WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Batman #150!Batman’s cowl is one of the most iconic elements of the Dark Knight’s attire, instantly marking him as Gotham’s silent protector. Yet, beyond its superficial aesthetics, the cowl boasts numerous capabilities crucial to Bruce Wayne’s nightly endeavors, including a subtle mechanism designed to safeguard his identity. However, it isn’t always 100% effective.
Chip Zdarsky, Denys Cowan, Jorge Jiménez, and Tomeu Morey’s Batman #150 is an oversized milestone issue where the Dark Knight’s secret identity is endangered by a two-bit crook named Teddy, who aims to sell Batman’s identity to the highest bidder.
While Batman #150 doesn’t focus on Teddy discovering that Bruce Wayne is Batman (as this happened in Gotham War: Scorched Earth), it explores the aftermath of this revelation. However, before delving into this present-day narrative, Zdarsky treats fans to a flashback where the Dark Knight’s identity was previously threatened. It’s during this flashback that fans learn about a unique feature of Batman’s cowl.
Batman’s Cowl Eyes ALWAYS Look Open to Deter People From Unmasking Him (Spoiler: It Doesn’t Always Work)
The flashback focuses on a group of bar patrons, who stumble upon Batman lying inert one night. Notably, as they gather around the Dark Knight, they observe that his cowl’s eyes remain wide open, despite Batman being unconscious or possibly deceased. This detail unveils a unique aspect of the cowl: regardless of Bruce’s state of consciousness, the cowl’s eyes maintain an alert appearance. It’s a clever feature, designed to give potential onlookers pause before approaching or attempting to unmask him. However, the flashback also reveals that this visual deterrent only delays curiosity for a limited time.
While the cowl’s open eyes initially gave the onlookers pause, they quickly gathered around Batman, with one bold individual attempting to peel the cowl off. Fortunately, Bruce regained consciousness just as the man was about to reveal his face, safeguarding his identity. Despite the close call, the open-eyed cowl feature fulfilled its purpose by buying Batman crucial time. Essentially, it effectively deterred people long enough for Bruce to regain consciousness and protect his identity. Therefore, while the open-eye cowl look may not provide a long-term defense, it remains effective in the short term.
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Batman’s Permanently Open Cowl Eyes Are a Unique Twist On a Tiger Deterrent Method Used in Real Life
Batman’s open-eye cowl feature operates on a concept reminiscent of villagers and farmers wearing masks on the back of their heads to deter tiger attacks. The logic behind this practice was that tigers are ambush predators; if they thought they had been spotted, they would refrain from attacking. Similarly, the cowl’s perpetual open eyes discourage others from approaching Batman. However, it’s crucial to note that tigers eventually adapted and realized the masks were not real faces, resuming their attacks. Despite this, Batman seems to have drawn inspiration from this idea of deterring threats.
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The Bat-Family has achieved superhero team status akin to the Avengers, complete with their own rallying cry that rivals “Avengers Assemble.”
Batman #150 is available on July 3, 2024, from DC Comics!
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Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
