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Batman: Dark Justice took a look at the Dark Knight in a future world, but how well did the cutting edge story depict what was yet to come?
Science fiction exists within a temporal paradox. The dreams of yesterday, so full of the impossible and unattainable, become antiquated as the present marches into the future. It’s a blend of futurism and retrofuturism as the anticipations of what will come are inherently dated based upon the available technology of the times. It’s the principles of the advancements that matter more so than the specific physical technology behind them.
Batman: Digital Justice (by Doug Murray and Pepe Moreno) is a shining example of retrofuturism and speculative fiction. Published in 1990, it presents a world composed wholly of digital integration. The line between the analog and digital worlds is thin and blurry; it depicts a future of fantastic scientific advancement gripped by dystopian nightmares.
The premise of Batman: Digital Justice is straight-forward. Sergeant Jim Gordon, the grandson of Commissioner Gordon, is disillusioned with his job and the world at large. Automated sentry bots kill criminals and innocents without repercussion and the news that is released to the public is doctored and distorted. Stumbling across information so sensitive that his partner is murdered over its discovery, Gordon finds himself trapped within Gotham City with nowhere to hide and no one to turn to for help. All seems lost until he discovers the remains of the original Batman’s suit and gear, a figure most people believed to be an urban legend.
With the aid of two computer AI’s modeled after Bruce Wayne and his butler Alfred, Gordon begins to battle the corruption permeating Gotham alongside a young boy named Bobby Chang who takes up the mantle of Robin. His targets are those who pull the strings behind the scenes: Lawman, Mediaman, Moblord, and Madam X. As the liberation of Gotham seems imminent, the true evil poisoning the city reveals to be caused by Batman’s nemesis, the Joker. Incarnated as a virus created by the original Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker virus controls everything and everyone in Gotham, intent on keeping the masses docile and controllable.
The story climaxes with the Joker virus battling the Batman AI. Both digital constructs find it impossible to kill one another and in turn fuse into one another, disappearing forever into the digital void. Gotham is free of the Joker virus’s machinations and the individuals responsible for perpetuating the Joker’s schemes are deposed. With the city back in the hands of flesh and blood humans, Gordon and Robin vow to continue their vigilance over the city.
Batman: Digital Justice lauds itself as being on par with the works of Philip K. Dick, Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell, the respective authors of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Brave New World, and 1984. The themes that comprise their stories center on identity, free will, the regulation and syndication of information, and the perils of fascist governments. Rising from the amalgamation of these themes and concepts in the early 80’s was the subgenre of science fiction known as cyberpunk.
More than just the popular conceptions of rain soaked streets and neon, the core of cyberpunk exists within the spirit of rebellion. Batman: Digital Justice, despite its brevity and occasional campiness, upholds the spirit of cyberpunk well. Gordon’s nihilism and disdain for the world around him coupled with his desire for justice places him within the same realm as the works of William Gibson. The computers, the body augmentations, and the emphatic emphasis on future tech are all aesthetics that compliment the heart of the story.
The technology presented in the story is a surprisingly accurate depiction of what is available over thirty years later. Characters use cards with universal credits that can be accessed with a single swipe at a computer station; apartments are outfitted with AI programs that speak to the residents and can provide services with nothing more than voice commands; phones are capable of being used wirelessly and act as mobile computers. The very existence of today’s cell phone technology antiquates nearly every piece of future technology presented within the comic. This is somewhat similar to the depiction of Internet 3.0, Batman’s proprietary internet service in 2011’s Batman: Incorporated and the rise of virtual and augmented reality via services such as Meta.
But while Batman: Digital Justice may come off as heavy-handed in its retrofuturism and social commentary, it was successful as a cautionary tale of the pitfalls with technology. The story references issues of the day including the spreading of doctored information, the rise of neo-fascist organizations, the dependence on digital entertainment by the masses, and the ability to live connected to the entire world at all times. Batman: Digital Justice impressively predicted all of these things.
Despite having some flaws with its dialogue and pacing, Batman: Digital Justice is still a fascinating piece of science fiction. While it may not have had the staying power of the science fiction masters it set itself beside, Batman: Digital Justice exists as a necessary experiment in digital art production and it should be viewed as such. Without radical ideas such as this there would be no progress in what is considered modern and cutting edge. It may not be Batman’s most famous story, but it is certainly one of his most unique.
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