Warning: this article contains spoilers for Man-Bat #1
With the company-wide Future State event making big waves at DC Comics, it’s a welcome change of pace for readers to return to smaller-scale stories. With this month’s release of Man Bat #1, fans are getting the return of one of Batman’s strangest adversaries. Despite treading on familiar terrain, this first issue promises twists and turns ahead that may very well change the Man-Bat’s identity forever. Or as much as forever is possible in the widening gyre that is comic book continuity.
Though first appearing in Detective Comics #400 in 1970, written by Frank Robbins and penciled by the legendary Neal Adams, many Batman fans would have been introduced to the character in the first episode of the seminal Batman: The Animated Series titled “On Leather Wings”. An iconic Batman villain to be sure, but not as mainstream a foe as some other illustrious members of the Dark Knight’s rogues’ gallery. Now that the character has his own series, however, the horizon has changed complexion. Judging by the last page’s reveal, it’s entirely possible that Man-Bat will have to start getting used to being a part of a team.
This first chapter in the new five-part series by writer Dave Wielgosz and artist Sumit Kumar, sees a return to the visual style and storytelling of the aforementioned animated series that fans have come to adore. It’s a nostalgic mixture of comic-bookie criminality, defined character study, and circumscribed storytelling that’s appealing to the casual and hardcore fan. Readers are given the Man-Bat/Kirk Langstrom’s origin without getting an origin story, and the emotional stakes are effectively set-up without coming off as maudlin or extraneous. Just as they did in Man-Bat’s first comic book appearance, the Blackout Gang return to setup an action seen in which the well-intentioned but misguided Langstrom can attempt to save the day and fail. Even Commissioner Jim Gordon and Detective Harvey Bullock have a cameo. It isn’t until the story’s end that things take a sharp turn into unfamiliar territory.
With Man-Bat on the run from Batman and law-enforcement, it’s revealed that the powers that be have reached out to none other than Amanda Waller, the director of Task Force X, otherwise known as the Suicide Squad. She’s been tasked with bringing Langstrom in, which is bad news for the bat creature. If history is anything to go by, it’s extremely doubtful that Waller would agree to deploy her team if there wasn’t something worth her while. Adding a powerful and versatile meta-human to her roster would certainly be an appealing end to justify the means she’s putting to use. As Waller says herself, she has experience cleaning up the Batman’s messes, and though it may not be a certainty, it is a likelihood that she will succeed in turning Man-Bat into one of her deadliest assets.
Kirk Langstrom wouldn’t be the first of Batman’s enemies to be coerced into joining the Suicide Squad, but it would be a tragic turn of events for a character seeking redemption. Nevertheless, fans of the character may appreciate Man-Bat getting a new home after the limited series ends. In fact, the character would be a welcome addition to the lineup of Task Force X. Like all the best villains, Langstrom is more than just a monster, but a complex dyad consisting of two identities seemingly at odds and aligned with each other depending on the situation. It would be a shame for such a compelling character to be put back on ice.
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