Batman: Detective Comics # 0 2012 VF/NM

Batman: Detective Comics #0, published in November 2012, is a "New 52" prequel issue that explores the early training years of Bruce Wayne before he became Batman. 

Story Summary

The issue is split into a main story and a backup feature, both focusing on the time Bruce spent away from Gotham: 

• "The Final Lesson" (Main Story): Ten years before the then-current continuity, Bruce travels to the Himalayas to train under the legendary Zen-Buddhist monk warrior, Shihan Matsuda.
• The Lesson: Matsuda teaches Bruce to purge all emotion, claiming that love and compassion are weaknesses.
• The Betrayal: Bruce falls for a local woman named Mio, but she is revealed to be an assassin hired to kill Matsuda. The tragic outcome reinforces Matsuda's cold philosophy and serves as one of Bruce's "final lessons" in emotional detachment.
• "The Long Wait" (Backup Story): This story shifts the perspective to Gotham, showing Alfred Pennyworth's unwavering loyalty while Bruce is missing.
• The Conflict: Alfred must fend off businessmen and the Kane family who want Bruce declared dead so they can seize the Wayne estate.
• The Return: The story concludes with Bruce finally returning to Wayne Manor, setting the stage for his transformation into Batman.