DC has a new Batman, and he officially won’t abide by the character’s iconic ‘No Kill’ rule. The new Dark Knight comes with a new costume, a new logo, and a surprising new face under the mask. Here’s what you need to know.
Ask pretty much anyone in the world and they’ll tell you Bruce Wayne is Batman. While others like Jean-Paul Valley, Dick Grayson and Commissioner Gordon have temporarily worn the costume in the original comics, the title always returns to Bruce Wayne.
However, the idea of ‘Bruce Wayne’ is incredibly versatile, from Adam West’s deadpan comedian to Robert Pattinson’s grim and gritty portrayal. Now, DC is pushing the idea that ‘Bruce Wayne is Batman’ to a disturbing new extreme.
DC Debuts Horrific New Batman Clone
Fans meet the new Batman in the recent Next Level: One Shot #1 – from Gerry Duggan, Fernando Blanco, Jordie Bellaire and Buddy Beaudoin. This iteration of the Dark Knight is a clone of Bruce Wayne, created by a new version of the scientific enclave Cadmus, which is now producing superpowered assassins for the highest bidder.
While the new Batman wears the cowl and cloak, he has a unique design. He wears a grey, spiked costume with metallic armor over the wrists as well as the crotch and upper legs, and a graffiti-style bat symbol on his chest. This Batman also has a distinctly bat-like face, with fanged teeth and flared nostrils, as well as clawed hands.
DC’s New Batman Doesn’t Obey the ‘No Kill’ Rule
The new Batman – as well as the new Wonder Woman and Superman clones – are discovered by Deadshot in Next Level: One Shot, with the reveal that Cadmus has seeded the DC Universe with exact duplicates of some major characters, including Suicide Squad’s Rick Flag.
Little is known about the trio so far, but it seems like they’re actually working against Cadmus, having broken free of their control. Despite that, they’re not traditional heroes – when the clone Batman realizes that they’re dealing with Deadshot rather than the more heroic Rick Flag, he casually suggests killing the antihero.
While these clones are genetic copies of DC’s greatest heroes, their personalities are their own, resulting in a cursing Superman clone and a lethal Batman.
DC’s New Batman Has a Grotesque Superpower
While the clone Batman is a clear master of combat, he also appears to have one genuine superpower that Bruce Wayne doesn’t. The Cadmus clones have ‘Starro’ duplicates living in their chests, which can be regurgitated and used to scan their victims, seemingly allowing them to create new clones – the trio say they have enough for a “copy” of Deadshot.
Thankfully for DC’s heroes, the Starro drones are both power and weakness, since dedicated tech (like that now present in Deadshot’s cybernetic eye) can pick up the drones to tell clones apart from originals.
That may not be where the clone Batman’s abilities end. The issue reveals that Cadmus has DNA for most of DC’s heroes and villains, and can combine them at will, creating a monstrous attack dog in the form of ‘King Bat Shark’ – a combination of King Shark and Manbat.
Cadmus has used this tech to remove the clone Superman’s eyes, preventing him from using his heat vision, but may have also enhanced their Batman clone to be more effective. The clone’s bat-like appearance implies something is going on with his DNA, and it would be weird if Cadmus hadn’t at least equipped their Dark Knight with superstrength.
DC Just Set Up a Wild New Era
With clones secretly dispatched across the DC Universe and dark copies of heroes and villains on the loose, DC just introduced a sprawling conspiracy that’s sure to generate a new era of stories.
While the new Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and reluctant Deadshot declare themselves a new Suicide Squad, Cadmus is out there with an army of superhuman clones and undercover agents, disguised as some of DC’s biggest characters. There’s a new Batman in DC lore, and this disturbing clone is the vanguard of a clandestine threat that imperils the entire DC Universe.
Next Level: One Shot #1 is now available from DC Comics.
- Created By
-
Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- Alias
-
Bruce Wayne
- Alliance
-
Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
- Race
-
Human
- Franchise
-
D.C.
