Warning! Spoilers for Batman #107!
When it comes to finding effective and efficient ways to thwart the criminals of Gotham City, Batman has resorted to all sorts of wild methods over the years, including going undercover as a criminal named Matches Malone. Used when the presence of The Dark Knight is a bit too in your face for the situation at hand, Matches is a sparingly used alias and secret identity of Batman’s that just made a surprise return to DC Comics, and is no doubt a welcome sight for die-hard Bat-fans as well.
Seen in the closing pages of Batman #107 by James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez, Matches Malone, or simply “Match” as Batman introduces himself here, is a vital piece of Batman’s ever growing repertoire of crime fighting tactics that he “acquired” after a criminal going by the same name accidentally shot himself to death. Using the opportunity to take his identity and plug himself into the seedy underbelly of Gotham, Matches has always been the perfect way for Batman to infiltrate the criminal underground in a way that Batman can’t. And with the new villainous group calling themselves the Unsanity Collective being hard to pin down in a city that is secretly being threatened by the new and improved Scarecrow, Matches’ return couldn’t have come at a better time.
Hot off the heels of the devastating gas attack on Arkham Asylum dubbed A-Day that killed dozens and let loose even more crazed convicts, Gotham is reeling in a way that has the new mayor and ex-GCPD member, Christopher Nakano, cracking down on all vigilante activity city-wide. To make matters worse, the fear stemming from Joker’s last attack during the Joker War has given rise to the members of the Unsanity Collective and their new brand of criminality, with Batman needing to find a way to penetrate their ranks to get a better idea of what their endgame exactly is so he can shut them down for good.
Enter Matches Malone, the go to persona for Batman when he needs to get down and dirty with the superstitious and cowardly lot that plague the streets of Gotham. And while this particular alias is one that isn’t seen as often as he should be, it can’t be denied that when Batman decides to don the fake ‘stache, tinted glasses, iconic match toothpick and New Jersey-esque accent, there’s usually a good reason for it.
Taking away the mystique and fear of being a creature of the night that can descend on the criminal element at any moment, Matches adds the slippery and conniving traits of a street level thug who has a penchant for talking his way through a situation and convincing the bad guys around him that he’s the real deal. And although using this alternate persona inherently poses a daring risk of being caught and exposed, the ease in which Batman slips into Matches’ personality and unique outlook on the criminal world ensures that anyone he comes up against has either already heard of the fabled Matches Malone, or already knows to steer clear of the guy.
So while Batman is still scrambling to understand the impact the Unsanity Collective is having on his city, Matches’ return to comics is clearly much more than some sweet, sweet fan service. And now with Matches Malone back in action, Batman’s descent into the unseen parts of his city just got a whole lot more interesting – and dangerous!
