Warning: SPOILERS for Punchline: The Gotham Game #1Batman’s famous “secret weapon” just got a major and terrifying upgrade. In addition to a skilled martial artist, Batman fans know the Caped Crusader is also a master of disguise, and no Batman disguise is as well-known and well-used as Matches Malone. Bruce Wayne just introduced a new version of Matches while working a case, and the disguise is more menacing than ever.
Matches Malone has been a major component of the Batman mythos and toolkit for decades. First introduced in 1972, the Matches Malone character is a match-chewing and small-time criminal for hire. The disguise allows Batman to infiltrate the seedier operations and locations in Gotham—places neither Batman nor Bruce Wayne would be welcome. Matches Malone has made yet another appearance in such a context as Batman and Oracle keep tabs on the recently-released Punchline, also known as the Joker’s accomplice and girlfriend.
The Matches disguise gets the spotlight in the otherwise Batman-lite Punchline: The Gotham Game #1 by Tini Howard, Blake Howard, Gleb Melnikov, Luis Guerrero, and Becca Carey. Readers are unknowingly introduced to Batman-as-Matches early in the issue, as the story first follows a social media influencer who attends an illegal punk concert in Gotham. The influencer asks a menacing figure—chewing on a match—if he’s a cop. The man scares the kid off, only for the influencer to be attacked by Punchline and her lackeys. In the final pages, readers see the scene from a new angle, and the threatening not-cop figure is revealed to be Bruce Wayne in disguise. As Oracle says to him: “Limitless resources, access to the latest in holographic technology… and Batman still opts for spirit gum and scarring liquid.“
Batman’s Disguise Matches Malone Gets a Menacing Upgrade
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Matches Malone, like Batman himself, is a decades-old character; this disguise also needs to change with the times and Gotham’s representation of crime. In this new depiction of the disguise, Matches is beefy and grimy both, with a tight haircut, dark jeans, and a sleeveless leather jacket. His facial hair and iconic match are as distinctive as ever, but the new Matches is just as terrifying as the scared influencer seems to believe him to be. The best part is, as Oracle points out, that this is Batman back to his basics: skills instead of “toys.” Bruce Wayne doesn’t need his lost billions to become Matches Malone, perhaps his most useful tool in his crusade against crime and for protecting innocent people. As Bruce replies to Oracle: “Sometimes the old ways are the best ways…“
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Fans should be thrilled to see such an iconic figure in Batman history return to Gotham, even with the scary new upgrade in appearance. Matches Malone is one of Batman’s most essential tools in his proverbial belt, and it’s exciting to see Bruce Wayne once again show off his skills as an actor and master of disguise. Hopefully Matches Malone will return again as Batman continues to keep his watchful eye on Punchline.
Check out Punchline: The Gotham Game #1, available now from DC Comics!
