As the story of Michael Keaton’s Batman continues, a shocking twist has turned Bruce Wayne into a Gotham villain, complete with a new costume and codename. DC has brought back the continuity of Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman in a series of comics, with Batman ’89: Echoes set two years after the prior series.
In Batman ’89: Echoes #1, the Dark Knight has vanished from the streets of Gotham. Batman has been ‘replaced’ by a group of amateur vigilantes in homemade costumes, trading on the reputation Bruce left behind. To make things worse, the arsonist supervillain Firefly is at large. However, fans are in for a surprise when Firefly is caught and unmasked, revealing the scarred face of Bruce Wayne.
In a major twist, Bruce is now going by the civilian name of Robert Lowery, and has seemingly become a terrorist bomber. The issue comes from Sam Hamm, Joe Quinones, Leonardo Ito, and Carlos M. Mangual.
Michael Keaton’s Batman Becomes the New Firefly
Tim Burton’s Batman Continuity Gets a Dramatic New Twist
In the prior series Batman ’89, Barbara Gordon learned the shocking truth that Bruce Wayne was Batman. While she chose not to turn him in due to her father’s trust in the hero, she did offer Bruce an ultimatum: hang up the costume and stop his vigilante activities or be exposed. Apparently, Bruce did exactly that, but it didn’t lead to peace for Gotham. Not only have amateur versions of Batman taken up his mantle, but criminals are exhibiting a bizarre fear response to any imagery relating to the Dark Knight, resulting in several deaths. At the same time, Harleen Quinzel and Jonathan Crane are circling the edges of the story – the people who become Harley Quin and the Scarecrow in normal Batman canon.
Batman ’89 Is Rewriting Gotham Canon
Firefly Goes from D-List Villain to a Major Player
So, what happened to Bruce Wayne to turn him into the Firefly? On first reading, it appears that Bruce suffered a breakdown after leaving the Batman identity behind. Firefly is described as a bomber who has released a manifesto to the public, living in a claustrophobic cave out in the woods and hoarding weaponry. However, it’s more likely this is all a long-con to infiltrate Arkham Asylum and investigate Crane. The comic shows Doctor Crane showing extreme interest in studying ‘Robert Lowery,’ suggesting that Bruce crafted the Firefly persona to appeal to him.
As Gotham descends into chaos due to the inexplicable fear responses of violent criminals, it appears Bruce Wayne has become the Firefly in order to investigate without falling afoul of his deal with Barbara Gordon. However, it’s also possible that after abandoning the Dark Knight, Bruce has slipped into genuine instability, fighting ‘crime’ in a far less honorable and organized way than was his first choice. Fans will only find out the truth as the story of Batman ’89 continues, however it’s already a genius twist to take a D-list Gotham villain like Firefly and make the identity so central to Bruce’s story.
Batman ’89: Echoes #1 (2023) | |
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Batman ’89: Echoes #1 is available now from DC Comics.
