Plot
In the then-future year of 2019, Bruce Wayne is in his late fifties and still fighting crime as Batman, despite suffering recurring health issues relating to his age and past injuries. During a rescue of a kidnapped heiress, Bruce suffers a heart attack and, at the risk of being killed by a criminal, betrays his cardinal rule by threatening him with a gun, the weapon used to murder his parents and motivate him to become Batman in the first place. Realizing that he will inevitably have to break his strict code to never kill for survival if he continues to fight crime, Bruce reluctantly decides to permanently retire as Batman to avoid becoming a killer. By this point, his butler and confidant, Alfred Pennyworth, and additional colleagues, such as Lucius Fox and James Gordon, have since died. All of his rogues' gallery, if not still incarcerated or residing at Arkham Asylum, are either reformed members of society, missing or in exile, or dead. Bruce has also severed ties with Superman and the Justice League. He leaves his company, Wayne Enterprises, and it merges with Powers Technology and becomes Wayne Powers, headed by Derek Powers.
Twenty years later, Bruce lives alone in Wayne Manor with only the company of his Great Dane, Ace. One night, rebellious teenager Terry McGinnis is chased by thugs onto the lawn of Wayne Manor, and he and Bruce fight them together, but Bruce has another heart attack shortly afterwards. Terry takes Bruce inside and takes care of him. Exploring the mansion, Terry discovers the Batcave and asks Bruce to let him take up his mantle.
Terry's decision to become Batman stems from sharing a similar origin story to Bruce, in that his father, Warren McGinnis, is murdered after learning of an illegal weapons project being conducted at Wayne-Powers. Bruce grants Terry a high-tech Batsuit he made shortly before his retirement, granting him increased strength and agility, flight capabilities, stealth, and enhanced sensor systems, with Bruce allowing him to use it not only to get justice for his father's murder, but also to prevent the illegal weapon being manufactured being sold to a foreign power. His actions lead to Bruce accepting him as the new Batman and providing him cover for his work under the pretense of Terry doing part-time work for him outside of school hours. Despite the two having moments where they differ in methods they also gain respect for each other's work as Batman.
Terry mainly lives with his remaining family - his mother, Mary, who was divorced from Warren around the time of his death; and his brother, Matt - while dating fellow student Dana Tan, though his life as Batman creates complications to their relationship. Alongside Bruce, Terry is aided in his life by Max Gibson, a close friend and highly intelligent student who uncovers his secret several weeks after he becomes Batman, serving in a role similar to Alfred Pennyworth. Apart from Max, Terry's role as Batman is also known to Barbara Gordon, who aided Bruce as Batgirl before parting ways with him to become the Gotham City Police Department's police commissioner following her father's death. Like Bruce, Terry develops his own rogues' gallery amongst the criminals he brings to justice, and also faces some of Bruce's own surviving enemies.
