Batman

We are certain that, by now, much has been written about the death of Batman. What's more, we suspect that most of those who've commented have, unlike us, had an opportunity to read the issue of Final Crisis where Bruce Wayne finally dies.

Oh, that reminds us: SPOILER ALERT. Don't read the above paragraph if you want to avoid learning about the death of Batman.

Don't get us wrong: we've heard the event was handled tastefully, that the issue in question was, in fact, quite good. But there is a sense of fatigue we feel when a superhero dies. It is no longer a question of whether the character will come back, mind you, or even a question of when: it is a question of what the company will do in the meantime.

"The Death of Superman," once the comic event of the century, is remembered now for it's handling of the character's legacy, not the awkward death and resurrection of Kal-El. The death of Captain America is likewise being celebrated for its depiction of a post-Rogers world: there is little attempt being made to deny his eventual return from the grave.

But it is hard to respond with anything less than cynicism to the news that Bruce Wayne, the most marketable property of DC, has (for the time being) stepped briefly into the great beyond. As we hinted a moment ago, Marvel has killed off Captain America to great effect: for DC to follow suit now feels derivative, to say the least.

Whatever has occurred in the world of comics, dear reader, rest assured he lives on in our hearts, our dreams, and on our toy shelves. Yes, to mark this somber event, The Clearance Bin contains a review of the very same action figure pictured above. If you consider reviewing a child's toy callous and inappropriate in the face of such tragedy, we offer this by way of apology: we will surely try to find a more suitable action figure to commemorate the next time Batman dies.