WARNING: Potential Spoilers for The Bat-Man: First Knight #2! Batman is renowned for his extensive arsenal of weapons, gizmos, and gadgets, rivaling even Inspector Gadget himself. The Dark Knight’s need for such a diverse array of tools is understandable, given his frequent encounters with intergalactic or global threats. However, Batman’s latest weapon serves as a reminder of his origins as a street-level hero, highlighting that it is far past time for the Caped Crusader to return to his roots.
The Bat-Man: First Knight #2, by Dan Jurgens, Mike Perkins, and Mike Spicer, continues the gritty Black Label retelling of Batman’s 1939 origins and earliest adventures as the Caped Crusader, effectively returning Bruce Wayne to his roots.
Within this Dark Knight throwback narrative, Batman revisits the days of his original costume, operating methods, and, notably, his classic gadgetry and weapons. Issue #2 specifically sees Bruce confront the undead creatures plaguing Gotham with a pair of brass knuckles, a simplistic yet brutal choice of weapon that harks back to Batman’s days of street-level badassery.
Batman Breaks Out the Brass Knuckles, Proving That He’s Best as a Street-Level Hero
As mentioned earlier, modern-day comics have depicted Batman straying further from Gotham, expanding his heroics to a global and even intergalactic scale. Moreover, recent narratives have also emphasized Bruce’s increasing reliance on advanced high-tech gadgets over his traditional strengths of physical prowess, combat skills, and intelligence. Therefore, Bruce’s breaking out brass knuckles and engaging in a raw brawl serves as a stark reminder of Batman’s origins as a street-level hero, one who didn’t need high-tech gadgets to save the day. It’s refreshing to witness Batman once again returned to the hero that he initially started out as.
In addition to The Bat-Man: First Knight returning Bruce to his roots, this comic also reintroduces various classic Batman story elements. One of the most visually noticeable is the return of Batman’s original costume, which includes one of the wildest design elements in Batsuit history – vivid purple gloves. Additionally, fans may notice the absence of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce’s butler and pseudo-father. Though Alfred has always seemed like the one constant in Batman narratives, the character didn’t debut until years later. Hence, some of these Batman reversions may be welcome, while others may disappoint some fans.
Dear DC Comics, Batman Is Most Popular Among Fans When He’s a Street-Level Hero
DC Comics may want to consider scaling back Batman’s narratives and refocusing him on the classic elements that made him beloved by fans. Instead of narratives featuring a wildly high-tech killer robot merging with Batman’s alter-ego personality like Zur-En-Arrh, DC could explore more classic storylines. This creative decision wouldn’t even be a risk, given the success of The Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson, which brilliantly reverted Batman back to his street-level origins. Hence, it may be difficult for DC to accept, but Batman is at his best when his storylines are simplified and feature classic character elements.
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The Bat-Man: First Knight #2 is available now from DC Comics!
The Bat-Man: First Knight #2 (2024) | |
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