Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for DC's various Batman 2022 comics2022 was a very big year for Batman comics, featuring several large changes to the Dark Knight's mythos thanks to some major deaths, temporary resurrections, reunions, and epic changes to the overall status quo in Gotham City. While the front half of 2022 largely focused on the continued fallout of Joker War with Bruce Wayne no longer being a billionaire and living in the city, the back half debuted a brand new creative team, featuring a new arc for the Caped Crusader with one of his most dangerous foes ever. Likewise, alternate versions of the DC Universe had their share of epic Batman moments as well.

While the new Dawn of the DCU era has arrived with the end of Dark Crisis and the Justice League disbanding in favor of something new, Bruce Wayne has gone through quite the intense personal gauntlet. Across DC's various Batman-related titles this last year, Bruce Wayne and Gotham City have experienced some very significant events. Here are some of the biggest and most noteworthy changes to the Batman mythos in 2022.

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Batman Inc Returns (With A New Leader)

Ghost-Maker and Batman in DC Comics

2022 kicked off with the surprising reveal that Lex Luthor had taken over Batman Inc., a Grant Morrison creation which had been out of the DC spotlight for quite some time. Comprised of heroes from all over the globe recruited by Batman himself, this dark new management with Luthor as the team's primary financier didn't last long. In the aftermath of Lex eventually being ousted from the team, the Dark Knight gave leadership duties over to Ghost-Maker, the new vigilante introduced in 2021 revealed to be Bruce's best friend when they were both training to become the vigilantes they are today (as seen in Batman: The Knight). Now, a new ongoing Batman Incorporated series is currently being published from writer Ed Brisson and artist John Timms.

Shadow War Reunites Batman and Damian Wayne's Robin (With 2 Major Deaths)Batman and Robin in Shadow War

DC's Shadow War crossover event saw the League of Assassins going to war with Deathstoke and his army of supervillains in the wake of Ra's al Ghul's permanent death (sorry, no resurrecting Lazarus pits this time). As such, this event saw Damian Wayne's Robin reuniting with his father for the first time since their estrangement in the wake of Alfred Pennyworth's death. With Bruce and Damian being so similarly stubborn, neither handled the death of the Bat-Family's patriarch well, having been murdered in 2019's City of Bane event. This motivated Damian to leave Batman's side and venture out on his own, receiving his own Robin series from Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov.

While Damian and Batman still have some issues they need to figure out, Shadow War got them talking again and willing to work things out (eventually). The end of the event also saw Damian's mother Talia killing Deathstroke. However, Slade's followers baptized his corpse in the waters of a corrupted Lazarus Pit, setting up his dark transformation seen in the recently concluded Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.

Gotham's Arkham Asylum Can't Be Redeemed...YetBatman-Detective-Comics-Arkham-Tower-Featured

Detective Comics' "Shadows of the Bat" storyline featured an attempt by Gotham City to redeem the dark legacy of Arkham Asylum. With the facility for the criminally insane being destroyed in an event known as "A-Day", Mayor Nakano saw an opportunity to build Arkham Tower, a state-of-the-art institution that could truly rehabilitate criminals, combating the asylum's longstanding reputation as nothing but a revolving door for Batman's rogues gallery.

Related: DC Confirms Batman's History In Gotham Goes Back Way Further Than Fans Know

While a wonderful idea in theory, Arkham Tower ultimately failed due to massive corruption and the lie that a miracle pill was keeping residents docile on their journeys of genuine healing. In truth, Psycho Pirate was secretly employed to make it seem as though the residents were improving. However, they were only calm and happy when Psycho Pirate was awake, leading to an inevitable prison riot with Arkham Tower being seen as a huge failure and waste of money. Now, the original Arkham Asylum is being rebuilt thanks to the return of the powerful Orgham Family in more recent issues of Detective Comics. While the legacy of Arkham could perhaps be redeemed one day, this most recent attempt ended terribly with a return to the status quo.

DC's Batman Gets New Creative Team (And Debuts Failsafe)DC's Batman and Failsafe in Gotham

Batman #125 came with a brand new creative team in the form of Chip Zdarksy and Jorge Jimenez. Following the death of the Penguin who made his demise look as though Batman had murdered him, a hidden Batcave protocol was inadvertently activated unbeknownst to Bruce Wayne himself. Created by his darker alternate personality Zur-En-Arrh who made a return appearance, Batman had no idea he'd built an AI robot known as Failsafe as a contingency if he ever took a life.

Patterned after the mind of the Dark Knight, Failsafe was able to outthink Batman while also incapacitating his family and allies in the Justice League. Eventually, Failsafe gained the advantage and shot Batman with an energy weapon. While Tim Drake's Robin believes Batman is now dead, it seems as though the Dark Knight has simply been transported elsewhere for some unknown purpose in this ongoing story.

Alfred Pennyworth Shares His Last Words With BatmanBruce Wayne and Alfred in DC's Batman vs Robin

In DC's Batman vs Robin event, the devil Nezha corrupted Damian Wayne's Robin who helped him cripple nearly every magical hero in the DC Universe. Nezha also brought back Alfred Pennyworth to serve as his puppet, a means to distract and torment Batman. However, Nezha required Alfred's actual soul to make this happen. As such, Batman was able to gain what was denied to him in City of Bane: a chance say goodbye and hear Alfred's last words in Batman vs Robin #3. Demanding that Bruce stop holding himself responsible for his death, Alfred helped Batman reconcile Pennyworth's death and stop blaming himself.

Related: The Justice League Will Never Let Batman Live Down His Greatest Failure

Batman Becomes The New Doctor FateBatman_in_Doctor_Fate_Helmet_Comic_Art

With Nezha channeling several magic users' power into the Helmet of Doctor Fate to dominate the entire world, Batman donned the helmet himself, becoming one of the DC Universe's most powerful sorcerers and battling Nezha directly in Batman vs Robin #4 from Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, and Scott Godlewski. However, the end of the issue saw Batman destroying the Helmet rather than letting Nezha claim it for himself. As such, it may be some time before the DCU gains a new Doctor Fate.

The Fate of Batman’s Flashpoint Parents Revealed

Flashpoint Batman and Joker in DC Comics

Another major change in Batman lore was the final fate of the Dark Knight's Flashpoint parents. In the Flashpoint Beyond miniseries from Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, Tim Sheridan, Eduardo Risso, Xermánico, and Mikel Janín, Thomas Wayne's Batman was returned the Flashpoint reality after spending time in his son's reality and joining the mulitiversal Justice League Incarnate. Believing that Bruce's reality had been erased once again, Flashpoint Batman initially tried to find a way to bring it back once more.

However, the return of Martha Wayne's Joker saw the two deciding to move on from their son's death, raising the orphan son of Harvey Dent as a new Robin. Meanwhile, the primary DC Universe saw Bruce's Batman squaring off with Rip Hunter and the Time Masters for containing the Flashpoint timeline in a snow globe-turned-space time talisman created by Watchmen's Doctor Manhattan. However, Rip allowed Batman to keep his alternate parents' happy ending in the Batcave after the timeline successfully stabilized.

While 2022 was a massive year for the Dark Knight, there are still plenty stories to come from DC Comics. Who knows what 2023 will bring for Bruce Wayne's Batman?

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