Batman’s gadgets are notorious for having punny names. Now it seems as if he’s moved past that point and come up with a cool name for a new drone.
Warning: SPOILERS for Batman and The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1One of the great running gags in comics is how Batman gives his gadgets names with “Bat” puns, but there is evidence that he seems to be moving past that naming scheme.
There is a new foe in Gotham City that Batman is having a particularly hard time catching. This individual who has started killing people is described as having pale white skin and green hair. Obviously, images of the Joker come to mind. However, this individual seems to have extraordinary strength and speed, far greater than what the Joker can possess.
In Batman and The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1 by Marc Silvestri, Batman eventually catches up to this mysterious villain and realizes it’s not the Joker at all. It appears to be some sort of crazed metahuman who has white skin and green hair just like the Clown Prince of Crime. This person seems to be feral and has superhuman agility, exhibiting the ability to jump out of a building from many stories high. Batman approaches this new foe in the Batmobile and deploys a new gadget he calls “Vampires.” These are automated drones that can track a figure and then stun it using an electrical charge.
Batman Is Looking For Other Bat Inspired Names
All of the pun-based names for Batman’s gadgets have been a staple of his character for decades. They were especially effective during Adam West’s live action Batman series, when he had an extremely corny arsenal of weapons and gadgets for all occasions. These gadgets famously exist in the comics to a much greater effect. These include such iconic names as the Batmobile and Batcave, which can be identified by even non-comic fans. For the most part, they are taken seriously because they are limited to a few key devices and vehicles. And even Batman isn’t immune to his friends and allies poking fun of him for all the weird names he’s come up with over the years.
The fact that he is naming such a technologically effective stunning drone as something other than a bat pun is a serious growth for the character. It’s certainly possible that Batman could have thought of one, but naming the drones “Vampires” is especially telling. It keeps the devices in line with the “bat” theme in spirit without putting the word “bat” directly in the name. After all, the vampire bat might be the most well-known among the species, so the fact Batman decided to name his brand-new device after it means that he’s growing as a character and becoming a more rounded hero.
Batman and The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1 is now available from DC Comics.
