Batman Is Finally Admitting 'Bruce Wayne' Doesn't Actually Exist

screenrant.com:

Warning: spoilers ahead for Batman #125!

Everyone in his life knows that Batman can be cruel and heartless when it comes to his relationships, but it turns out that the Dark Knight considers his relationships as Bruce Wayne mere tools to be used in his mission as a vigilante.

There might have been a period of time when Bruce Wayne was a normal and well-adjusted person, but this was probably only before his parents were murdered. Once Thomas and Martha Wayne died, Bruce, and by extension his relationships with people, was never the same. He became a broken person, which made it hard to form both friendships and romantic relationships as he was overcome with grief and would constantly push people away. It was even difficult for Bruce to open up to Alfred from time to time, who is perhaps the only person who could know what he was going through.

Related: Batman Confirms the Death of a Major Gotham Villain (& He's Being Blamed)

Insight into how Bruce treats his relationships is given in Batman #125 by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez. An old friend of Bruce's is murdered, and Tim Drake stops by to express his condolences. At this point, Batman reveals that Bruce Wayne was only friends with 'Colin' because during that time in his life, when he had started being Batman, Colin was helpful as cover, helping to build the playboy image Bruce needed to hide his vigilante activities. When Tim calls Colin a «friend,» Batman responds uncertainly before confirming that he «used» him during his return to Gotham.

Batman states that once Colin got married, he was no longer partying and therefore was no longer useful as a tool for him to use. This supports the long-held fan theory that Bruce Wayne as a person really doesn't exist. He is