Batman has always been one of DC’s most important figures, and while he has a reputation for being a loner, he actually has more partners than just about anyone else. The Batman Family is the largest superhero family out there, with around twenty active members at any given time. Each partner of the core family has been personally trained to be nearly as skilled as Batman, with some even surpassing him in certain areas. They are one of the most dangerous groups of hyper-skilled individuals there ever will be, and they are all united under Batman’s banner. With so many proteges and partners, it’s only natural that fans ask which of them will eventually take over Bruce’s role as Batman.
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There are constant alternate future versions of these characters as the Dark Knight, and Dick once served as the main Batman after Bruce’s supposed death, but not everyone has had a fair shot at being Batman. That all changed with DC K.O.: Knightfight. After Bruce tried to cheat the Heart of Apokalips, it punished him by throwing him through its constructed realities where his children took up his mantle, and it ruined their lives. While only Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian have story time dedicated to them, the Heart showed most of the other young Bat-Family members as Batman, and that got me wanting to rank their costumes.
So, today, we’re going to take a look at each of the Bat-Family’s costumes from the Heart of Apokalips’s alternate futures where they became Batman, and rank them. Each of these suits is special in its own regard, blending elements of the characters’ main identities with the Caped Crusader to create a look that pays homage to both of them. Some of these suits, however, pay more homage to one than the other. Specifically, we’ll be ranking these not just as superhero costumes, but as Batman suits. The Dark Knight has a very specific look that must be maintained, so that will play a big role in the ranking. With that said, let’s get right into it.
10) Jason Todd
Jason, seriously, what is this? I know that all of these costumes are designed to embody the characters’ identity before and after becoming Batman, but this is just a Red Hood suit with bat ears. It’s not a bad Red Hood suit, as the bulky, militaristic look definitely works for a Jason who has sacrificed every part of himself to the fight. Still, there’s too much Red Hood here, and not nearly enough Batman. The tattered red cape is a fantastic touch, however. This suit is too much Red Hood and even Arkham Knight to be a good Batman costume, but as a Jason suit, it’s an interesting look for sure.
9) Duke Thomas
While I can’t say Duke’s costume is bad, unfortunately, I can’t say if it’s good either. We see the least amount of Duke’s Batman costume, and what little we do see is the same as his Signal costume with a cape added. Duke’s costume is fantastic, but the bright yellow design does not work for Batman, who uses stealth more often than not. The bright colors aren’t necessarily a problem for Duke, given that he can control light and shadows, but Batman’s primary color has always been either black or blue, and yellow is a major departure from that.
8) Jean-Paul Valley
Jean-Paul has been Batman once before, and this suit is a beautiful callback to his time as the Dark Knight. The massive golden chest-armor, clawed gauntlets, and endless sharp edges all scream the height of the ‘90s anti-hero boom, which Jean-Paul’s stint as Batman embodied. This suit would never work for the regular Batman, but for Jean-Paul, it’s a fantastic callback to his descent into madness and over-the-top violence while combining that with his heroic modern perspective. Still, as fun as this suit is, it can’t work for Batman, as was always the point with his suits.
7) Barbara Gordon
This is a strange entry, because I really do love this look for Babs. The bright blue cowl and yellow accents contrast beautifully against the fully black suit. I could easily see this as an alternate costume for Batman. The only problem is that, without context, this looks like every other Barbara Gordon costume. That’s not a bad thing in a vacuum, as Babs has fantastic costumes and this is easily one of her best, but when she’s trying to look like Batman and not Batgirl, it is an issue. I love this look, but again, it needs something to make it clear it’s a Batman costume.
6) Jace Fox
Jace is unique as he’s the only entry here who isn’t a core member of the Bat-Family. He already operates as the Batman of New York, but his adventures are mostly unrelated to the rest of the Family’s. This new suit bears clear resemblance to his normal one, though it has clear armor plating, a black undergarment, and a full face mask once again. This is the most standard Batman costume on this list, and while it definitely works as that, it doesn’t innovate. This is the middle-ground Batman costume. There’s nothing bad here, but nothing new or exceptional. Still, this is a good costume.
5) Stephanie Brown
We only see Steph’s costume from the back, but what we do see is fantastic. Pink gloves were a feature of the original Batman costume that always comes back when referencing that era, and this suit perfectly ties that history with the pink running down the sides, which references Steph’s original Batgirl suit. The bright color on the inside of the cape is always a stellar choice that I wish more costumes did, and the full face mask only adds to her intimidation factor. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see her Bat symbol, and those carry a lot of weight in my rankings, so as much as I love this costume, I can’t place it any higher in good conscience.
4) Tim Drake
Tim’s suit is when these suits start being fantastic examples of putting their own spin on a classic. The blue and yellow symbolize how Tim has put his all into making Gotham a brighter place, and the solid hologram tech is a fantastic showcase of how he fights with his intellect over his brawn. The one downside I see to this costume is that it has a bit too much armor and metallic sheen to it for my taste, but it’s still a great Batman costume that is distinctly Tim’s.
3) Dick Grayson
Dick was the first alternate Batman we were introduced to, and the one who took up the mantle when Bruce was thought to be gone for good. While nothing can beat his original Batman costume, which kept all the traditional Batman elements but trimmed them to lighter materials to let Dick move as he does, this one is a great second. Blue and black will always be a fantastic color scheme for Batman and Nightwing, and both beautifully flow into the grey suit. I would like the Bat symbol to be a tad smaller, but otherwise, this suit is top-notch.
2) Cassandra Cain
It’s very hard to improve upon perfection. Given that Cass’s Batgirl costume is one of the best around, any changes would be very hard to implement, but this costume perfectly blends Cass’s unique look with classic Batman elements. Specifically, her cowl and cape had been widened and sharpened to resemble the original Batman suit and harken back to the direct inspiration it took from bats. The additional yellow outline on the shoulders adds the extra pop of color it needed. Overall, these changes are simple but impactful. It helps that Cass has a habit of being mistaken for Batman in her normal suit, but as biased as I am towards Cass, there’s still one suit that stands above her.
1) Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne has always been at the peak of fashion in the Bat-Family, from his various Robin costumes to his apocalyptic Batman costume, and this newest look is no different. It blends Damian’s heritage as Bruce and Talia’s son magically, making him simultaneously look like Batman and a ninja straight out of the League of Assassins. The thin cape, the sword, and the red eyes are such inspired choices for Damian. My only complaints are that I’d love to see a more defined Bat symbol and more red instead of brown, because red is a criminally underused color for Batman. Either way, this costume is genuinely beautiful and might be one of my new favorites across all Batman suits.
So there we have all ten new costumes introduced for the Bat-Family in Knightfight. Which new look for Batman is your favorite, and which Bat-kid would you want to take over the mantle? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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