The much-hyped new Batsuit is deployed in action, proving itself to be perfectly equipped to take down one of Batman’s classic foes.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman #96, by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
One of the most surprising elements teased in the lead-up to the crossover event “Joker War” was that a new Batsuit would make its debut. Shimmering and chrome, with a prominently lit Bat symbol emblazoned across its chest, the new Batsuit looked like a cross between the silver armor from the climax of Batman & Robin and something out of Tron. And as “Joker War” escalates, readers finally have seen the new Batsuit in action, revealing that it fully equipped and ready to take on one of Batman’s oldest foes: Mister Freeze.
The latest issue of “Joker War” opens with an idyllic look decades ahead into Gotham City’s future. No longer the dark, grimy metropolis filled with shifty characters and rampant crime and corruption, Gotham is now a bright, technological utopia. This vision of an urban paradise is quickly interrupted by Victor Fries, back in action as Gotham’s most cold-hearted villain, now with two children of his own following in their father’s footsteps as icy antagonists — complete with their own advanced hardware to flash freeze targets to absolute zero.
Batman shows up on the scene in the nick of time, now sporting a new, futuristic vehicle matching the striking, platinum Batsuit. Freeze and his children all hit Batman simultaneously with their respective freeze rays, stopping the Bright Knight cold in his headlong charge. This proves to only be a temporary setback of course, as the upgraded Caped Crusader’s arsenal now comes with a heating component that quickly thaws out Batman, with the superhero leaping back into the fray as if he hadn’t been delayed at all. To subdue the supervillain family, the Dark Knight unleashes Heatarangs — Batarangs specifically designed to neutralize the Fries family and their signature weapons, with unerring accuracy.
Of course, this vision of a utopian Gotham nearly free of its need for a Batman is nothing but a dream — one alluded to by series writer James Tynion IV when first asked about the new suit. While a version of the suit had indeed been discovered by the Joker in the previous issue, the sequence of Batman using it to battle Mister Freeze in a possible future were all revealed to be an extended dream, brought about by the Dark Knight being poisoned by a new, powerful strain of Joker toxin at Punchline’s hands. This becomes apparent as Bruce Wayne’s dreams of a happy ending are horrifically transformed into a vivid nightmare; his recent failings surface, snapping Batman back awake in a city that has been completely overrun and reshaped by the Clown Prince of Crime using the Wayne family fortune.
What capabilities the prototype Batsuit may have, if any, in the real world, has yet to be seen but Bruce’s dreams of a more peaceful future illustrate that he has installed contingencies for his recurring antagonists into it — specifically to take them down. This level of obsessive preparation is hardly a new development for Batman but shows a more stylish, forward-thinking approach to the Caped Crusader’s crimefighting strategy than usual. And with the prototype Batsuit teased to possibly play a role beyond “Joker War,” Batman’s dreams of a better tomorrow may not be that far off, provided he and the Bat Family can endure the Joker’s most devastating scheme as Gotham burns all around them.
