Batman is always changing up his wardrobe, but 2020 may usher in his most radical costume change since that time he wore a rainbow-colored Batsuit back in 1957.
Read on to learn more about Batman’s new suit and why it’s become the source of the latest mystery in the Dark Knight’s life.
Beware of spoilers ahead for Batman #95!
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Batman #95 officially kicks off the Joker War crossover. Joker has succeeded in stealing the Wayne fortune, taking over Wayne Enterprises and making Bruce himself a fugitive from the law. Now all of Batman’s wonderful toys are in the hands of Joker’s goons. This would be the perfect time for the Dark Knight to don a new, high-tech Batsuit and begin fighting back, right?
Unfortunately, things aren’t quite that simple. Batman attempts to retreat to one of the secret Batcaves hidden inside Wayne Tower, only to discover Joker’s new partner Punchline has beaten him to the punch (no pun intended). Punchline has forced a Joker Toxin-infected Lucius Fox to turn over all of his secrets. She discovers a shiny, black, blue and silver version of the Batsuit hidden away in this Batcave. The catch is that neither Bruce nor Lucius have any idea where it came from or who designed it.
Does Batman have a secret benefactor? Was this a gift from one of his more technologically inclined sidekicks like Tim Drake or Lucius’ son Luke? Unfortunately, Batman doesn’t have time to ponder this latest mystery. Punchline infects him with a nasty new Joker Toxin laced with Scarecrow’s fear gas and Bane’s Venom drug, and a delirious Batman runs straight into a rocket blast from a hijacked Batwing. Things aren’t exactly going well for our hero at the moment, to put it mildly.
Regardless, it does appear as though this mysterious, shiny Batsuit will play a part in Joker War. The new costume takes center stage on the variant cover to Batman #100, suggesting Batman may adopt a new look just in time to celebrate the big issue #100 milestone.
At first glance, the new costume seems like a strange departure for a hero who’s traditionally relied on stealth and secrecy. However, given that writer James Tynion IV teased major changes to Batman’s mission and his relationship with Gotham City as a result of Joker War, the garish color scheme may be the point. Once Batman #100 is released we may have a better idea of who designed the suit and what new abilities it brings to the table.
Let us know what you think of the new Batsuit in the comments below.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Batman Has a Shiny New Costume, But There's a Catch