even today, one cannot read those passages without feeling a lump in one's throat for the "Boy Who Lived".
But Bruce Wayne is, or now was, in a league of his own. Superman too may have lost his parents, along with his entire world, but his loss never really affected us in the way Bruce's did. Perhaps it was because he made a new beginning on Earth; perhaps because he was able to find a meaningful relationship with Lois Lane, perhaps his fondness for his foster-mom's apple pie made him "normal". Superman was a hero without a dark side and we watch or read him more for his tricks: super speed, X-ray vision etc. rather than see him be Clark Kent.
That is not the case with Bruce Wayne. Though we love Batman's gadgets our fascination is just as much for Bruce Wayne, as the Batman. That's because, unlike Superman or even Harry, Bruce never becomes normal. Preferring the ghostly Batcave, decorated with costumes of dead partners, Bruce is always in danger of losing control, of descending into madness. Indeed, that's what his rivals, especially the Joker, play on and that's what thrills us - will he, won't he - lose his mind and control. Our fascination with a man most psychiatrists would certify as "insane", perhaps says something about us as a society.
The other thing that fascinates us about Bruce Wayne is his indifference to what he has. He obviously has great wealth and ample opportunities to create a meaningful relationship. An "American James Bond", both Batman and Bruce Wayne have never been short of partners with Catwoman, Wonder Woman and co happy to settle down to domestic bliss with the man in a mask. But Bruce, like the 1970s' Amitabh Bachchan, couldn't stop being the angry man. The system is rotten beyond repair, but it must go on because there is no alternative. And let's face it, unlike the other characters, we never wanted him to stop being the angry man.
The similarities of Bruce/Batman's character with Bachchan are so uncanny that one must wonder if this is a worldwide phenomenon. Let's see: both believe in fear, intimidation and violence; both never attempt to change the system through joining politics or in other ways; and both - despite being at two different spectrums of the economy - preferred to do it alone. Yes, Robin was there for light relief and Bachchan too has his partners ie Sholay, but one always got the feeling they would have been much happier on their own. Because there was great evil which often be reformed, and only the threat of violence could subdue them. That was a job best left to Bruce/Batman and the Big B.
Bruce Wayne's comic book end suggests that DC, like us, has now "come to terms" with his sad story. Granted, it took 76 years, but finally Batman, if not Bruce, must move on. But here is the problem. Literary history shows we do not want our icons to move on. Let's see: The moment Harry Potter killed Voldemort and settled into what we presume is a happy future, we lost all interest in him.
Sherlock Holmes, perhaps the closest personality-wise to Bruce Wayne, remained the cold, aloof logician to the end. Holmes' inability and unwillingness to have friends, save Watson; his other world which we get a peep into from time to time; his need for opium to stave off bouts off boredom; is what fascinated us and he remained the same till the end. One can argue that Clark Kent/Superman married Lois but let's face it; Bruce Wayne/Batman is the bigger draw. And so any tinkering of his alter ego will have to appeal to our violent and voyeuristic tastes. After all, this is the caped crusader we are talking about, not Asterix or Tintin!
In the comic world nothing is permanent. Superman was seemingly killed in an epic fight with a monster called Doomsday, and then turned up again very much alive and normal. This could be the case with Bruce Wayne. If the new man, or woman, (why can't we have a Batwoman) doesn't measure up, we may find Bruce rising up and fighting the new man for the right to be Batman. After all, he does have 76 years of experience.