Batman’s New Villain is The Dark Version Bruce Wayne Could’ve Become

Warning! Spoilers for Batman #121 by DC Comics

The newest villain to the DC Universe has proven he’s Batman’s dark reflection, as Abyss shows how tragedy could have taken Bruce Wayne in a much darker direction. In Batman #121, the Dark Knight takes on Abyss and learns how his tragic past and desire to become more like Batman ultimately shaped him into becoming the villain. However, unlike Batman, Abyss has succumbed to the darkness.

In the current ongoing Batman series by DC Comics, the Caped Crusader ended up in Bahdnisia, a country that has been plagued by several kidnappings by a villain named Abyss. When Batman arrived, he learned Abyss had been killed, and Batman Inc. was arrested for murdering him. However, Bruce Wayne quickly discovered that Abyss wasn’t actually dead, and that the Batman Inc. team he formed years ago was truly working with Abyss as their leader – not Lex Luthor as previously believed. So now, Batman is confronting Abyss as the villain further reveals he’s a dark reflection of the Dark Knight.

In Batman #121 by Joshua Williamson, Jorge Molina, Mikel Janin, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles, Batman takes on Abyss and the Batman Inc. team as they want to take down Lex Luthor. In the battle, it’s revealed Batman Inc. was on an undercover mission as they turn against Abyss. As a fight breaks out, Abyss shares like Batman Inc., he wanted to become Batman and was tired of being a victim. So, when Lex Luthor came with an offer to make him a new kind of Batman, he accepted. However, after being experimented on, Abyss was abandoned by Luthor and left to navigate the darkness alone. In Abyss’ subsequent fight against Batman, he reveals he modeled himself after Batman and “only wanted to be like” the hero.

Abyss disappears after telling Batman that he’s always been surrounded in the dark since being turned into a monster. Abyss ultimately proved to be Batman’s dark reflection, as the villain was everything Bruce Wayne could have become but didn’t after losing his parents.

Abyss is one of the worst-case scenarios for Batman, as the villain represents a darker path that Bruce Wayne could have taken after falling into darkness in his own life. Fortunately, instead, Batman overcame the darkness and channeled his rage, sadness, and frustration into becoming a hero. Abyss couldn’t do the same and was overwhelmed by what he had become. Batman #121 by DC Comics is in comic book stores now.

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Liam McGuire
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Lead writer for Screen Rant’s comic team. [email protected]. Find me on Twitter @LiamRMcGuire for comic news and reporting.

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