WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers For BATMAN AND ROBIN #14!After 85 years,Batmanhas officially ditched his iconic cowl for a new mask unlike anything he’s worn before. This change is not only shockingly different but also surprisingly fitting for the Dark Knight, embodying his"Shadow of Gotham"persona while revealing a long-suspected Bruce Wayne ‘superpower.’
By literally donning the darkness, Bruce undergoes a temporary but epic evolution of his superhero persona.
The fan-favoriteBatman and Robinrun officially changed hands on August 12, 2025, with Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javier Fernández taking over from Joshua Williamson and Juan Ferreyra inBatman and Robin#14. While the issue includes some classic heroics, much of the story unfolds at a charity gala, where Bruce and Damian attend in their civilian personas.
However, trouble quickly stirs at the event, forcing the father-son duo to split up as Bruce investigates Oracle’s reports of gunshots in the basement. With no time to don his Batsuit—or even his iconic cowl—Bruce adopts a different kind of mask: darkness.
Batman’s New Mask Is Darkness (Literally)
“…Darkness Is All the Mask I Need.” –Bruce Wayne inBatman and Robin#14
Rushing to the basement, Bruce notes that there’s no time to grab his Batsuit—someone could already be bleeding out and in need of help. He recognizes that this complicates things, as keeping his secret identity intact is crucial. But in true Batman fashion, Bruce quickly problem-solves.Since Batman operates from the shadows, he decides to bring the shadows to him.This plan begins to unfold when Bruce, speaking into his WayneTech Bat-Watch, commands,“Blackout sequence echo-bravo-zulu-one. Old Gotham. Sacred Heart. Execute.”With that, the electricity in the building is cut.
Now cloaked in darkness, Bruce’s narration continues:“Gotham needs Batman. And Batman needs his mask. But darkness is all the mask I need.”Fernández’s incredible artwork brings this moment to life, showing Bruce’s face completely cloaked in shadow, making it look as though he’s wearing a full black mask with two glowing eyes. This new ‘mask’ perfectly suits Bruce, considering that shadows and darkness are central to Batman’s theme. By literally donning the darkness, Bruce undergoes a temporary but epic evolution of his superhero persona, truly embodying his identity as a creature of shadows.
Batman Basically Controls Gotham’s ‘Darkness’
Batman and Absolute Batman Both Have Solid Connections to Gotham’s Infrastructure
This scene also reveals that Bruce has complete control over Gotham’s power grid.He explains that the grid, along with nearly every backup generator, is built on WayneTech, giving him the ability to plunge the entire city into darkness at will. This essentially gives Bruce the ‘superpower’ to control Gotham’s shadows, perfectly aligning with his Dark Knight persona. However, instead of a metagene or other extraordinary origin, this power stems from Batman’s long-established—and perhaps a little tongue-in-cheek—superpower: being an extraordinarily wealthy billionaire.
The revelation that Bruce controls a core aspect of Gotham’s infrastructure aligns with his Absolute Universe counterpart, who is also deeply embedded in the city’s systems, though in a different way. Unlike the main DCU Bruce, Absolute Bruce isn’t a billionaire and doesn’t own Gotham’s power grid. Instead, he has worked in critical areas such as sanitation, the power grid, the water department, city hall, and now as a civil engineer. This gives him valuable knowledge and influence over the city’s operations. Hence,both versions of Bruce have made it a point to get involved in Gotham’s infrastructure, using their knowledge and influence to aid their crimefighting efforts.
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Batman & Absolute Batman Are Low-Key Corrupt (But It’s For the Greater Good)
Gotham Better Hope That Batman Never Goes Evil
While the levels of influence the two Bruces have over Gotham’s infrastructure differ, both wield significant control over various sectors. This could be seen as corrupt, as they leverage their knowledge and influence for their own benefit. However, because their motives are for the greater good—protecting the city rather than seeking personal gain or harming it—they are ultimately excused. That said, this kind of knowledge and influence is inherently dangerous. If either Batman or Absolute Batman were to turn rogue, they could easily dismantle Gotham’s most vital infrastructure. This is especially true for the main continuityBatman, who recently demonstrated his ability to cut power to the entire city in seconds.
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BATMAN AND ROBIN #14is available now from DC Comics!
BATMAN AND ROBIN #14 (2024)
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
