Batman And Nightwing #23 Review

Acceptance. The final stage of grief.  Bruce Wayne is obsessed with running a computer simulation of Damian's final moments.  The Heretic, Talia, Leviathan and all the chaos and destruction that happened while Bruce was trapped.  No matter how many times he tries, he cannot end the simulation with him saving his son's life.

In the meantime, Alfred has asked Dick Grayson to visit with Bruce and talk some sense into him.  Instead, Dick enters the simulation with Bruce and the two of them succeed in saving Damian.  As the simulated Damian fades, Dick tells Bruce that he should make his son's death count for something just like he did when his parents died. 

With Dick and Bruce gone, Alfred enters the simulation and instead of letting Damian leave the Cave, he tricks him and the program ends with the little Robin living to fight another night.  Of course Alfred blames himself for the death, but Bruce tells him they both lost a son and no one is to blame.

Peter Tomasi has saved the best for last.  Bruce finally stops trying to bring back Damian back from the dead and sees that he is not to blame.  In fact, he sees that even though things could have been done differently, Damian's death has hurt everyone, not just himself.  Thanks to Dick and Alfred he realizes that Bruce and Batman must continue on in the name of his fallen son.

                                      9.0/10