One of the most famous pieces of Batman lore is that the Dark Knight doesn't kill. No matter what, no matter how many people the Joker kills, Batman refuses to stoop so low as to become a killer just like his worst enemies. However, this no-kill rule isn't just a fundamental piece of Batman's mythos - it's one of DC's first ever retcons.

Batman's no-kill rule has been around for decades, but it wasn't there at his debut. The very first instance of Batman revealing that he and his companions don't kill is in the pages of Batman #4 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. When Batman and Robin are dueling pirates with swords, Batman instructs Robin to use the flat side of his blade, so as to not kill anyone.

Robin responds in the affirmative, as though this is a rule that's been in continuity for a while - the very stuff of a good retcon. In reality, before Robin came onto the scene, Batman was killing criminals left and right.

Batman Doesn't Kill...Right?

Batman's First Kill Has Major Joker Symbolism

today's Batman has changed in more ways than can be counted, the most iconic aspect of his character is that, despite his dark nature, he vowed to never kill. Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case.

In that very first appearance, Batman faces his first villain and pushes him into a vat of acid, commenting that it's "a fitting ending for his kind." The Joker symbolism that bubbles to the surface is replete within his very first issue. Batman goes on in the next issues to trap so-called Doctor Death in a burning building and then, at another time, to snap a man's neck. Batman was also seen using guns quite regularly. So what happened to this version of the vigilante Batman who had no qualms with taking the law into his own hands?

Why DC Retconned Batman's Past of Brutal Justice

Batman Gets His Own Title and a Sidekick to Boot

From a noir detective to a superhuman space hero beyond Gotham, Batman has gained major ground as an icon of justice who acts within the bounds of mercy. But the true backstory is that comic editors steered Bob Kane and Bill Finger away from Batman's harsh version of justice when Batman finally got his first title. Very quickly, Batman got his sidekick, Robin, and from there, he turned into a saintly paragon for a few decades - until the pendulum swung back, that is.

While Batman #4 provides the first example of Batman not killing, it does it in the classic retcon way, pretending this is the way it has always been for the readers. After 80 years of this, DC is practically right. But the history of Batman killing is there, and DC's reasons for changing this practice are the very same reasons that Batman himself stopped killing: in order to be a better role model for a future generation. This is a much more compelling take on the character, and DC would be foolish to let it slide by in just another timeline change, the first of many, in fact.

Robin Is the Reason Why Batman Turned From a Killer to a Hero

Batman Transformed From a Vigilante to a Role Model with Robin

Batman sacrificed his ultimate form of vengeance so as not to drag Robin into the darkness that shrouded him.

Just as with his son, Damian Wayne, who has killed multiple times, Batman's history shows that a hero who has killed before and then vows to be better and never kill again is a more compelling hero than one who has never crossed any kind of line. Batman's timeline shows that his practice of killing dwindles away by the time Dick Grayson comes onto the scene. This is another important aspect to the mystery, as it shows that Batman sacrificed his ultimate form of vengeance so as not to drag Robin into the darkness that shrouded him.

Batman has also recently given the smartest reason yet for his no-kill rule. It's not just about not wanting to cross a line; Batman knows he inspires others to follow in his footsteps - if he kills, then Batman inspires others to do the same. This can be realized all the way back to when he adopted Robin as his sidekick. Bruce Wayne realized that he was training a boy to walk in his footsteps. He decided to train Dick Grayson along the path of light instead of the path of death in a major, fundamental shift to his noir, action pulp character.

DC Should Keep the Real History of Batman's Kill Record

Batman's Killing Past Makes Him a More Compelling Character

Robin's place in this retcon is essential, as it means that Robin made Batman a hero. As stories continue to be created, such as The Bat-Man: First Knight by Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins, which show the inner life of Batman's first days, there's a major opportunity here for true storytelling that reveals the darkest parts of Batman in the beginning and just how he pulled himself back from the brink of darkness. Nightwing's light-hearted nature is something every fan is familiar with - but just imagine seeing the first moment Bruce Wayne brings Dick Grayson home, and it saves Batman from the darkness instead.

Even further, if the Joker is the memory of Stryker (Batman's first villain he pushed into a vat of acid) that has come back to haunt him thematically, then the history of Batman's killing can only become more complex - and darker. No wonder Batman will never kill the Joker, because the Joker is the face of Batman's failure of already killing once before. Show fans this true Batman, and his entire narrative history will finally make sense instead of being the stuttering re-tellings of many different Batmen.

Batman Doesn't Kill - Anymore

DC Should Let Batman Be the Paragon of Redemption

This is a heavier and much more thematic story arc than any other editorial white-out. DC should embrace the Dark Knight's darkest past, because it makes him that much stronger. Most criticisms aimed at characters like Superman are that he has no depth to him. Batman has more depth than most characters, but if he, as a dark vigilante, has never killed, then he's missing one of his biggest moments for complexity. At a time when Bat-Family are breaking the no-kill rule, it's more important than ever for Bruce Wayne to it the truth and become the role model he was meant to be.

The truth of Batman will only make fans love him more as a father figure who has chosen life over his murderous past.

The history is there, and it's much more interesting than any retcon. As with any story, the truth is more interesting than the fiction, and DC should lean into the truth of Batman. It will only make fans love him more as a father figure who has chosen life instead of his murderous past. Sure, everybody knows the Batman doesn't kill - at least anymore.