Detective Comics brings a whole new meaning to Darkseid in Final Crisis. One of Batman’s most controversial parts of his character is his moral code, but this new revelation gives a compelling reason for why and when he breaks it.

Detective Comics #1090 – written by Tom Taylor and art by Mikel Jani – dramatically reveals Thomas Wayne saved Joe Chill’s life despite knowing he was a monstrous person because Thomas firmly believed in his Hippocratic Oath. Thomas tells a young Bruce Wayne he doesn’t decide whose lives are valuable, and because of this Bruce later adopts this sentiment into his moral code as Batman, altering the origin behind Batman’s crime-fighting code forever.

Surprisingly, this newly revealed development of Batman’s philosophy gives a more compelling reason why Batman broke his moral code to kill Darkseid.

Thomas Wayne Shared Batman’s Controversial Belief In Not Taking Lives, And It Led to His Ruin

Detective Comics #1090 – Written By Tom Taylor; Art By Mikel Jani; Available Now From DC Comics

This revelation changes a fundamental part of Batman, showing how Thomas Wayne inspired Bruce and stresses the extremely polarizing debate of letting criminals live to potentially hurt again. Batman’s choice to never kill has always been a divisive part of his identity that has caused points of contention between other crime-fighting heroes such as Red Hood or Bruce Wayne’s traumatic descent into Batman.

Bruce notes that he never took his father’s Hippocratic Oath, but he lives by it because he doesn’t know how a life will be lived and can’t decide who deserves to live. Upholding his rule has always posed a challenge for Batman, especially with the Caped Crusader made an exception to his rule, most famously when Batman killed the evil tyrant Darkseid during the events of Final Crisis.

This Thomas Wayne Revelation Recontextualizes Why Batman Made An Exception To His Iconic Rule For Darkseid

Despite Killing, Batman Still Upheld His Father’s Moral Code

Batman killing Darkseid was a polarizing moment for the Dark Kight because he broke his code but, on a grander scale, it was essential for him to forgo his moral code to save the world. In Final Crisis #6, Darkseid’s Anti-Life Equation enslaved humanity and robbed everyone of their free will, turning the earth into a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Batman’s father taught him if he had the opportunity to save a life, he should always try, and in ending Darkseid, Batman had the chance to save the lives of all humans, an action that upheld his father's lesson to him.

Batman’s "No Kill” rule originating from his father’s Hippocratic Oath is an interesting way to connect him more to his father and add deeper meaning to Batman’s actions and his origin.

Thomas Wayne’s murder by Joe Chill after saving his life challenges Batman’s belief but makes him a stronger hero for not giving in to killing despite being capable of it. While disputed, Batman’s "No Kill” rule originating from his father’s Hippocratic Oath is an interesting way to connect him more to his father and add deeper meaning to Batman’s actions and his origin. Batman doesn’t believe that every life is worth saving the way his father is shown to, but Batman killing Darkseid illustrates just how much of a threat Darkseid was for Batman to go against his number one rule.

Detective Comics #1090 is available now from DC Comics!