Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman #149!Big changes have come for Batman and the Bat-Family as they’ve got a new base that’s going to be far better than the Batcave or Wayne Manor. It’s been quite some time since Batman has had a big home for his extended family, but a new development is changing that.

After months of running and distancing himself from his family, Batman has finally come out the other side. With Zur-En-Arrh defeated and Bruce’s head finally on straight, he’s reuniting with his family and he’s switching up his mythology with a new base that could be the home the Batcave never was.

The Pennyworth Manor is the Bat-Family’s New Home

In Batman #149 by Chip Zdarsky, Steve Lieber, Michele Bandini, Nick Filardi, and Clayton Cowles, Crime Alley is being patrolled by Zur-En-Arrh’s Robin, aka a clone he made from Bruce’s DNA. Batman finds the young man and takes him back to Bruce’s brownstone to give him the care he needs. Unfortunately, Bruce discovers that Zur-En-Arrh rapidly aged the clone but didn’t put any safeguards in place to keep him from aging too fast. With the clone’s life on the line, Batman starts searching for a way to save him.

Batman tries to access Zur-En-Arrh’s memories to find some way of saving the clone Bruce. Batman goes to Wayne Enterprises looking for any clue his backup personality may have left behind. While searching, Bruce finds a secret panel and discovers that Zur-En-Arrh had several secret bank accounts and billions of dollars hidden away, money that is now Batman’s. Bruce invests some of the money into tech to save his clone’s life, but nothing works and the clone Bruce winds up passing away from natural causes.

With more money than he’s had in some time, Batman embarks on a new project. Bruce invites the Bat-Family over to a dilapidated manor and reveals that he’s bought up multiple properties across Old Gotham with the intention of creating affordable housing and charities. Batman also reveals that the building he’s working on (Pennyworth Manor, as he calls it) is meant to be a home for the entire Bat-Family. Bruce admits while there’s not a Batcave under Pennyworth Manor, Batman is already working on ideas for the team’s new home.

How Batman Lost His Old Home (And What Happened to It)

Batman has faced a lot of difficult trials in his life, but the Joker went above and beyond to make the Dark Knight suffer during the crossover event “Joker War”. After deciding that stealing Batman’s fortune would be an excellent way of messing with his adversary, the Clown Prince of Crime embarked on a mission that involved tricking and torturing several Batman allies. His efforts paid off as the Joker wound up stealing not only Batman’s fortune, but Wayne Enterprises, his armory, and even the Batcave.

Batman was able to stop the Joker from using the Wayne fortune to finance the biggest crime wave ever. However, Bruce lost access to his funds after the government put Lucius Fox in charge of Wayne’s account. With far less money than he was used to and no access to the Wayne Manor or the Batcave, Batman scaled down his operation considerably. Bruce was able to adjust to living with more modest means, but before he knew it, Batman’s old home would fall into evil hands.

During “Gotham War”, Batman made the frightening discovery that someone had purchased Wayne Manor when he wasn’t looking. The Dark Knight ventured to his old home only to discover that the building had been purchased by the immortal Vandal Savage. Savage had no intentions of staying in Gotham for long, having only traveled to the city to fix his waning immortality. However, once Savage became cursed to stay within Gotham’s boundaries, his residence became a permanent one and to this day, Savage still owns Batman’s family home and the Batcave.

Why Pennyworth Manor is a Major Improvement for the Bat-Family

Batman had to pull back on how he operated considerably after what the Joker pulled. Rather than have a sprawling place for his allies to gather and a cavern filled with hi-tech equipment, Bruce’s financial situation required him to hold the purse strings tight. His brownstone, while quite nice, was only big enough for himself and Damian to share and they had to make do with a smaller hideout within the building. It was effective for a few heroes but not exactly roomy enough for the Bat-Family.

While the Pennyworth Manor definitely needs a little TLC, this is the perfect opportunity for Batman to reinvent his base. When Batman began his crusade, his home and base grew out of the things Bruce had before. But that was decades ago and in the time since, Bruce’s operation has grown, as has his family. It’s only right that as Batman enters this new phase of his life that he designs a base and a home that reflects the person that Batman is now: A father figure and family man.

Bruce has been in a hard place lately and allowed himself to be pushed away from his family thanks to Zur-En-Arrh. But the trial showed him how important family was and Bruce wants his loved ones to know that they are the most crucial part of his efforts as Batman. The last several months were hard on all the Bat-Family members, but this new home and base is the perfect place for Batman and his allies to start over and create even stronger bonds with one another.

Batman and His Family Are Coming Together with Their New Home

Naming the Bat-Family’s new home Pennyworth Manor is a great way of honoring a beloved ally. Alfred Pennyworth was the first one who showed Bruce that family was more than blood and the strength one could draw from loved ones. Now that Batman has a chance to start over, he’s rebuilding everything around his allies instead of himself. It’s a fantastic direction for the Batman mythos and hopefully something that will bring out the best of the Bat-Family.

Batman #149 is available now from DC Comics.