[SPOILER] Returns In Batman #47

SPOILERS for BATMAN #47 follow.

Bruce Wayne hasn’t been Batman in a while, ever since the events of “Endgame.” In fact, he doesn’t even remember that he ever was Batman, but we all know it’s only a matter of time before he reclaims the cape and cowl.

In today’s Batman #47, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo take some big steps towards that return.

First, Bruce Wayne is confronted by Duke Thomas, the boy he saved as Batman during the Zero Year, and who has now joined the group of Robins currently operating in Gotham City. Duke tries to get Bruce to remember who he was, and Bruce has a vision of a giant bat.

Bruce realizes what this means, and tries to convince himself of the fact. He’s moments away from finally chocking out the words “I’m Batman,” when he is interrupted by a man in a white suit. This man says that, like Bruce, he also recently had an accident nearby.

I wonder who that could be.

The Joker is back. Shocking, right? Who would have thought that a massive intellectual property company wouldn’t permanently kill off one of its biggest money-making characters?

Total lack of surprise aside, it’s a nice page. The yin rekindling his relationship with the yang, and their entire relationship boiled down to an image of two moths attracted to a flame.

Recent solicitations suggest that Bruce will get his bat-groove back in Batman #49, so the conversation that seems set to happen in Batman #48 should be an interesting one.