This Spring's Shadow War sets DC Comics' deadliest assassin, Deathstroke, against the League of Shadows. Of course, Batman and Robin get involved. As the event gets closer, the scope of the event becomes clearer, enveloping characters and teams like Black Canary, Lex Luthor, and the Legion of Doom.
Of course, with Shadow War promising to have a huge effect on the DC Universe, it seems like there should be more characters appearing in the event. With Batman's family of proteges and allies, DC doesn't need to delve into other heroes' lists of allies. The Bat-Family has plenty of characters who should appear in DC's latest universe-changing event.
10 Bat-Mite Can Set A Lighter Tone For Batman
The tone of DC Comics has become overly serious, especially in the world surrounding Batman. Bat-Mite comes from an era where Batman comics were much more light-hearted, if not downright silly. Bat-Mite is an inherently ridiculous character mostly appearing in the modern era as a hallucination.
Joshua Williamson is a good writer, very likely to prove himself with this challenging character. The hallucination angle can work in the context of Shadow War, but with the League of Shadows making use of clones, an in-canon Bat-Mite might also work. Captured or grown, Batman's biggest fan is a possibility, if the story is brave enough.
9 Stephanie Brown Needs To Prove Herself As A Valuable Ally.
Stephanie Brown has a checkered history with the Bat-Family. She proved herself over and over again but has always been more or less overlooked in favor of the older members of the family. Introduced as Tim Drake's love interest, she went on to become both Robin and Batgirl.
As the daughter of one of Batman's minor villains, she has a unique perspective. Her actions have earned her enough respect from various other members of the Bat-Family to warrant her carrying the legacy of Batgirl. It's past time that Batman shows the members of his family that he trusts them.
8 Carrie Kelley Can Become An Active Part Of The Bat-Family At Last.
Carrie Kelley has come into the primary DC Continuity as a friend of Damien Wayne's. It's very likely she'll show up in Shadow War in this role. However, fans are ready for her to become an active member of the Batman family.
She's shown enough moxie to confront Bruce Wayne directly about the way he throws his wealth around. She also doggedly pursued the truth about Damien's whereabouts at a time that he was believed to be dead. In the various sequels to The Dark Knight Returns, she has adopted multiple legacy identities, so the possibilities are endless.
7 Cassandra Cain Is Perfect Because Of Her Training As An Assassin.
If there's one member of the Bat-Family that is the natural fit for inclusion in Shadow War, it's Cassandra Cain. As a former and present Batgirl (one of two), her ties to the Bat-Family are strong. Even stronger is how deadly Cassandra can be if the situation demands it.
Of course, this might be the eventual quality that separates her from Batman. Cassandra has killed people before and despite the apparent fact that those days are behind her, she may find needing to again. This is where Batman needs to work with her the most, showing her that being deadly doesn't mean that she has to be a killer.
6 Tim Drake Has Spent Too Much Time As Robin To Be Left Out.
As the third Robin, Tim Drake was a departure since he wasn't Bruce Wayne's ward. He also became the first Robin to have a regular comic series. He eventually became as synonymous with the Teen Titans as Dick Grayson, too.
Today, Tim Drake has garnered more attention for coming out as bisexual rather than for any of his exploits. His methods are more in line with Batman's non-lethal philosophy, so it makes sense for him to try to influence young Damien Wayne. With Damien acting as a focal point in Shadow War, Tim Drake can help Batman bring his son back from the precipice of becoming one of the monsters of the heroic age.
5 Jason Todd Has A History With The League Of Shadows.
If there are any members of the Bat-Family who have first-hand knowledge of what the League of Shadows can do, it's Jason Todd. In death, he represented Batman's greatest failure. After his resurrection, he still fills a similar role but for different reasons.
The Red Hood's methods are much more severe than Batman's and he has proven capable of using lethal force and guns regularly. Perhaps his inclusion in Shadow War can signal a change in the former Robin as he sees his likely path is if he continues employing Deathstroke's methods rather than Batman's
4 Harley Quinn Can Add Some Levity To What Is Likely To Be A Dark Story.
There's nothing wrong with a grim, dramatic, and action-packed story. However, for a longer story, there needs to be some levity to give the reader time to breathe. As a result, Harley Quinn is perfect for her own storyline in Shadow War.
Harley also brings the violence in a way that few characters can and she's capable of genuine drama. Given that Shadow War is likely to have a death or two, perhaps having a former psychiatrist on hand could help some characters recover, as long as Harley doesn't take their knees out first.
3 Catwoman Should Be One Person To Come Running When Batman Needs Help.
Batman's relationship with Catwoman is complicated but deep. By nearly marrying the Caped Crusader she formed a bond with him that still hasn't gone away. Unfortunately, Batman isn't one to ask for help.
Batman's allies usually pitch in because they can see when he needs assistance. There are a few people that can do that but Selina Kyle is one of them. She also knows just how deadly a war between Deathstroke and the League of Shadows could be. By showing up, Catwoman shows that the bond between her and Batman isn't easily broken.
2 Barbara Gordon's Role As Oracle Provides Invaluable Help.
Since reassuming the role as Oracle, the anonymous tech assistant for Gotham's heroes, Barbara Gordon has proven more valuable than any other foot soldier in Batman's war on crime. She still retains the option to don a cape and cowl if the need arises, but she seems content with leaving Batgirl to Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain. She's also assisted Dick Grayson as he attempts to help Blüdhaven as its financial safety net.
Barbara even has backups of her Oracle system and has demonstrated a willingness to destroy them and rebuild them if necessary. She's one of the most important members of the Bat-Family, keeping them together. She's also capable of calling on any number of heroes if the need presents itself.
1 Nightwing Needs To Be The First Person That Helps Batman.
Damien Wayne is Bruce Wayne's biological offspring, but Dick Grayson is the first person that Batman treated like a son. Nightwing has shown a willingness to work with the rest of the Bat-Family, learning all of their strengths. As Shadow War goes, he also has a rare win over Deathstroke on his record
Nightwing escaped Deathstroke during the Judas Contract and set a plan to rescue the Teen Titans in motion. Deathstroke ended up going to trial after that conflict. Nightwing also exposed Deathstroke's key weakness in this struggle, a tendency to underestimate his foes.