A number of new variations on Batman have emerged from the Dark Multiverse. These are the origins of the most inhuman.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dark Nights Death Metal: Legends of the Dark Knights #1 by Scott Snyder, Marguerite Bennett, Frank Tieri, Daniel Warren Johnson, Francesco Francavilla, Jamal Igle, and Rob Leigh, available now.
Since the Batman Who Laughs began his next large-scale invasion of the DC universe, both heroes and villains have found themselves faced with the next wave of evil Batmen hailing from the Dark Multiverse. While the first group of Dark Knights were the amalgamation of Batman with members of the Justice League and his greatest enemy, the Batmen of Death Metal have offered much crazier combinations of the Caped Crusader. As the Batman Who Laughs, now the Darkest Knight, explored his various allies and their origins through his own Watchmen-esque vision, Legends of the Dark Knights #1 offers Batman in some of his most monstrous and inhuman forms.
B. Rex
Originally introduced at the onset of Death Metal, the short story, “Batmanasaurus Rex” from Marguerite Bennett and Jamal Igle expands on this variation of Batman’s origin. Due to some unknown cause, this Batman’s cave collapsed on him, leaving him crushed in his liar with most of his bones broken. Desperate to find some way to survive, Bruce used his technology to transfer his mind to the nearest available robotic body. In this case, it happened to be the dinosaur on display within the Batcave.
Driven mad by his transformation, the B. Rex proceeded to consume all of his former villains and terrorize Gotham. Now, as a servant of the Batman Who Laughs, he uses his considerable size to enforce his master’s orders and has built quite the rivalry with Wonder Woman, who has taken a leading role in the resistance to this dark army.
Castle Bat
Set in a future Gotham City, where Damian Wayne has stood and failed as the Dark Knight, an elder Bruce Wayne recognized that to defeat the evil throughout it, he would have to become his city. Written and drawn by Frank Tieri and Francesco Francavilla, “This Man, This City” reveals the origins of this plan to be found in the colonial era of Gotham. Tying into the bat god that would later emerge as Barbatos, Bruce sacrificed his own son to become Gotham and be present on every street.
Using his own son’s blood, this embodiment of Gotham was now unafraid to enforce his own sense of justice, no matter the cost or bloodshed. Now, Castle Bat serves as the headquarters of the Batman Who Laughs and his army of Dark Knights. With his power, he can control everything within him and bear witness to any intruders and the horrors within his walls.
Batmobeast
Another object of the Batcave turned Batman, this Batman’s descent is set in a Mad Max-esque world where gasoline and other natural resources dried up. “Road Warrior,” by Daniel Warren Johnson, sees this Batman upload his own consciousness to the devices spread out through the city. By doing this, he is able to control each one of them directly, ensuring that they follow his commands and suggestions. Eventually, the people rebelled and managed to kill the actual Batman.
With his body gone, the remnants of Bruce’s persona found themselves relegated to a single item: the Batmobile. As the Batmobeast, he worked under the Dark Knights until he was captured. Disconnecting his “brain” from the controls, Wonder Woman and her allies used him to traverse the harsh landscape, even killing another Batman in the process, until they destroyed this vehicle upon their arrival.
