WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: The Adventures Continue #7 by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, Monica Kubina and Joshua Reed, available now.
Batman: The Adventures Continue, the ongoing continuation of Batman: The Animated Series and the DC Animated Universe that it created, has introduced characters like Jason Todd and Deathstroke into the DCAU in slightly askew ways. And now, Batman: The Adventures Continue #7 drops Jean-Paul Valley, who's better known as the zealous hero Azrael, into the mix.
Azrael's appearance carries a presence with it that's loaded with meaning for longtime Batman fans. After he debuted in Denny O'Neil, Joe Quesada and Kevin Nolan's Batman: Sword of Azrael, Valley became best-known for assuming the Batman mantle during the Knightfall storyline which saw Batman's back get broken by Bane. Even as Batman's replacement, Valley still acted with the violent tactics he used as a warrior for the Order of St. Dumas. Thanks to the psychological conditioning he received at that organization, Valley has usually been a more aggressive hero, has always been portrayed as a little more violent, and he is also a little more out of control than Batman, in part thanks to the psychological conditioning he's received. Over the years, his suit has consisted of stylized medieval armor, bladed gauntlets and even a burning sword.
It's hard to imagine Batman's back getting broken in BTAC, a comic book that's still ostensibly part of the kid-friendly DCAU, so Azrael's story here takes some notable departures from the original material. In this issue, Batman is chasing Catwoman, though it's clear his heart isn't entirely in it. Their banter is playful and flirtatious. The chase catches the attention of Azrael, who is interested in an object Catwoman has stolen: The Shawl of Magdalene. Azrael steps between the Bat and the Cat, capturing Catwoman and threatening her. At that point, Batman steps in to save Catwoman.
The two men fight for a time, with Batman noticing something familiar in the way Azrael fights. Azrael recognizes him the same way, which nods towards the men's shared history. Batman gets the upper hand and Azrael retreats without the information he needs about the Shawl. Catwoman is taken into custody, as Batman receives a call from Alfred that Azrael is waiting for him at Wayne Manor, who deduced Batman's identity through his fighting.
The two reveal that they now understand they knew each other from previous training with St. Dumas. While Bruce was focused merely on the martial arts aspects of the education, Jean-Paul was far more connected with St. Dumas' religious elements. That's why he's after the Shawl; the Order of St. Dumas believes it has healing powers. Though Bruce doesn't truck with such superstitions, he agrees to help recover the Shawl after he gives Jean-Paul a change of clothes.
Bruce provides Jean-Paul with a new armor that strongly resembles the Batman costume that Jean-Paul wore during Knightfall. In a nice change from the original story, Jean-Paul doesn't change his costume to replace Bruce, but to fit in better alongside him. The two travel to the Iceberg Lounge because all of Gotham's illegal activities run through it and the club's owner, the Penguin. Penguin isn't prepared to just let the two heroes run roughshod over him, however, and the issue ends with Penguin's new enforcer, Mr. Wing, ready to do his thing.
Though Azrael's story here is a considerable departure from his DC Universe debut, it's faithful enough that the core elements of the character are easily recognizable here. The darkness of it hasn't been completely stripped away -- Azrael is still all fire and wrath -- but he's been tempered to match the book's relatively less serious tone, even the bladed details of Azrael's Bat-armor are tempered by the book's vibrant colors. The Adventures Continue continues to expand its cast by comfortably picking the best elements of Batman's most popular characters non-DCAU characters and reworking them successfully into its cartoony world.