The first issue of Batman: The Detective reveals a mystifying supernatural upgrade for the Dark Knight on a mission in merry old England.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: The Detective #1 by Tom Taylor, Andy Kubert, Brad Anderson & Clem Robins, on sale now
In the DC Universe, Batman is constantly updating his arsenal to deal with the vast array of rogues he has to do battle with. We’ve seen war suits for the likes of Superman and the Legion of Doom, countermeasures for his colleagues in “Tower of Babel,” as well as mystical gauntlets in case he runs into things that go bump in the night.
In Batman: The Detective #1, Bruce Wayne reveals yet another toy in his weapons cabinet in the form of a supernatural upgrade that’d leave any ghost running scared.
In this out-of-continuity story, the Bat’s heading to Lancashire to investigate a plane crash thanks to a cult of White Knights who are dishonoring his symbol. At the English crash site, they leave a sign painted on a castle reading, “Batman 147,” teasing the Dark Knight with how many people have been killed there.
As Bruce and the new Squire, Amina, investigate the terrain, she notices a unique pair of gloves he is wearing. As he scans the site for DNA evidence, he warns her not to look back, as the Gentleman Ghost is quickly approaching.
Created in the ’40s, James Craddock was killed after being wrongfully accused of a crime. Since then, he’s been wandering the Earth, seeking revenge. However, he became warped, fighting with many League members including Hawkman and the Caped Crusader too. Now, he’s feeding off the aura of death around the crash site. He wants to imbibe Bruce’s pain, fear and the terror of losing people once again, however, the Bat is prepared thanks to the gloves.
They’re actually magical gloves that can make tangible contact with ghosts, and Bruce proceeds to beat down the Ghost. It’s an all-out English brawl as he smacks the apparition around, wowing Squire who’s never seen a ghost get smashed like this. Bruce actually got the gloves from Consantine, who gave them away since he doesn’t like to fight with his hands.
They come in handy as the Ghost ends up fleeing to save face. He’s glad he got to show Squire what he can do too, while reminding us if Boston Brand (aka Deadman) ever got out of hand, the Bat has the solution waiting.
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