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The newest Batman’s just gained a surprising similarity with Adam West’s version of the character — and it might just save his life.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for I Am Batman #6, now on sale from DC Comics
The DC Universe currently has two versions of Batman — with Bruce Wayne traveling the world under the mantle he created while Jace Fox expands it in a different part of the nation. But in the process, Jace has picked up an unlikely advantage that previous incarnations of Batman have rarely gotten.
I Am Batman #6 by John Ridley, Ken Lashley, Rex Lokus, and Troy Peteri revealed that Jace Fox’s Batman has been deputized by the New York Police Department. This gave him an unlikely similarity with another famous version of the Dark Knight, the campy and colorful version portrayed by Adam West in the Batman television series.
Jace Fox relocating from Gotham City to New York is a potentially big move for the DC Universe. On top of further spreading the Batman legacy, it also invites a new level of superpowered expansion to one of the nation’s single biggest cities. After arriving in New York and making his presence known, Mayor Villanueva decided it’s better to just get this new Dark Knight acclimated instead of leaving him to cause chaos across the city. After confronting Batman and telling him in no uncertain terms he would not allow New York to become like Gotham, the mayor made his pitch: Batman would work alongside a newly created Special Crimes Task Force. Batman would be officially deputized by the city, giving him resources in the police department while also ensuring he followed the law.
If Jace accepted the deal, then he gained a new host of allies and tools to use in his mission. He could even avoid the kind of police-mandated chaos that alternate routes (like the Magistrate) would present. If he refused, then-Mayor Villanueva would officially target Jace with all his resources, likely bringing down this Batman before he can make the real positive change he’s after. Jace ultimately took the deal, agreeing to formally work with the New York government and police. While this does give Batman a bit more recognized authority in the city, it does come with risks. Any failures on his or the city’s part will reflect on both of them and could lead to chaos. But there’s also a chance this becomes a major boon for both New York and Batman, similar to another notable time Batman was deputized.
In the Adam West-led Batman television show, the Caped Crusader and his sidekick Robin were officially deputized by the law. This gave them additional freedoms in their pursuit of justice and allowed Batman the chance to work directly with the police. This saved countless lives that might have otherwise been at risk if Batman had been forced to move around bureaucratic red tape to be a hero. Notably, in that world, Batman was a major success, with his war on crime resulting in a largely peaceful version of Gotham City. Jace being deputized could potentially have a similar effect, giving him the chance to draw in more stability into his own life as well as the lives of everyone in the city.
It’s an unlikely connection between the very modern take on the Dark Knight and one of his more overtly silly counterparts, but both suggest that Batman might be more effective in the light of day rather than just sulking through the shadows. By becoming an official agent of the city, Jace could help use Batman to bring genuine peace to the city-streets — and prove, like West before him, how useful Batman might be able to be if he’s accepted instead of hunted by the authorities.
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