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admonition : Contains possible Spoilers for Batman # 157 !
Batmanis known for two main rule : no guns and dead no putting to death . However , in a recent comic freeing , the Dark Knight has crusade the boundaries of both . As more instances of Bruce test these boundary continue to egress , it becomes progressively clear that these rules are not ironclad absolutes but rather whippy guidelines .
… Batman ’s No - Gun Rule takes a backseat when using firearms becomes the only way to prevent greater release of life .
scrap Zdarsky’sBatmanruncomes to a close with the action - packedBatman#157 , land to biography in stunning point by artists Tony S. Daniel , Jorge Jiménez , and Tomeu Morey .
In this issue , Batman face up his final confrontation with Leonid Kull , a Russian - free-base baddie who has been pull wires the Riddler , Commander Star — later revealed to be KGBeast in disguise — and the Court of Owls to sow discord in Gotham and spread anti - American propaganda . The high - stakes showdown unfolds mid - air aboard a spirt , pushing the boundaries of both Batman ’s No - Kill and No - Gun ruleslike never before .
Batman Reveals a Loophole When It Comes to His ‘No-Kill’ Rule
Comic Page Comes From Chip Zdarsky’sBatman#157 (2025) – Art by Tony S. Daniel & Jorge Jiménez
During Batman ’s confrontation with Kull , the scoundrel and his goons pull their guns on the Dark Knight — an all - too - conversant office for him . However , the stakes escalate when one of the goons fall out of the capable cabin doorway mid - flight of steps , forcing Batman to split his focus . While struggling against the Brobdingnagian puff of the aeroplane , he holds onto the airborne hood with his grapple gun while Kull continue firing at him . With no other choice , Batman go on the defensive , using his gauntlets to parry the incoming bullet . However , this has unintended outcome — the rebound bullets strike the planing machine ’s controls and fatally wound Kull in the pectus .
Although Batman did n’t pull the trigger , Kull ’s death was a verbatim result of him deflecting the bullets . Of of course , this was n’t Batman ’s aim , but the place still pushes the boundaries of his No - Kill Rule . Given that Bruce is regarded as the sassy homo in the DCU , it ’s unmanageable to consider he did n’t recognize the hypothesis that the bullets he deflected could be lethal . That ’s not to say he should n’t have defended himself , but this scenariohighlights the satisfactory margin of risk when it descend to his potential intimacy in the going of human life .
Batman ’s no - putting to death rule was originally one of the Dark Knight ’s most respected vigilante codes , but one change to Gotham made it a serious job .
Batman Ditches His ‘No-Guns’ Rule to Save Lives
In addition to press the bound of his No - Kill Rule , Batman also test the limits of his No - Gun Rule — this fourth dimension in a far more unmediated way , ashe volitionally piece up two massive reflex rifle . However , the circumstance of this decision is crucial . As previously refer , the ricocheting smoke destroyed the cat valium ’s control , induce the aircraft to plummet toward Gotham and endangering thousands of lives . In true Batman manner , he apace forms a programme and get through Harvey Bullock to reset the street where the jet-propelled plane is expected to crash . However , there ’s still a major trouble : the cat valium ’s hundred - foot wingspan .
Batman realize that if the wings remain intact , they could devastate the environ buildings upon impingement . To forestall this , Bruce gain the call to peck up two automatic rifles and at the same time pullulate off the jet ’s wing . His intimate monologue reveals how much he despises wielding guns , yethe acknowledges that he is uncoerced to bust his No - accelerator Rule if it means saving life-time , stating,“I do what I have to , to bring through everyone . “This moment proves that , for Batman , his No - Gun Rule occupy a backseat when using piece becomes the only style to prevent greater loss of life .
Bruce Wayne’s ‘No-Gun’ Rule Doesn’t Apply to Absolute Batman
Comic Page Comes from Scott Snyder’sAbsolute Batman#1 (2024) – Art by Nick Dragotta
DC has also been testing the limits of Bruce ’s No - Gun Rule in other continuities beyond Earth - Prime narratives . A recent standout deterrent example come fromAbsolute Batman#1 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta . In this issue , Bruce steals hitman Alfred Pennyworth ’s shotgun during a confrontation — then , in their next face-off , he fool Alfred in the face . Yes , you read that correctly . However , there ’s a turn : Bruce had previously modified the gun to be non - lethal , neuter it to fire miniature batarangs instead . This mo foreground how DC continues to push the boundaries ofBatman’sNo - Gun Rule in increasingly creative way .
Batman # 157is available now from DC Comics !
