Warning! Preview pages for Batman and Robin #9 ahead!An iconic Batman villain has taken a page out of the Dark Knight’s book and has finally created his very own Batcave. Kirk Langstrom’s alter ego Man-Bat has gotten a serious upgrade that’s boosted his intelligence and made him more ambitious than ever. In his determination to replace the Caped Crusader, Man-Bat reveals his latest asset that borrows from Batman’s canon.
In a preview for Batman and Robin #9 by Joshua Williamson, Simone Di Meo and Nikola ฤiลพmeลกija, the Dark Knight wakes up after being kidnapped by the Bat, Man-Bat’s new form. The new and improved villain talks with Batman, saying that all of his foes talk about him. Langstrom reveals that when he was the simple-minded Man-Bat, he heard stories about how Batman had a Batcave.
It’s then that Batman discovers that he’s in a Batcave, but one created by the dark, new Man-Bat. The Bat continues to monologue as Batman tries to escape from the twisted Batcave.
A string of break-ins at science labs across Gotham caught Batman and Robin’s attention and it wasn’t long before the Dynamic Duo discovered that the perpetrator behind the crimes was Kirk Langstrom. But his usual Man-Bat self had been replaced with a terrifying new form that referred to itself as ‘the Bat’, who wanted nothing more than to replace Batman as Gotham City’s greatest defender. Interestingly enough, a cult began following Langstrom, eager to see him take the city. The Bat swore to his new ‘family’ that he would take back Gotham from Batman no matter what.
Man-Bat, or the Bat as he prefers, isn’t kidding around when he says he’s out to take back Gotham from Batman. While the villain’s new crusade started with him attempting to corrupt Bruce’s symbol, the Bat has moved on to taking elements of Batman’s lore for himself. First, he took on a ‘Bat-Family’ made up of his cult followers, now he’s got a private Batcave to conduct his mad, animal hybrid experiments. The Bat isn’t the first villain who has tried to replace Batman, but Langstrom’s alter ego coming closer than most other villains have in the past.
Of course, it takes more than just a giant cavern filled with bats to be the protector of Gotham City, but Langstrom isn’t half-assing this. He’s making sure that whatever Batman has, the Bat also has. Who knows what else Langstrom is going to pull out next to show how strongly his desire to replace Batman is? A Man-Bat utility belt? A Man-Batmobile? There are so many things from the Dark Knight’s lore that the Bat could make his own as he continues on his mad mission to get rid of Batman and be Gotham City’s new protector.
Batman and Robin #9 is available on May 14th from DC Comics.