Summary

• All-Star Batman #3 reveals how a formative childhood encounter with Harvey Dent – who would go on to become the antagonist Two-Face – actually influenced Batman's pivotal no-kill rule, preventing Bruce Wayne from going down a dark path of revenge and murder.
• Bruce and Harvey concocted a scheme to help each other seek revenge on people who had wrong them – but Harvey's ability to let go of his anger and forgive his target, his father, helped Bruce step back from the brink of his obsession with getting revenge for his parents' murder.
• Without Harvey Dent's forgiveness, Batman may have become a killer; the origin of his iconic no-kill rule is recontextualized in All-Star Batman, with the unexpected revelation that future villain Harvey Dent played an essential role in shaping it.

Among the most iconic parts of Two-Face played a pivotal role in the origin of this rule. While the trauma of his parents' death certainly factored into the development of his "no-kill" directive, it can also be traced back to Harvey Dent.

All-Star Batman #3 – by Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr. – established the link between Two-Face and surprising history with Harvey Dent, revealing that he met Harvey at the Arkham summer home for disturbed children in their youth.

Bruce was sent to Arkham by Alfred Pennyworth, after discovering that Bruce had been plotting to murder Joe Chill and had even gotten so far as practicing with fake guns – resulting in an encounter with Harvey that changed his life's trajectory.

If Bruce had succeeded in killing Joe Chill, it's likely he wouldn't have stopped there...All-Star Batman #3 emphasizes that Bruce Wayne himself believes this could have been the case, giving readers a glimpse of a dark militaristic Batsuit with guns that Batman imagines he might've used.

The Caped Crusader Could Have Been A Killer, If Not For Two-Face

All-Star Batman #3 – Written By Scott Snyder, John Romita Jr, Danny Miki, Dean White, and Steve Wands

As All-Star Batman #3 makes clear, if Batman hadn't met Harvey Dent at Arkham, it's possible he would've gone through with his plan to kill Joe Chill, radically altering the future of Gotham City. While the Dark Knight famously operates with a strict no-kill rule, It is not unreasonable that a young Bruce Wayne, in the immediate wake of the tragedy, wanted revenge on his parents' killer. Bruce witnessed one of the worst things possible, the violent death of his parents – and his desire for retribution led him to his life-altering trip to Arkham.

Batman has stated in other stories that he feels if he starts killing, he wouldn't be able to stop, and that may very well have been the path he was heading down in All-Star Batman. If Bruce had succeeded in killing Joe Chill, it's likely he wouldn't have stopped there, and simply decided to keep killing criminals. All-Star Batman #3 emphasizes that Bruce Wayne himself believes this could have been the case, giving readers a glimpse of a dark militaristic Batsuit with guns that Batman imagines he might've used if Harvey Dent hadn't helped him come to an important realization.

Bruce and Harvey planned to kill each other's targets, with Bruce killing Harvey's abusive father and Harvey killing Joe Chill. However, after an apology from his father, Harvey decided to forgive him and abandon Bruce's plan. This pivotal moment inspired Bruce to try and see the good in people.

Harvey Dent Inspired "All-Star" Batman's Rule Against Killing

Bruce its Two-Face Helped Shape His Ideals

The surprising link that Harvey Dent had to Bruce Wayne's origins changed everything about Bruce's life, and in time led to his no-kill rule as Batman. Originally, Bruce and Harvey planned to kill each other's targets, with Bruce killing Harvey's abusive father and Harvey killing Joe Chill. However, after an apology from his father, Harvey decided to forgive him and abandon Bruce's plan. This pivotal moment inspired Bruce to try and see the good in people, no matter how bad they were, making it the first time in his life that Batman forged what could become his iconic no-killing rule.

All-Star Batman #3 is available now from DC Comics!