DC Reveals New Nightmare Batmen

With Dark Nights: Death Metal Legends of the Dark Knights #1, DC has leaped into the Dark Multiverse yet again but with some surprising new developments and a variety of new Bruce Waynes and Batmen. In the story “I Am Here” by writers Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Joshua Williamson, artist Tony S. Daniel, and colorist Marcelo Maiolo, a new version of The Batman Who Laughs emerges. In the story the character details a previously unseen version of Batman, one who was inspired by finding “The Button” and created an Intrinsic Field Generator like what gave Dr. Manhattan his powers in the context of Watchmen.

As the story goes, The Batman Who Laughs saw this version (“Batmanhattan” as he’s dubbed) and took his abilities and mind to ascend to an even more powerful plane of existence. Using these newfound godlike powers, he pushes his mind across the Dark Multiverse, looking into the life and creation “of every twisted Batman in the dark.” He narrates his journey through the Dark Multiverse, noting he explores “Batman after Batman,” learning from their nightmarish lives and how each of them could be pushed to the darkness including versions of Batman inspired by classic DC villains including a Lex Luthor-Batman, a Ra’s al Ghul-Batman, a Court of Owls-themed Batman, a Mr. Freeze-Batman, a Bane-Batman, and even more.

“I will be a culmination of human evil. AND a cosmic weapon of infinite power,” The Batman Who Laughs says in the story.” Designed to win at any cost. I draw in the many lifetimes of experience and knowledge….It is like all of my years of traveling the world, training to become Batman, happening at once. All of these dark reflections, these Dark Knights, are my teachers. And yet I am greater than any of them. I stitch their experiences and skills into my mind, becoming more and more powerful as I push deeper into the dark.”

Available now in comic book stores and online, the full solicit for Dark Nights: Death Metal Legends of the Dark Knights #1 reads:

“The DC Universe has become engulfed by the Dark Multiverse, where demons dwell and reality is overrun by monstrous versions of the Dark Knight, all ruled by the Batman Who Laughs. In this collection of short tales, learn the terrifying secrets of these new Bats out of hell and other creatures of the night like Robin King, whose origin is just the worst! Plus, read about the secret buried beneath Castle Bat, the sentient Batmobile, and…how did Batman turn into a dinosaur?”