Editing Batman (section)

==== 2000s ====
DC Comics' 2005 [[Limited series (comics)|miniseries]] ''[[Identity Crisis (DC Comics)|Identity Crisis]]'' reveals that JLA member [[Zatanna]] had edited Batman's memories to prevent him from stopping the Justice League from [[Lobotomy|lobotomizing]] [[Doctor Light (Arthur Light)|Dr. Light]] after he raped [[Sue Dibny]]. Batman later creates the [[OMACs|Brother I]] satellite surveillance system to watch over and, if necessary, kill the other heroes after he remembered. The revelation of Batman's creation and his tacit responsibility for the Blue Beetle's death becomes a driving force in the lead-up to the ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' miniseries, which again restructures DC continuity. Batman and a team of superheroes destroy Brother EYE and the OMACs, though, at the very end, Batman reaches his apparent breaking point when Alexander Luthor Jr. seriously wounds Nightwing. Picking up a gun, Batman nearly shoots Luthor in order to avenge his former sidekick, until Wonder Woman convinces him to not pull the trigger.

Following ''Infinite Crisis'', Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson (having recovered from his wounds), and Tim Drake retrace the steps Bruce had taken when he originally left Gotham City, to "rebuild Batman".<ref>''Infinite Crisis'' #7, p. 32</ref> In the ''[[Batman: Face the Face|Face the Face]]'' storyline, Batman and Robin return to Gotham City after their year-long absence. Part of this absence is captured during Week 30 of the ''52'' series, which shows Batman fighting his inner demons.<ref>''52'' #30</ref> Later on in ''52'', Batman is shown undergoing an intense [[Transcendental meditation|meditation]] ritual in [[Nanda Parbat]]. This becomes an important part of the regular ''Batman'' title, which reveals that Batman is reborn as a more effective crime fighter while undergoing this ritual, having "hunted down and ate" the last traces of fear in his mind.<ref>''Batman'' #673</ref><ref>''Batman'' #681</ref> At the end of the "Face the Face" story arc, Bruce officially adopts Tim (who had lost both of his parents at various points in the character's history) as his son.<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[James Dale Robinson|James Robinson]]|penciller=[[Don Kramer]]|story=Face the Face – Conclusion|title=[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]|issue=654|date=August 2006|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref> The follow-up story arc in ''Batman'', ''[[Batman and Son]]'', introduces [[Damian Wayne]], who is Batman's son with [[Talia al Ghul]]. Although originally, in ''[[Batman: Son of the Demon]]'', Bruce's coupling with Talia was implied to be consensual, this arc retconned it into Talia forcing herself on Bruce.<ref>''Batman'' #656 (October 2006):<br />Bruce: "I remember being drugged senseless and refusing to co-operate in some depraved eugenics experiment."<br />Talia: "Believe me, you cooperated&nbsp;...magnificently."</ref>

Batman, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, reforms the Justice League in the new ''Justice League of America'' series,<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Brad Meltzer]]|penciller=[[Ed Benes]]|story=The Tornado's Path|title=[[Justice League]] of America vol. 2|issue=1|date=August 2006|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref> and is leading the newest incarnation of the [[Outsiders (comics)|Outsiders]].<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Chuck Dixon]]|penciller=Julian Lopex|title=[[Outsiders (comics)|Batman and the Outsiders vol. 2]]|issue=1|date=November 2007|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref>

[[Grant Morrison]]'s 2008 storyline, "[[Batman R.I.P.]]" featured Batman being physically and mentally broken by the enigmatic villain [[Simon Hurt|Doctor Hurt]] and attracted news coverage in advance of its highly promoted conclusion, which would speculated to feature the death of Bruce Wayne.<ref name="INDY">Adams, Guy. "[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/holy-smoke-batman-are-you-dead-1038882.html Holy smoke, Batman! Are you dead?]" November 28, 2008, ''[[The Independent]]''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081201055030/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/holy-smoke-batman-are-you-dead-1038882.html Archived] November 28, 2008.</ref> However, though Batman is shown to possibly perish at the end of the arc, the two-issue arc "Last Rites", which leads into the crossover storyline "[[Final Crisis]]", shows that Batman survives his helicopter crash into the Gotham City River and returns to the Batcave, only to be summoned to the Hall of Justice by the JLA to help investigate the [[New Gods|New God]] [[Orion (comics)|Orion]]'s death. The story ends with Batman retrieving the god-killing bullet used to kill Orion, setting up its use in "Final Crisis".<ref name="deadatlast">[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/010915-Batman-RIP-Finally.html Newsarama: "Batman R.I.P. – Finally?"] January 15, 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115100716/http://www.newsarama.com/comics/010915-Batman-RIP-Finally.html |date=January 15, 2013 }}</ref> In the pages of ''Final Crisis'' Batman is reduced to a charred skeleton.<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Grant Morrison]]|penciller=[[J. G. Jones]]|story=How to Murder the Earth|title=Final Crisis|issue=6|date=January 2009|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref> In ''Final Crisis'' #7, Wayne is shown witnessing the passing of the first man, [[Anthro (comics)|Anthro]].<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Grant Morrison]]|title=Final Crisis|issue=7|date=January 2009|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Grant Morrison: Final Crisis Exit Interview, Part 2 |url=http://newsarama.com/comics/020904-Grant-FC2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207033629/http://newsarama.com/comics/020904-Grant-FC2.html |archive-date=February 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 7, 2009 }}</ref> Wayne's "death" sets up the three-issue ''[[Batman: Battle for the Cowl|Battle for the Cowl]]'' miniseries in which Wayne's ex-proteges compete for the "right" to assume the role of Batman, which concludes with Grayson becoming Batman,<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Tony Daniel]]|title=Battle for the Cowl|issue=3|date=May 2009|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref> while Tim Drake takes on the identity of the [[Red Robin (comics)|Red Robin]].<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Chris Yost]]|title=Red Robin|issue=1|date=August 2009|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref> Dick and Damian continue as Batman and Robin, and in the crossover storyline "[[Blackest Night]]", what appears to be Bruce's corpse is reanimated as a [[Black Lantern Corps|Black Lantern]] [[zombie]],<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Geoff Johns]]|title=Blackest Night|issue=0|date=June 2009|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref> but is later shown that Bruce's corpse is one of Darkseid's failed Batman clones. Dick and Batman's other friends conclude that Bruce is alive.<ref>{{cite comic|writer=Grant Morrison|title=[[Batman and Robin (comic book)|Batman and Robin]]|issue=7|date=January 2010|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Grant Morrison]]|title=[[Batman and Robin (comic book)|Batman and Robin]]|issue=8|date=February 2010|publisher=DC Comics}}</ref>