The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh has been defeated, but the true Dark Knight is still cleaning up his messes. Batman #149 by Chip Zdarsky, Michele Bandini, and Steve Lieber opens with Bruce Wayne tidying up one particular loose end. Specifically, he is trying to find himself.
Among his other machinations, the Zur-En-Arrh created his own Robin. However, rather than employing a robot body, he created a clone of Bruce Wayne. This clone was accelerated to teenagehood and brainwashed to be the perfect crime-fighting partner. Now the rogue Robin is on the loose, leaving Batman to find himself on the streets of Gotham.
The cover and first four pages of Batman #149 can be viewed below.
Does Batman have another new Robin?
It is not unheard of for Bruce Wayne to open his home up to a young man in need. Certainly that is how he came to recruit many of the young people who joined his war on crime. However, it does not seem likely that Bruce the Younger will be joining the elder Batman for long.
The final page of the preview hints that the Robin of Zur-En-Arrh’s accelerated aging is still accelerating. Even with the technology at the disposal of Batman and his allies, it seems unlikely they will be able to save the young Bruce Wayne from aging into an early grave. Still, if there is anyone on Earth who can save the young clone, it is Bruce Wayne.
However, this seems unlikely from a metatextual perspective. While the idea of Bruce Wayne having a young clone is an interesting one, the Bat-Family is already full without the complication of yet another Robin. There’s also more drama in the idea of Batman failing to save his clone rather than having a younger version of himself running around.
Batman #149 arrives in comic shops everywhere on June 18, 2024.
