DC’s Newest Batman is Their Coolest Design in Years

The newest crossover series, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, from DC Comics has just revealed the coolest new Batman design in years. For decades, Batman has seen countless glow-ups during his comic career. From bulkier armored outfits to take on Superman in The Dark Knight Returns to a sleek red and black design for his protégé in Batman Beyond, the Caped Crusader has seen numerous changes that have kept the character fresh for generations. Now, a new Batman design is waiting in the wings, and it may be his coolest yet.

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 by Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere follows Hal Jordan as he travels across various Earths with the originally believed to be dead Barry Allen. It was recently revealed that the Justice League was transported to these unique worlds to power up Pariah’s ability and use them as a way to reconstruct the multiverse. Now the two need to traverse these Earths to find the Justice League and bring them back to stop Pariah once and for all. The first stop on their quest though is Batman’s world, and his official look makes for a very cool introduction.

When Hal and Barry arrive in Batman’s vision of a crime-ridden Gotham, they realize how odd it looks. It’s very old-fashioned with a fixation on past technology. When Batman arrives though, things become clear. His new suit is very turn-of-the-century with a blend of the Industrial Revolution and a hint of Steampunk. He uses gears instead of Batarangs with a matching insignia on his chest. He has a tattered brown cape and a clear bronze liner on his eyebrows that connect with the bronze on his ears. It’s by far one of the most unique Batman designs to date and makes for one of his coolest as well. Take a look at the new Batman in action here.

What’s interesting though is examining why Batman looks this way on his world. According to the Flash and Green Lantern, these Earths they were sent to after they were supposedly killed replicate their innermost desires via their dreams with the Flash’s Earth mirroring the classic sitcom Leave It to Beaver. With this in mind, the use of Industrial Revolution tech makes sense for Batman. He’s been enshrouded in a technological world in modern iterations of the character. While this gives him a step above his previous counterparts in older comics when being a detective, it’s also made it more dangerous for Gotham because his enemies have access to this tech as well. By bringing Gotham back in time to a place that’s less technologically advanced, he may be hindering his detective speed, but he’s protecting the city from villains like the Joker and the mass destruction they could cause with modern weaponry.

Due to the mass scale of the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths event, this will likely not be the last time readers see a cool new look for a classic hero. Beginning with Batman though is a great way to kick things off. He’s been a fan favorite for decades, so to give him a new coat of paint that also gives readers a glimpse inside his mind based on the world that was created specifically for him is a unique way to go about him. While he only truly appears on one page of his debut issue, it’ll be interesting to see more of this version of the character as DC Comics‘ Dark Crisis continues and adds this new Batman to the roster.

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4is available now from DC Comics!