WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the story "Urban Legends" by Saladin Ahmed, Leonardo Manco, Mike Spicer, and Marshall Dillon from DC: The Doomed and the Damned #1, on sale now
One of the most exceptional aspects of Batman is the massive arsenal of amazing weapons he can utilize while in battle. At times, it feels like Batman is prepared for anything and everything, and capable of dealing with any potential problem. His newest tool is a particularly useful one, giving Batman the chance to literally punch his way through mystical dangers.
And in DC: The Doomed and the Damned, Batman just revealed his newest weapon against magic -- an Nth metal weapon that can tear through magical threats.
At the Martha House orphanage, the young Cesar is horrified while his brother is taken into an ambulance. None of the adults believe Cesar when he tells them that his brother is the victim of the mysterious Mister SlowDeath, and assume the boy is just sick. But Batman decides that the boy might have seen something, and decides to investigate further. Eventually, the boy is revealed to have been telling the truth, with a terrifying and monstrous figure attacking Batman and Cesar. Analyzing the creature while fighting it, Batman discovers that it's a manifestation of local negative energy, and it's even specifically drawn to children's voices. At first, the creature proves more than strong enough to fight Batman, even seeming to gain the upper hand at times.
But that's when Batman pulls out a new weapon -- a spiked brass knuckle, made out of Nth Metal alloy. Somewhat resembling the Bat-Cowl with golden spikes, the weapon fits around his fist. Batman reveals that he actually made the weapon with the help of Doctor Fate, giving Batman the chance to fight back against the creature and rip it apart with a couple of well-placed hits. He does just that, and is able to destroy Mister SlowDeath.
The revelation that the Nth Metal is in Batman's arsenal gives him a quick edge in battle. Among the various uses of Nth Metal -- one of the DC Universe's most versatile and indestructible metals -- is that it's capable of disrupting magical sources. This makes it a natural tool to use against supernatural threats -- which Batman does against the monster feeding on the negative emotions of children. The creature is destroyed in the battle, freeing the building of the curse that had been haunting the children for years -- and could allow Batman to do the same going forward. It's a very useful tool that Batman could likely use to great effect against any number of supernatural foes he comes across in battle going forward.
It's also a fun second time that Doctor Fate has come to the aid of one of his fellow heroes, with Doctor Fate helping talk Superman through some stressful psychological issues. But this might be more useful in the long-run, as it allows Batman to punch his way through any magical threat going forward, and should become a permanent piece of Batman's utility belt.