I'm trying to remember whether he branded all criminals, or just certain types. Maybe if it was just rapists, pedos, child-murderers? Those guys are known to get a pretty rough time inside.
shareAh ok makes sense, maybe only branding the really heinous ones? Maybe becoming common enough knowledge to make mainstream crims ask, "hey, what's that about....friendo?"
The impression I got was that if they had his brand on them somehow criminals thought the branded worked for him. So they would kill anyone wearing that brand. I know it doesn't make sense but that's the impression that I got.
shareIt was to terrorize criminals more.
Bat'feck really showed us that Batman's code against killing is NOT a code against permanent disfigurement, crippling or paralyzing. Which makes sense if he wants criminals to truly fear him, even knowing his code against killing.
The reason it became a death sentence was because of Luthor.
I think the extended edition made the implication more clear, but Luthor was having the bat-branded thugs killed specifically to rile up Clark and stoke up the conflict between Batman and Superman.
That's why he was sending clippings from Gotham directly to Clark's desk at the Planet.