Batman: Damned #1 has certainly kicked off DC’s Black Label with a bang, but it is definitely not for the reason DC would’ve preferred, and the internet has a variety of opinions to share about the noteworthy moment.
Batman: Damned #1 is written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Lee Bermejo, and is set in Gotham after the Joker has finally been killed. That premise sounds ripe for exploration, but one particular panel took fans by surprise quite quickly after the comic hit stores, thanks to the duo showing a conveniently lit glimpse of Batman‘s junk.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Joker who? Yeah, that’s the consensus amongst fans, as Batman’s junk quickly started becoming a popular topic on social media. We’re going to get into just what fans thought in a second, but if you haven’t read the issue yet, ComicBook.com’s Chase Magnett gave his take on Bermejo’s art throughout the issue.
“Artist Lee Bermejo still makes a case for reading this issue as a pure artistic endeavor,” Magnett writes. “He has established a reputation as the great gothic painter of superhero comics. He takes famous capes and settings, then twists them into nightmares. Heroes consistently bare a grimace and the weight of the world can be seen in the weight on their shoulder and wear of their costumes. Villains become something far worse. Bermejo’s version of Joker, only witnessed briefly here, might leave John Wayne Gacy with a shiver. There is something profoundly disturbing about how he realizes distortions of the human form and face, so that they fall just inside the realm of reality while still evoking the discomfort of peering down into the uncanny valley.”
You can check out the full review here.
Unfortunately, those who are planning on picking up the next printing of the issue won’t be able to see the uncensored version, so if you want an unaltered copy you might want to head to your local comic shop before too much longer.
Alright, time for the show folks! Hit the next slide to see how the internet is dealing with Batman’s latest reveal!
Junk Is Profitable
Turns out some comic shops are pretty happy with how much attention Batman’s reveal got online and from fans, as plenty of people have stopped in the store to grab a copy. That includes Arsenal Comics and Games.
Wow I wish Batman showed his dick every week. I’m paying some god damn bills this week, thats for sure!
โ Timmy Heague (@ComicBossTimmy) September 21, 2018
“Lol, support your local comic book store. And Batman’s junk, apparently. “
“Wow I wish Batman showed his dick every week. I’m paying some god damn bills this week, thats for sure!”
It’s Been 0 Days
Some are marking the occasion with a similar approach to safetyย standards.ย Instead of 5 days without an incident, it’s 0 days without a Batman junk sighting.
Itโs been [0] day(s) since Iโve seen Batmanโs junk.
โ Heather “has no merit” Antos (@HeatherAntos) September 20, 2018
“It’s been [0] day(s) since I’ve seen Batman’s junk.”
A Mushroom Kingdom Comparison
Batman wasn’t the only internet meme making the rounds involving someone’s privates, and the other occasionย made people look at Toad a whole different way. Using that as a foundation, it seems we’ve found the Nintendo avatar of Batman’s junk as well.
By the transitive property of famous dudeโs junk:
โ Glen Weldon (@ghweldon) September 19, 2018
If L = POTUSโs, the logically R = Batmanโs. pic.twitter.com/Vsmam11srp
“By the transitive property of famous dude’s junk:
If L = POTUS’s, the logically R = Batman’s.”
An Answer Without A Question
While many are quite interested in the fact that the reveal happened, some are wondering exactly who was begging to see it in the first place. You know, that’s not a bad question.
TFW you realize that you have never, not once, wondered what Batman’s junk looked like
โ Commander Plutonium, probably (@UrbanSpaceman61) September 20, 2018
“TFW you realize that you have never, not once, wondered what Batman’s junk looked like”
The Evidence
If you bought a digital version of Batman: Damned #1 you probably noticed it was censored, and future print copies will be censored as well. That doesn’t mean you still can’t see the scene in question of course, though evidently,ย Twitter is trying to censor it too according to the reactions to the tweet.
A picture of Batman’s junk is my worst performing tweet ever.
โ PastaBowl ?? (@Pastabowl2) September 21, 2018
Okay Twitter. Whatever. https://t.co/FpdNrah1IK
Okay, they’re probably not, but it’s still interesting, right?
“A picture of Batman’s junk is my worst performing tweet ever.
Okay Twitter. Whatever.”
Gotta Have A Name For It
Batman kind of has a habit of naming things after his namesake. Batmobile, Batcave, Bat-Repellant, you know, it’s a thing, but a recent poll also offered up some other names for the junk in question.
#FridayPollDance
โ The Loftus Party (@theloftusparty) September 21, 2018
Hey @DCComics! We heard Batman’s junk appears in the new comic. The Loftus Party wants to help pick his pet name for it!
“#FridayPollDance
Hey @DCComics! We heard Batman’s junk appears in the new comic. The Loftus Party wants to help pick his pet name for it!
Lil Wayne
Bat Schlong
Robin
Other – tell us!”
A Mother’s Request
You’re going to hear some odd phrases when something like this happens, but some still are more expected than others. Like, say, when someone tells you their mom is going to be disappointedย about Batman’s junk being censored. Yeah, didn’t see that coming.
Words uttered today I never thought Iโd hear: โAw, my momโs gonna be so disappointed. She wanted to see Batmanโs junk.โ
โ Simpatico Nightmare Twin #1โจ? (@thirsty4percy) September 21, 2018
“Words uttered today I never thought I’d hear: “Aw, my mom’s gonna be so disappointed. She wanted to see Batman’s junk.””
Holy Haberdashery
You knew it wouldn’t be long before Robin showed up to address his partner’s unexpected reveal, and it didn’t disappoint, though one fan is ready to move onto next week.
I’m so ready for my weekend. It’s been a rough week.
โ Dorothy Mantooth (@OhioValleyPIT) September 21, 2018
Heard all about the President’s junk & saw #Batman‘s.
I think that’s enough for one week. pic.twitter.com/IA0bAOJFp8
“I’m so ready for my weekend. It’s been a rough week.
Heard all about the President’s junk & saw #Batman’s.
I think that’s enough for one week.
And We’re Censoring…Why?
The unexpected Batman reveal seems to have overtaken discussion about the actual story, which has annoyed some fans. Those same fans are also a bit surprised that DC is censoring a book in its DC Black Label mature readers line though, which seems like an odd choice.
Thatโs ridiculous. Black Label is, to my knowledge, supposed to be the mature line of DC comics. And now everyoneโs talking about Batmanโs junk than the actual comic.
โ Manimeconquest! (@Manimeconquest) September 21, 2018
“Yesterday, or I guess Wednesday, there was this huge controversy about a nude Batman scene. I shrugged it off thinking this was another pointless shouting match from the internet about people who don’t buy comics, but then I heard that DC will be censoring it for new printings?
That’s ridiculous. Black Label is, to my knowledge, supposed to be the mature line of DC comics. And now everyone’s talking about Batman’s junk than the actual comic.
So let me just say that the story @brianazzarello and Bermejo have cooked up is great. The atmosphere through the writing is great, Constantine has such wonderful dialogue, and the freakin design of Deadman is hauntingly beautiful. Can’t wait for issue 2.”
Batman’s Dick Grayson
Yeah, the opportunity for puns is high with this particular story, and many fans didn’t miss out on the fun. No way Nightwing ever thought his name would be used this way, though we have to give props to this particular tweet for also adding two new villains to Batman’s Rogues Gallery.
Now that we’ve all seen Batman’s Dick Grayson, I both do and don’t want to talk about the dueling positions that’s it is huge or tiny. Because like Killer Croc’s junk, y’all are SPLIT. #batmanspenis
โ [ moojy woojy ] (@themojowire) September 21, 2018
“Now that we’ve all seen Batman’s Dick Grayson, I both do and don’t want to talk about the dueling positions that’s it is huge or tiny. Because like Killer Croc’s junk, y’all are SPLIT. #batmanspenis
Now we just wait for the inevitable meta-villains, Size Queen and Size King.”
Jealousy No More
There seems to be a debate about if Batman’s junk is impressive or less than expected, and Savage Dragon’s Erik Larsen has figured out which corner he’s in.
I guess that’s one LESS reason to be jealous of Batman…
โ Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) September 22, 2018
“I guess that’s one LESS reason to be jealous of Batman…”