The current Batman run written by Tom King and published by DC Comics has seen Bane take over Gotham. The entire run has seen Bane destroy Batman, piece by piece, a macro-reflection of his classic Knightfall story, that has seen 70 issues telling the story of Bane lifting Batman above his head and dropping him on his knee, in slow, excruciating motion. He has destroyed Batman at all levels, taking down his friends and family, destroying his relationships, his wife, his memory of his father, his first Robin, his butler Alfred, and his will to be Batman. And now, not only has he taken Batman's city, he has done what Batman failed to do, make it crime-free by turning Batman's greatest enemies into its peacekeepers, albeit through brutal means. It's a systematic, fascist solution, reminiscent more of Judge Dredd – but no more than an exaggeration of Batman's techniques, just taken to a degree that Batman would never counter.

To do so, however, a deal had to be made. Bane entered a deal with Lex Luthor as part of his Year Of The Villain offer, to get the US government off his back and let him run Gotham as he saw fit, as we saw in Batman #75.

"Your Government wants the war here to end"… "You bring peace to Gotham… and in exchange, the US sets up walls, laws, concedes your power here." And the most recent issues of Batman sees that this did indeed come straight from the top.

With the President of the United States making the decree and claiming it as a success. As we've seen in Doomsday Clock, there is most definitely one person who is President in the DC Universe.

A deal between President Donald Trump and Lex Luthor? Clearly, businessmen understand each other.

Tom King? You're fired…