This Might Be DC’s Best New Character of the Last 20 Years (But They have Completely Wasted Them)

Over the years, DC has introduced a lot of characters. Some are characters who aren’t really meant to have much of an impact, new faces introduced for just a story arc or two while others become something more. Some turn into new antagonists for the heroes while others become heroes in their own right, earning fans along the way and even getting their own books. One character in the past 20 years in particular seemed destined to be the next character to make the leap from new face to major player, but now more than a decade since his first appearance, DC hasn’t done nearly enough with him.

Introduced first as an unnamed child with a connection to Bruce Wayne in Batman #21, Duke Thomas was created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo and marked something of a new chapter in Batman’s story. Duke is introduced as a young child whose family saved Bruce Wayne following the hurricane the Riddler caused in Gotham and has heroic plans of his own, training his mind to go against the Riddler. Duke’s path remains entwined with Batman in Batman: Endgame, when he and his family is kidnapped by the Joker because of their connection to Bruce Wayne and while Duke is saved by Batman, his parents — who have been infected by the Joker’s pathogen, are left behind. Duke ends up in foster care and, Duke gets a chance to operate as a hero as part of a group called We Are Robin, supplied by Alfred Pennyworth in Batman’s absence to fight for Gotham City. Eventually, Bruce approaches Duke and offers to train him, not as a Robin, but as something new entirely.

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Duke Has a Unique and Important Role in the Bat Family

On the surface, the idea of Bruce bringing in another young man to be part of his family of vigilantes is nothing new. What sets Duke apart is that Bruce isn’t necessarily looking for another Robin. Instead, Bruce tries something new with Duke, giving him a yellow suit and training him to be more than just a sidekick. One could argue that Bruce trains Duke to be more of a Justice League-level hero rather than someone who operates strictly within the Bat Family. Duke’s training involves more leadership-level education

 Duke not taking the Robin mantle and coming into the Bat Family having already operated as a vigilante in the capacity as part of We Are Robin already set Duke apart, but he is unique even beyond how Bruce incorporated him into the team. Duke is the rare member of the family that also has real super powers. Duke is a metahuman with the ability to absorb, manipulate, and redistribute both light and darkness. He can use this to see a few minutes into the past using what he calls “ghost vision” and also use it to figure out where light particles will end up in the future. He can even use his powers to manipulate light to render himself completely invisible. Duke also has a healing factor, as revealed in Batman & The Signal #18, where it is suggested that he might actually be immortal. Between his training and his abilities, while many of the Robins and former Robins share characteristics and skills, there really is no one else like Duke.

Duke is Gotham’s Daytime Protector But DC Doesn’t Do Anything With That

With his unique skills and abilities as Signal, Duke’s role in the Bat Family is also unique. While Batman and Robin and the rest of the family operate in Gotham at night, The Signal operates during the day and it’s a concept that makes so much sense that it’s a little surprising that DC hasn’t really more fully explored it. Given how prominent Batman is in Gotham, you’d think by now the villains would learn to cause more problems during the day when the hero is less likely to be operating. Installing Duke as The Signal to watch over Gotham by daylight — especially with his light-based abilities — presents an opportunity not only for DC to dig into that untapped side of Gotham but also come up with new stories that would make the Bat corner of the overall universe feel fresh.

Except… they haven’t done that. The character has been set up with a unique origin, plenty of cool powers and abilities, and he was handed his own niche to operate in, but he’s never been given his own truly definitive story. Despite all of his potential and strengths, DC continues to treat Duke like a side character when there’s so much more to the character. Given that a common complaint about Batman is that there are too many “Batman” stories or that there are too many Robins, taking the time to really dig into Duke as his own hero operating in the same location just under different circumstances would be a fresh and interesting new approach. It would not only give readers a chance to truly appreciate Duke as a character, but it would enrich Batman stories as well by fleshing out Gotham as more than a city cloaked in darkness. where things only seem to happen at night. Hopefully as DC’s All-In initiative continues — and as we head into 2026 — there will be room to finally give Duke his chance to truly shine.

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