7 Best Batman Retcons in 86 Years of Lore

Most superhero comics are designed to go on forever. While some popular stories, like Invincible, do have clear endings, the heroes from Marvel and DC are intended to appear in comics indefinitely – and sometimes even beyond that. Because these heroes have nearly ninety years of history written by countless authors, the storylines can become incredibly complex. One common way to refresh stories and eliminate confusing or unwanted plot points is through ‘retcons,’ which are changes made to established history.

Let’s be honest, “retcons” – changes to established story details – often get a bad rap in the comic book world, and sometimes rightfully so! We all remember those changes that just didn’t work and upset a lot of fans – things like the “One More Day” Spider-Man storyline or the twist with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch’s parentage. But you know what? For every bad retcon, there are tons that actually improve a character’s history, and often we don’t even notice them! The really good ones just seamlessly become part of the story, accepted by everyone. That’s what I want to talk about today. I’m going to highlight seven of the best retcons Batman has had over his incredible eighty-six year run – changes that actually made the character even better.

7) Stephanie Brown Never Died

The “War Games” storyline is considered one of Batman’s most controversial. It involved Stephanie Brown, who was then Robin, attempting a crime-stopping plan she found on the Batcomputer. Unbeknownst to her, the plan required Batman to secretly pose as a criminal, which led to a huge gang war and, tragically, Stephanie’s death. The following story, “War Crimes,” revealed a shocking truth: Leslie Thompkins, a long-time friend and ally of Batman who always opposed violence, allowed Stephanie to die as a way to demonstrate the dangers of Batman’s methods and his reliance on young sidekicks.

Leslie killing Stephanie was a shockingly out-of-character moment and upset many fans. The storyline was later changed to reveal Stephanie had actually survived and started a new life in Africa. While this explanation wasn’t perfect, it brought a popular character back and resolved the issue of Leslie seemingly murdering a teenager, which was a positive outcome.

6) Cassandra Cain Was Brainwashed

Cassandra Cain is currently Batgirl and was the first to take on the role after Barbara Gordon’s injury. Although most of the Bat-Family avoid killing at all costs, Cass is even more committed to that principle – perhaps more so than Batman himself. That’s why her abrupt shift to becoming a villain and assassin seemed so illogical. A storyline following a one-year gap revealed Cass had gone from being Batgirl to leading the League of Assassins, suddenly and casually committing murder and speaking freely without explanation.

Writer Adam Beechen reports that this change happened with no explanation from editors. It was quickly reversed, establishing that Cass wasn’t choosing to be a villain, but was instead being controlled by Deathstroke. The storyline where Cass acted as a supervillain was quickly dismissed, and fans readily accepted the explanation, seemingly happy to move past what many considered a frustrating and unnecessary detour.

5) Batman and Two-Face’s Friendship

Over the years, the origins of many of Batman’s famous enemies have been rewritten, and Two-Face’s transformation is one of the best examples. He didn’t start as someone connected to Batman; originally, he was just Harvey Kent. However, stories like “Year One” and “The Long Halloween” greatly developed his background as a District Attorney and showed his relationship with Batman before he became a villain. They worked closely together, even becoming friends, and Bruce Wayne almost revealed his secret identity to Harvey. This close connection made Harvey’s descent into villainy much more tragic and gives their battles a deeper emotional weight. It’s more than just a fight between a hero and a villain; it’s a struggle to save a former friend.

4) Mister Freeze’s Origin

Mr. Freeze is now considered one of Batman’s saddest enemies, but he wasn’t always so compelling. Before the animated series revamped his story, he was a fairly generic villain with little motivation. Originally known as Mister Zero, he was a scientist who created a freezing gun. An accidental spill of his freezing formula changed his body, forcing him to live in extremely cold temperatures. This original backstory is much less impactful than the now-famous tale of a man driven to crime to save or honor his wife. Though it began with the cartoon, this revised origin story quickly became part of the comic books and is now considered the definitive version of Mr. Freeze’s past.

3) Jason Todd’s New Origin

Most fans know Jason Todd as the Robin who came from a tough background and had to fight for everything. The story of him meeting Batman by stealing the Batmobile’s tires really established their complex relationship. It showed Jason was a bold, somewhat rebellious character, and hinted at the tragedy that would define him. However, this is actually a later version of his origin story. His very first origin has been largely forgotten, and with good reason.

Jason’s backstory is remarkably similar to Dick Grayson’s. Like Dick, he was a circus performer whose parents were killed, and Batman took him in as a protégé. His family was even known as the Flying Todds. It seems DC Comics was hesitant to create a new Robin too different from the original, so they kept Jason’s origins almost identical. The only initial differences were that Jason witnessed his parents’ murder outside the circus and that he had blonde hair – both of which were quickly changed in later versions of the story.

2) Alfred Raising Bruce

Alfred wasn’t always the dependable butler fans know today. He first appeared in a 1940 Batman comic, where he actually insisted on becoming Bruce and Dick’s butler, even though they didn’t want him! Initially, he was a clumsy, comedic character, meant to be a lighthearted sidekick. But over time, his backstory was rewritten: he became the Waynes’ loyal, longtime butler and the one who raised Bruce after his parents died. This transformation was crucial, changing Alfred from a throwaway joke into one of the most important characters in Batman’s story. He profoundly influenced Bruce’s outlook on life and helped him become the hero he is. This evolution is a major reason why Alfred remains such a beloved character.

1) Batman Not Killing

Batman is known for his strong sense of right and wrong, but he wasn’t always this way. When he first appeared in comics, he was more like a classic, hard-boiled detective – a character type that often dealt with violence. While stories about Batman killing villains are often overstated, that era of comics was generally more brutal, and Batman wasn’t as concerned with preserving the lives of criminals. As the superhero genre grew, Batman quickly became a symbol of morality, rejecting his earlier actions. In fact, in Batman #4 (1940), less than two years after his debut, he explicitly tells Robin that they must never kill – a principle he established long before the Comics Code Authority began regulating comic books thirteen years later.

The change in Batman’s character has evolved from a simple code of ethics into a core part of who he is. The contrast between his dark, driven nature and his unwavering respect for life is what truly defines him, setting him apart from more ruthless vigilantes like the Punisher. At his heart, Batman is a compassionate person who acts out of empathy. His internal conflict in maintaining this commitment to life is a compelling and hopeful element of his stories, making it the most impactful change to his backstory ever.

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2025-12-23 21:15