WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for The Boy Wonder #3!Tim Drake’sRobinreveals that one of the most important lessons he’s learned about investigations was taught to him not by Batman, but rather by Bruce Wayne’s other alter ego, Matches Malone—a New Jersey gangster and arsonist persona that has become a favorite among fans and Bruce’s own Robins.
Juni Ba’s Black Label series continues withThe Boy Wonder#3, focusing on the relationship between Batman’s two youngest sons, Damian Wayne and Tim Drake. During the issue, Damian and Timattend the Penguin’s galaas Wayne family representatives.
Tensions arise when Damian misunderstands Tim’s interactions with Gotham’s elite, accusing him of exploiting “their father’s trust to enrich himself.” This disagreement prompts Damian to storm off in frustration. Later, during a battle against one of Ra’s al Ghul’s demons, Red Robin reveals thatinstead of making deals with Gotham’s elite, he was gathering critical intelligence using a method taught to him by Matches Malone.
“Become What They Want You To Be”:Red Robin Learned 1 Critical Lesson From Matches Malone
While battling the demon named Rok, Damian discovers that despite Tim seemingly cozying up to Gotham’s corrupt elite, he was actually conducting his own investigation into the Penguin’s potential involvement in a series of kidnappings linked to Damian’s grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul. While using his skills to hack into Penguin’s security system,Tim pretended to negotiate with Oswald’s associates to extract crucial information, secretly recording all incriminating evidence.Damian is stunned by his misunderstanding of Tim’s actions, exclaiming, “It was all an act?!”Tim confirms this, explaining that it was a strategy taught to him by Batman,specifically through Matches Malone.
Tim then explains to Damian thatBruce’s New Jersey gangster persona taught him the critical intelligence-gathering lesson: “…become what they want you to be.“This approach allows one to mirror those being investigated, tricking them into divulging secrets. Matches Malone taught Tim the importance of adopting alter egos that blend seamlessly with the criminal world, facilitating access to otherwise inaccessible information. In this case, Tim utilized his billionaire persona to convince others that he possesses desirable assets—like money and business deals—that he’d be willing to strike a deal on (i.e., feigning corruption to extract valuable intelligence).
Who Is Bruce Wayne’s Alter Ego Matches Malone, and Why Is He Critical to Batman’s Mission?
Before becomingBatman’s criminal alter ego, Matches Malone was a New Jersey gangster and notorious arsonist. Upon Malone’s death, Bruce assumed his identity to infiltrate the underground criminal world, leveraging Malone’s established street credibility. This enabled Batman to gather intelligence on criminal organizations that would otherwise be inaccessible, making the Matches persona crucial to Gotham’s protection. Matches Malone debuted inBatman#242 (1972) by Dennis O’Neil and Irv Novick, becoming a recurring character throughout various storylines, including his unexpected but welcome cameo in Juni Ba’sRobin-centric series.
