Batman’s Most Blatant Rip-Off Just Hit Him with the Perfect Insult

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Batman/Superman Authority Special #1

Since his comic book debut, Batman has inspired countless copycats and derivative characters, both on the streets of Gotham and in the minds of comics creators. Very few of them have ever had the chance – or the nerve – to insult the Dark Knight to his face, but one hero has now done just that, delivering the perfect burn that also serves as a great meta-joke.

Lucas Trent, aka the Midnighter, can be considered the original “Dark Knight” of the Wildstorm universe. He made his first appearance in Stormwatch Volume 2 #4 in 1998, though he’s called the DC universe home since 2011 when Wildstorm was acquired by DC Comics. Since then, Midnighter has teamed up with many DC heroes, most notably appearing as a supporting character for Nightwing in the Grayson series. He is often accompanied by his husband, the Superman analog Apollo, to seemingly create an alternative version of Batman and Superman as a couple. However, unlike Batman, Midnighter is known for his love of violence and killing, establishing a clear moral disconnect between him and his inspiration.

And Midnighter has just delivered the perfect insult to Batman in Batman/Superman Authority Special #1 from writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson. In it, he remarks to the Dark Knight, “I didn’t expect you to be so old but… you know. Makes sense that you would be.” He continues to make comments alluding to how long Batman has been around, which is the perfect insult to come from Trent. Since Midnighter was created as a more dark and edgy interpretation of the Dark Knight, in a meta sense he is referring to Batman’s publication history. Of course Batman is old because he would have to be for Midnighter to even exist. Batman had a whole 59 years of publication history before Midnighter was ever conceived.

From Darkhawk to Kick-Ass’ Big Daddy, Batman has been the inspiration for many dark, brooding vigilantes in comics. While the similarities are often glaring, most of these copycats are born from the desire of doing something different with the concept of a non-powered caped crusader. Marvel’s Moon Knight attempts to deconstruct the idea of heroes struggling with their sanity and identity, while Big Daddy is a dark parody that makes fun of the concept of vigilantes raising their kids to fight crime. There are too many thinly-veiled pastiches of Batman to count and it’s a testament to his influence in the world of comics.

Besides his diss on his elder, Midnighter does seem to hold some respect for the Dark Knight. By the end of the issue, readers get the impression that he knows Batman has earned his space in the pantheon of superheroes, giving his begrudging respect by the time their alliance ends. So while this wannabe has some respect for the original, no one can deny that Midnighter had the perfect burn lined up for Batman.