Tear Jerker / Identity Crisis (2004)

• A flitting moment at the very beginning, when Ma Kent grumbles about her son micro-managing something for her, saying she's sure Batman never does that to his parents. Just... Clark's expression, and the fact that he hugs his mother immediately after.
• The death of Sue Dibny and the ways that it utterly shatters different members of the superhero community.
• Watching Ralph fall apart at Sue's funeral is heartbreaking, especially since you've been reading several pages of how much he loves her before the murder.
  • Even worse, when he actually finds her and literally has trouble holding himself together.
  • Following the funeral, he similarly can barely hold himself together, literally having to support his chin with his hand as he sobs uncontrollably. Further compounded by the look of absolute grief on his face.
• The look on Firestorm's face, knowing he's about to die.
  Firestorm: T-the professor... my family... someone say goodbye to my Dad for me... (flies away)
• When Oracle pipes Jack Drake's phone call to the Batmobile. Batman and Robin (Jack's son Tim Drake) can hear events unfolding, hear what is essentially Jack's last words, but are too far away to reach the Drake home in time. Tim's pleading look to Batman, the look of horror in Batman's eyes, and then, as he absolutely floors the Batmobile, his whispered prayer: "Please... not again."
  • At the same time, Owen is listening to a voicemail left by Captain Boomerang. Both he and Tim had only just reconnected with their fathers (and in Owen's case, after spending his whole life up to a few days ago without even knowing him personally). The way the panels are juxtaposed so both of them scream "DAD!" at the same time drives it home.
• Tim sobbing over his father's body and trying desperately to resuscitate him to the point where Bruce has to drag him away. The following panel says it all:
  "Batman and Robin. Orphans."
  • Later, Dick tries calling Tim and only gets his answering machine.
• Atom shrinking down to nothingness out of grief.
  I never felt so small in my whole— *
  • There's also Fridge sadness: Ray would have gone back to Jean in a second if she had simply told him she missed him and none of this would have happened.
• Captain Boomerang's son Owen unable to see his father because the agents there think somehow this'll bring Boomerang back. Owen is distraught and calls them out for allowing Batman to be on the scene but not his only living kin.
  • You have to think Batman is well aware of Owen's grief but can't do anything about it.
• After the events of the story, it's revealed Batman figured out what happened, and isn't pleased at all. In fact, it's one of his Not So Stoic moments of anger and grief, being violated by friends.
• Calculator's note "We're not all morons" is fridge sadness. Calculator knows who did it; ditto Hal Jordan, who mournfully tells Ollie that he's not going to like finding out who the killer is.
• Batman's final scenes in Identity Crisis. First, he visits the grave of his parents, asking them to watch over Jack Drake and Sue Dibny. Then, when the JLA meet up and return to business as usual, he notices Wally (who just learned about the League's betrayal of Batman by erasing his memory) being hesitant. He asks Wally to speak his mind, clearly hoping that he'd reveal to the others about what they had done was wrong... but Wally, for the League's sake, stays silent. In three panels, you see Bruce's heart and trust break... leading him down the path to create Brother Eye.