so basically Thomas Wayne as Batman is the Punisher with money

Thomas Wayne induced Bat-Universe 
Justice League of America: Thomas would be against joining.
Dick Grayson: He'd become a hero on his own influenced by Batman. He'd be Nightwing.
Jason Todd: The first Robin. He'd still die.
Tim Drake: He'd be Nightwing's first sidekick.
Barbara Gordon: Probably go straight to becoming Oracle.
Damian Wayne: Will never exist.

Have they ever made a sort of "What If" Bruce Wayne's Batman was the killer type?
 
I think it would be interesting to see how Gotham would be if Bruce took a different path. Would Barbara still be paralyzed, how would he have handled Catwoman when they first met, what would have happened with Dick Grayson or Timothy Drake?
 
I'm not a big DC reader, so I don't know if they've tried something similar or not.

He'd probably file a police report and call it a day.

This is the same idea I tackled in my review of the first  issue of the book.  I think it's exciting to see this Batman that could have been

so does this mean that he said "yes, my son and wife i shall become a bat" lol what a joke :P

Thomas reminds me of Azrael and Todd's Batman.  He fits in well with with the World of Flashpoint and his way of controlling Gotham Crime with his Casino is quite cool, but I by no means believe he's a better Batman than Bruce.

I don´t know that storyline about the Thomas Wayne Batman but it sounds interesting. In fact, it sounds more realistic. You see, Batman never kills the Joker. He catches him, or helps the police catch him, so they can bring him to prison or to Arkham Asylum. The Joker escapes, again and again, and on his flight & during his time outside he commits countless atrocities & crimes. It´s really noble of Batman not to kill him, but after the 5th time, or 10th time, or 20th time that the Joker escapes, doesn´t Batman think: if I kill this bad person, I will save many other good, innocent persons´ lives? Is he really worth it, endangering many other lives, simply by sparing his life again and again?
Maybe Thomas Wayne would spare the Joker´s life for 5 times, or 10 times or more, but one day he´ll think, awww damn it, I´m tired of this psycho. And that´s the end of the Joker. And I think it´ll be similar with other villains, too. 
In fact, I think Thomas Wayne would be a DC version of Marvel´s The Punisher (who also lost his wife & kids - the analogy would be perfect). He would be Frank Castle in the Batsuit. Maybe he won´t even use the Batsuit, or not on a regular basis, but go out often in more casual wear, so villains won´t recognize him immediately. And he would probably use firearms. No matter what a badass fighter the Bruce Wayne Batman is: firearms are always faster & more efficient. Then Thomas would be really like a DC version of The Punisher. Not such a bad idea, but also not a new one.

So the big shocking Batman reveal of Flashpoint is that Thomas Wayne is the Punisher in a Bat suit....glad I spent that 4 bucks on lunch.   As far as this topic goes. I'm an efficiency kind of guy. You know how many lives would be saved had the Joker been put down?

@Omega Ray Jay said:

It would save so many lives where the Joker is concerned but yeah not a great path to go down.

No...The Justice System would have saved so many lives. It's not up to Bruce to kill them, the State is fully capable of that. They don't though, because they're inept and corrupt.

Thinking about this brought up this hypothetical question: What would have happened if only ONE of Bruce's parents survived?

I wonder

If either of Bruce's parents survived, logically he would never become Batman, having a parent to support him emotionally.  
 
But I could see Thomas becoming Batman to avenge his wife, and Bruce stumbling upon the Batcave, and the son becoming Robin to the father's Batman. 
 
If Bruce's mother survived? To most comic book fans, Martha Wayne is nothing but a clutch of broken pearls.  Depending on the era in which the story is written, the idea of a solo female costumed vigilante could be too strange to even contemplate (sadly, I think this is /most/ eras, including today).  
Two concepts emerge in my mind: 
 
1) Martha becomes Batwoman. Bruce is either too freaked out by his mom kicking ass and tries to stop her, grudgingly taking up the mantle of the Bat, or thinks it's cool and becomes her Robin. 
 
2) Martha becomes Catwoman. Think of the image of the broken pearls. Widow Wayne could get a little crazy and rob the corrupt of Gotham in a quest to emotionally "mend that strand of pearls" and thus mend her heart that was broken that night in Crime Alley. How will Bruce react to the news that his mother is a cat burglar?

It's funny how everyone's saying "Batman kills?! That's not right!" It's an alternate reality/timeline or w/e. Get over it. Besides, the writing is good. It's a nice take on Batman. Really interesting.

A Batman who kills? They tried that with Azrael and no one liked that character either. There is only one Batman...

STRETCHING THE RIDICULOUS  A small child being scarred and molded from childhood up and deciding to dress up as a bat and fight crime, is silly in the real world... but between Nolan and Miller's Batmen, and some of the better incarnations, it's clear that he'd have to be a lunatic. So we excuse it based on that, and the fact that he had ALL his life to train.  Thomas Wayne was supposed to be a grown frickin' adult. It's just stupid. But hey, I'm sure there's those that think if Barry Allen's parents were murdered in front of him at 8 years old, *he* would've become Batman... because no one's had close loved ones murdered in front of them an responded any differently.

Honestly, after appearing only two issues now, how can anyone even make a true comparison?? Bruce all the way, he IS the Batman.

Bruce takes Thomas to the cave and gives him a whuppin.

This is enough incentive to ask the following question: DCU Batman vs Flashpoint Batman.

Comparing these two isn't fair really in either regard.  Bruce was a boy who lost his parents. For him Batman isn't out for revenge, he's not even out to stop criminals or to fight for justice. In his heart, Batman is an ideal for Bruce. He wants to save the innocent and protect his city from the criminls so  no other has to suffer as he has. But in his heart, he's still just a boy trying to save his parents. Even the Batman himself is very much a personification of a child's idea of heroism. Batman's morals come from trying to live up to the legacy of his parents. His father, the Doctor who saved lives, and his mother, who if I remember correctly was heavily involbved in charity. All in all, he's trying to be a good man to honor his parents .  Thomas is a man whose lost everything. He lost the woman he loved, he lost his son, he lost any grandchildren. All of it robbed away by the harsh underbelly of society from this man. He lived a good life and helped people, that didn't matter to God and his familyy still died. In his heart he isn't a man out to avenge his families, he simply wants to destroy what destroyed his life. He wants to make this world a better place and he believes the only way to do that is to destroy evil where he finds it.  In this way, Thomas' is a completly different ball game. Thomas has no legacy to live up to, Batman isn't an ideal or a symbol to him. Batman is a damned soul out to punish other  damned souls.   If we're looking at who achieve his goals, Thomas is more effective in taking  out the criminals and keeping his streets safe.  Bruce however has made the Batman larger than himself.. But arguing which is better is a moot point since they aren't comparable.

• 
  In early golden age comics, batman killed and used firearms all the time, eventually they decided to get rid of that trait because having to constantly develop new villains was tedious as hell.

What pisses me off about Thomas Wayne as Batman is that he reminds me a lot of Jason Todd as Batman. When I read *Battle For the Cowl* I saw a lot of potential for Todd's character, (even though he was poorly written). I know Todd was never popular to begin with but I thought an Anti-Batman who fights crime was a great idea and I thought it would be Todd's big break. But as most people would rather him dead things didn't pick up for him. Now we have Thomas Wayne as Batman. Its Jason Todd, but with a better fan base. Its like DC just took Todds personality and injected it into Thomas Wayne. If you love Batman you have no choice, BUT to accept him. He is still THE GODDAMN Batman after all. So if Bruce Wayne as Batman is truly dead. Heres a toast to Todd. You will probably never be seen again.

The 100 bullets teams,I will love this and I dont care if is Bruce or THomas or Martha Wayne.But the better Batman I dont no...and i dont care. I like a dark twisted tales.

It's a stupid idea. 
 
Thomas Wayne would be killed soon after trying to become a vigilante. He doesn't have the mental or physical training. While he also wouldn't kill as we have seen he honors his doctors oath no matter what. 
 
If this is the type of thing we are going to see from the "New" DCU I'd rather use the books for kindling than reading as they have no clue what they are doing.

No maybe more interesting but better? Bruce has better tech, gadgets, combat skills, and is in better shape.

I really liked this slant on Batman, I mean it's a hell of a MacGuffin they came up with. I do notice the similaritys between him and the Red Hood but he is still unique enough to stand apart.  

What I enjoy most is the operation that Thomas Wayne has set up to create and become his version of Batman. It's so contradictory and destinct from Bruce's way that I find this character and his world a really conpelling read.  

 I also quite like the coustume differences, not sure about those pointy shoulder thingys but I can see what they are going for. I much prefer how Thomas Wayne is drawn in Flashpoint rather than in Batman: KOV. Only because he looks slightly over stocky but I can deal with it. That and I was diggin the grayish stubble he has in flashpoint.  

All in all I would totally read the rest of the Flashpoint issues he features in and be quite pleased (and let's be honest, surprised) if this Batman and his even bleaker Gotham got an other mini or even an ongoing.

Thomas as Batman? is this on going?

A lot of people I know like vicious Batman better. The one problem though, would be having recurring villains. If you kill them, then you have a bunch of one-shot villains instead of fledged out great villains

I wouldn't say he is a better Batman then Bruce, but he sure is entertaining to read. No doubt about that. Thomas as Batman in an elseworlds story would make a great ongoing. 

Thomas Wayne is a better Batman. I feel sorry for him unlike Bruce. Come on hes in his early 40th and he is still not over his parents death. WTF? 

Bruce is better but not necessarily in the long run. Thomas would of killed the Joker before he filled graveyards larger than London. Bruce's not willing to kill has led to a devastating number of kills including Jason Todd

I would say that a Thomas Wayne Batman is interesting, same with Commissioner Gordon, and I'm far from hating them, but they are definitively not better than Bruce. The only alternate version I would consider saying that about is Terry McGinnis.

@00_raiser: Actually Thomas Wayne from Flashpoint remind me Charles Branson from Death Wish fifty year old guy whom family murdered then he became ruthless vigilante