Batman Just Changed The Way Fans Understand His Greatest Strength
Warning: Spoilers for DC vs. Vampires #2 Ahead!
In DC vs. Vampires #2, fans learn that Batman, following an encounter with a vampire early on in his career, changed how he approaches fights with his enemies. As one of DC Comics’ master strategists, Batman is seemingly prepared for every contingency, with numerous fail safes and backup plans for his backup plans. In fact, this is his greatest strength. In the second issue of DC vs. Vampires, readers are offered new insight into this trait, and it stretches back to a classic Batman story about the Dark Knight's altercation with a vampire.
In terms of pure physical strength, Batman knows he is out-classed by many of his teammates on the Justice League, as well as his foes. In order to level the playing field, Batman relies on an entire arsenal of gadgets, as well as a variety of contingency plans. In “The Tower of Babel,” which ran in JLA #43-46, readers learned that Batman had one such plan in place, to take out his fellow teammates should the need arise. Other examples can be found throughout Batman’s career, particularly as he plays in bigger and bigger sandboxes. Now, in DC vs. Vampires #2, the Dark Knight and the Justice League must contend with an impending vampire war, which will test Batman’s mettle like never before. However, an encounter from his first year as Batman has prepared him not only for the forthcoming conflict but also informed his entire attitude towards fighting crime. The issue is written by James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg, with art and colors by Otto Schmidt.
Batman has gathered the Bat-Family, including Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood and others, briefing them on the crumbling situation with the vampires. Batman tells them that he once encountered a vampire, in his first year as Batman. The vampire was named Niccolai Tepes and called himself “the Mad Monk.” Batman described himself as “younger” and “naïve” when facing the Monk—but it would be the last time the Dark Knight would ever be caught off-guard. Batman tells the assembled Bat-Family he now approaches every fight with the supernatural the same way—he expects to lose.
While Batman was specifically addressing supernatural fights—that is, ghosts, vampires and werewolves, the logic he approaches them with could be extended to all of his fights. He expects to lose fights with vampires, and thus plans accordingly, creating the right weapons and drafting plans. However, Batman is outmatched in many fights, supernatural or not; he is just as powerless before Killer Croc or Solomon Grundy as he is against a vampire Green Lantern. Batman knows this too and has plenty of strategies and methods for fighting non-supernatural foes as well.
Batman’s allusion to the Mad Monk is also a shout out to a classic Batman story, which ran in Detective Comics #31 and #32—literally months after the Dark Knight’s first appearance. DC Comics' DC vs. Vampires #2 gives this story a new layer, by showing how it influenced Batman’s attitude towards not only fighting supernatural beings, but all villains as well.