(Editor’s Note: This article includes spoilers for Batman #1.)
So far, 2025 has been an exciting year for DC Comics, from the continuing success of the publisher’s All In initiative, including the Absolute Universe, to the celebration of its most iconic superhero, who had quite the summer through comics and other media. While it is nice that people are excited for Superman with all his hope and optimism, which is reflected in the current comics and James Gunn’s summer blockbuster, DC’s other big icon is maintaining his relevance, especially in the wake of a potentially exciting new run.
A New Era for Batman
In Gunn’s movie, Superman inspires hope not by punching harder but by believing in people (even when the world has grown cynical). That same spirit of compassion is beginning to echo through DC’s comics, and nowhere is it more surprising than in Batman #1, the debut of Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s new run. Rather than leaning on darkness and brute force, this Batman reveals a different kind of strength: empathy. And in an era when DC is reimagining its heroes across comics and film, that shift could change the way we see Gotham’s Dark Knight forever.
From the first issue, Fraction doesn’t negate the continuity where recent creators have tackled the character – such as his Sex Criminals partner Chip Zdarsky’s own run – but instead utilizes the return of the blue and gray suit and the introduction of new characters like Doctor Zeller. It’s through these functions that Fraction is clearly ready to put their his own stamp on the Dark Knight. Meanwhile, Jiménez is rethinking his visual approach to the character and his world. While there is a lot to like about this first issue from a surface level, such as how Batman uses his gadgets and Batmobile to take down criminals, the most surprising gadget that he uses is people skills.
As Waylon Jones/Killer Croc goes on a rampage through Gotham after being exposed to some sort of “morphotoxin,” Batman eventually confronts this classic member from his rogues gallery, and his initial instinct is to use brutal force. However, due to Waylon’s deteriorating mind, which causes him to behave increasingly child-like, he unmasks as Bruce Wayne and sits by and comforts Waylon before Doctor Zeller and her staff arrive to help. This more human side is something we haven’t seen from Batman in a long time, and this is an aspect of the character that hasn’t been explored on the big screen.
Where’s The Humanity?
Ever since Christopher Nolan rebooted Batman in 2005’s Batman Beginsfilmmakers have leaned heavily into a darker, grittier vision of the character. That approach, echoed by Zack Snyder and Matt Reeves, owes much to Frank Miller’s 1980s reinvention in The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. Those stories are iconic, but they’ve too often become the default blueprint — as if Batman must always be a brooding figure defined by fear and brutality.
However, Batman’s history tells a more comprehensive story. He has always been a flexible character, capable of starring in gothic crime tales, globe-trotting adventures, or even moments of heartfelt compassion. The 1990s Batman: The Animated Series proved this better than anything, balancing high-stakes battles with episodes like “Heart of Ice,” where Batman recognizes the tragedy behind Mr. Freeze’s crimes and responds with sympathy, not just force.
Many of Batman’s rogues are, at their core, victims of circumstance, loss, or trauma. The best stories remind us that Bruce understands this, channeling his own pain not only into fighting crime, but also into believing others can step out of the darkness. When Batman chooses empathy, he isn’t betraying his mission; he’s embodying it.
As The Animated Series‘s Batman (voiced by the late great Kevin Conroy) would thrive in other media, we get to see a lighter side to the character, most notably in the Justice League animated series in the 2000s. While there are plenty of humorous scenes where his straight-faced personality is balanced well with the jokey sensibilities of characters like the Flash, there are still those emotional scenes where Batman can resolve a situation not through fists, but his humanity as explored in possibly his finest moment in Justice League Unlimited.
A New Cinematic Direction
As we anticipate the continuation of the “Batman Epic Crime Saga” (with Reeves directing and co-writing The Batman Part II), plans are in place for Gunn’s DC Universe to feature its own Batman.
With The Brave and the Bold still in development, Gunn said the film would be a “strange father and son story” about Batman and Robin, with Bruce’s son Damian Wayne acting as the Boy Wonder. While the prospect of Damian making his live-action debut is an enticing one, what is even more exciting is the inclusion of a Robin at all, as that has always been an essential aspect in the mythos. It’s the one factor that’s allowed Bruce to become a family man rather than just the lone vigilante creeping through the shadows.
Considering that Gunn’s DC Universe has established heroes, coming from all walks of life, whether it is the titular monsters from Creature Commandos or the corporate superpowers of the Justice Gang, Batman could very much be a superhero in his own way. And if there is an influence, The Brave and The Bold can draw from the hope and optimism of Gunn’s Supermanallowing for a Batman story that we haven’t seen before on the big screen, in which we see Batman grappling with whether his villains can be redeemed.
Whenever we see David Corenswet’s Superman interacting with whoever is going to play Batman in whatever future project that could be a World’s Finest or Justice League movie, they should take cues from creators like Tom King, serving as one of the architects of the new DC Universe. During King’s 85-issue Batman run, the two-issue arc “Super Friends” examines the friendship between Batman and Superman, who may have their own differences in terms of how they see the world, but they are much more alike than they think. Whatever obstacles they have with each other, both heroes see the best in each other as well as learn from one another, from Batman stepping out of the darkness to Superman respecting the willpower of others who are willing to make the world a better place as much as he.
Instead of a grim conflict that only gets resolved with both their mothers having the same name like in a certain 2016 movie, the next cinematic pairing between Superman and Batman should feel like the pages of Mark Ward and Dan Mora’s World Finest comic, a modern update of the Silver Age adventures that showcased their friendship. Hell, go the distance and give Batman his classic blue and gray suit.
Speaking of blue and gray, Fraction’s first issue suggests a Batman less obsessed with fear and more open to humanity, a shift that could ripple into Gunn’s DCU. Just as Superman redefined what heroism means on screen, perhaps Batman’s future lies not in more darkness, but in rediscovering the light. Adam West was once called the Bright Knight — and maybe that’s exactly who we need now more than ever.
