Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin title emerged in 2009 after Dick Grayson took up the Batman moniker following Battle for the Cowl. If you recall, Bruce Wayne had been sent through time when he was hit with Darkseid’s Omega Beams in Final Crisis. Believing Bruce was dead, Dick stepped in as the Dark Knight, taking on Damian as Robin. With their tumultuous relationship at the heart of Batman and Robin, their dynamic often gave the title a more lighthearted feel, which is precisely the tone Gunn appears to want for The Brave and the Bold.
That brings us to Batman Incorporated. Although Dick made for a suitable Batman, he was only keeping the cowl warm. However, once Bruce returned, Dick wasn’t tossed aside and forgotten. He stayed as one of several Bats under the global Batman Inc., with Bruce calling the shots for his worldwide Bat-Family.
Given James Gunn’s affinity for Morrison’s work, this very well could be the direction things are heading for Batman’s corner of the DCU. Over time, we could see a number of Caped Crusaders stemming straight from the comics.
BATMAN AND ROBIN #16
The first order of business is getting your hands on Batman and Robin #16, which could tie it directly to The Brave and the Bold. Bruce’s concept for Batman Inc. was established in this issue, making this a first appearance of sorts.
If there’s any mention of the global Bat-Family crime-fighting network in the DCU, this issue will burn up the sales charts.
BATMAN INCORPORATED #1
The idea of Batman Inc. allowed for numerous characters to serve as Caped Crusaders around the world. Readers were introduced to Japan’s very own Dark Knight, Jiro Osamu.
Whether or not we will see him on screens big or small, only the DCU’s inner circle knows for sure. However, owning Batman Inc.’s inaugural issue with Jiro’s first appearance is worth rolling the dice.
BATMAN INCORPORATED #5
Of all the new characters introduced during the Batman Inc. run, Batwing has received the most attention, thus making him the favorite to make it to live-action. The first Batwing was David Zavimbi, who became the Batman of Africa. He would headline his own ongoing series, but the title was handed over to Luke Fox.
BATMAN #100
During James Tynion IV’s Batman run, he created what could be an important figure in the DCU Batman lore — Ghost-Maker. As the story goes, Minhkhoa Khan was Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend. Minhkhoa trained as a vigilante and aimed to take over as Gotham City’s new protector. Eventually, he would align with Bruce and lead Batman Inc.
BATS IN THE BELFRY
By introducing Batman Inc., Gunn can give moviegoers different versions of Batman that many fans have never seen. With many of those characters being unknowns, it allows filmmakers more creativity, since there are fewer preconceived notions. Once The Brave and the Bold gets rolling, be on the lookout for clues pointing to Batman Inc.
