[log in to unmask] writes:

>...  Would someone PLEASE note which opera precedes Bruce Wayne's
>orphanization so I can have this puzzlement cleared up?

History

Bruce Wayne was born in 1915 (America vs.  the Justice Society #1) to
Dr.  Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, two wealthy Gotham City socialites.
Young Bruce was raised in an environment of wealth and privilege and
enjoyed a happy childhood until the age of seven.  One evening in 1922,
Bruce and his parents were walking home after seeing a Rudolph Valentino
movie. When they crossed what would later be known as Crime Alley, they
were accosted by a mugger named Joe Chill.  Chill demanded Mrs.  Wayne's
jewelry and any cash they may have on hand.  When the elder Wayne resisted,
Chill shot him.  In the excitement, Martha Wayne suffered a heart attack
and died shortly thereafter.  Stunned by the deaths of his parents, Bruce
Wayne stared intently at the criminal, memorizing every detail of his
face.  Unnerved, Chill beat a hasty retreat before the authorities arrived
(Detective Comics #33, Batman #47, Secret Origins vol.  2 #6).

Eric Willstaedt