Batman's New Gadget Turns Him Into a Criminal

Batman is known for being prepared for just about any situation, and he takes that literally much of the time. Batman seems to have every possibility covered, but even someone as prepared as him can't cover every angle, and we see one of those rare instances in Batman #88. While Batman fancies himself a loner, he's actually got quite the network of supporters, including Lucius Fox, and Batman calls on Fox to give him a hand. At one point in the issue, Batman needs to get somewhere fast, but he doesn't have one of his variety of Batmobiles at the scene. That's when Lucius reveals a new gadget for Batman to use, one he didn't even know he had, and while it helps out in a jam, it does actually turn Batman into kind of a criminal in the process.

Batman finds himself without a ride with a passenger in tow, so he calls on Lucius to help him find one. Lucius then says "wouldn't it be nice if someone had a clever solution to that. Utility belt. Pocket 17, in the back." Batman pulls out a small rectangle-shaped box, and Lucius calls it The Echo.

Lucius explains that when the device is placed on the hood of a char, it can interface with the Wayne Enterprises components in the engine, which also bypasses the speed limitations. It also creates a holo-interface around the car that makes it appear like the Batmobile, though it is only a hologram, so it won't come with any of the fancy armor or weapons on his normal ride.

Now, this car turns out to be Lucius' car, and Lucius does say that it's aa last resort, but if it's anyone else's car, Batman would, in fact, be stealing their car, and with the work Batman does, it's hard to believe that the car will come back in one piece.

So, Batman can now steal cars and turn them into a Batmobile, but at least he's got the money to pay for those cards if they do get destroyed.

Batman #88 is written by James Tynion IV, drawn by Guillem March, colored by Tomeu Morey, and lettered by Clayton Cowles, and you can find the official description below.

"The conspiracy that will rock Batman's world continues to unfold as the Dark Knight travels to Arkham Asylum to get answers from the Penguin! What dark secret does he share with The Joker, the Riddler, and…Catwoman? Plus, the plague of assassins descending upon Gotham City in its weakest moments continues! Will this be the moment when Deathstroke finally takes down Batman?!"

Batman #88 is in comic stores now, and let me know what you thought of the issue either in the comments or by hitting me up on Twitter @MattAguilarCB for all things comics!