Except for that time he was crippled... and not Batman. Then there's the Tomorrow Titans arc where Tim Drake is Batman. But you know, Bruce is always Batman. I still think that Bruce is gonna take on the Specter's role, hopefuly I'm dead wrong. But I think that the 'future Titans' were referring to the Infinite Crisis when they mentioned so many heroes dying and how it altered the Titan' s views.

 

To be clear, the statement I seem to remember reading came after the "Azbats" debacle. I'm unfamiliar with the other arc you're refering to.

 

It was Teen Titans, right before the "heading into the light arc". The titans went to the furture, met their future selves, and Tim Drake wore the mantle of the bat.

 

Well, one would presume that Bruce Wayne would be dead by then.

I wish I could remember where I read that about Bats. I think it was an issue of Wizard. Basically, it was DC saying, after the Superman death debacle, and the Azreal stuff, that the Big 3 were essentially "untouchable" from then on. Granted, that can change at anytime, I just don't see the point of anyone else being Batman, or putting Bruce Wayne into any role in the DCU that isn't Batman, especially now that they have a successful new film franchise going.