TheBat-Familyis one of the most extensive superhero teams in the DC Universe, and they are certainly not limited to solely Gotham. Their looks differ from hero to hero, even among sidekicks of the same name. But a forgotten hero named Batboy undoubtedly had the best costume in DC history- and no, Batboy isn’t another orphan that Bruce Wayne has adopted. He’sBatmanhimself.
Batman has been through a cycle of costumesover his tenure as a superhero, but one of his most surprising turns as the Caped Crusader was when he got turned into a child-version of himself. During theSins of Youthcrossover event with theYoung Justicetitle, which includes theBatboy and Robinone-shot by Chuck Dixon and Cary Nord,Batman is de-aged to a teenager, and Tim Drake, his current teenage Robin, is aged up into an adult, as perfectly shown off in the cover by Mike Wieringo.
In order to keep the Batman mythos alive, Batman is forced to hide the fact that he’s a teenage boy and his sidekick is a full adult. While their personas have practically switched, the best part of this event is thatBatman’s costume gets a makeover with a full-face mask that finally does his character justice.
Batboy Is a Teenage Batman’s Best Attempt at Mystery
Page fromYoung Justice: Sins of Youth#2 by Peter David, Todd Nauck, Lary Stucker, Jason Wright, and Ken Lopez
The point of Batman is that he’s practically a creature of the night. He instills fear into any criminal that would betray the law, and he could be right around the corner. That fear can’t be a factor when that legend is a teenage boy with pimples on his face.It might bethe same Batman underneath the cowl, with the same intelligence and the same physical prowess, but due to theSins of Youthevent, he just can’t inspire the same kind of fear when he looks like all theRobins in his Bat-Familywho would be better off wearing bright colors.
10 Bat-Family Members Who Turned Evil (Other Than Batman)
Batman is one of the most dangerous men in the DC Universe, which is why tons of stories have him go evil, and his family often follows suit.
In general,it has always felt slightly odd that Batman’s face is seen in his standard costume, considering how important the mystery aspect of Batman’s mythos is. Half ofBatman’s face is unmaskedat every moment, which only hampers the symbol of fear he’s trying to promulgate into the hearts of the criminals that work in the night. With that in mind, Batboy somehow completes this full image, allowing Batman to be completely devoid of any humanity to be the symbol the Dark Knight needs to be.
The Best Version of the Bat-Suit Was Worn By a Teenage Boy
Bruce Wayne Gets to Be Batman as a Boy Again
It’s only right that Bruce Wayne, as a boy, wears the best version of the Batsuit. It was when he was a boy that his parents were murdered, and his grief was still fresh.A teenage Batman, ironically, is the best version of Batman, because that age is nearest to the heart of his trauma: that no child should have to suffer like he did. Because of this, Batboy covers every inch of his skin to fully metamorphize into that iconic role for Gotham City.
It’s not about Bruce Wayne at all, but the symbol he created.
While one of DC’s oft-forgotten events,Sins of Youth, which turned most of the adult DC heroes into teenagers, somehow gave fans the Batman they have always wanted. The best version of Batman happened, and it happened when Batman was closer to the age he was when he first dreamed of his vigilante persona. Because in the end, it’s not about Bruce Wayne at all, but the symbol he created: anyone can beBatman, even a teenager, making him an everlasting symbol of justice.
Young Justice: Sins of Youth - Batboy and Robin#1is available now from DC Comics.
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.
