WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Detective Comics #1029, Peter J. Tomasi, Kenneth Rocafort, Daniel Brown, and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
In Detective Comics #1029, a new masked antagonist, The Mirror, is determined to uncover the identities of Gotham's caped crusaders, but the villain won't be alone on this quest. Instead, they're capitalizing on Gotham's growing distrust of the superhero community by building a group of like-minded people who all want to unmask Batman and his allies.
The Mirror is far from the first person to oppose the Bat-Family. In the previous issue of Detective Comics, a mayoral candidate builds his platform on an anti-superhero stance. This reaction is a natural response to Gotham's latest disaster, "Joker War," an event that continues to change the status quo.
In their debut, The Mirror doesn't mince their words. It's perfectly clear how they feel about the heroes and villains who call Gotham their home. The Mirror accuses these masked individuals of destroying Gotham's soul and refusing to take responsibility for their actions. "So-called heroes have been allowed to run amok in the name of protecting us,'" The Mirror states. The villain, surrounded by a group of people, tells them they need to recruit more citizens to their cause. Finally, the mysterious antagonist reveals that, in the name of transparency and accountability, they seek to expose the secret identities of Gotham's superheroes.
The Mirror's movement is already gaining traction. Later, after Batman stops some bank robbers, a crowd of protestors lets him know that they're disgruntled. "Unmask," they chant at him. To be fair, the Dark Knight remains a polarizing figure, as the citizens of Gotham are divided over his status as a masked crimefighter. While the protestors are unhappy with Batman, another Gothamite thanks the Caped Crusader for saving the day. Gotham is a powder keg, and The Mirror fully intends to cash in on this volatile chaos. The Mirror isn't the only one who's taking advantage of the discord that permeates Gotham. Nakano is running for mayor, and he's using the city's growing anti-superhero sentiment to launch his mayoral campaign. Nakano has a personal reason for his disdain for the superhero community. During "Joker War," he was seriously injured, and the wound forced him to retire from his career as a police officer. In Detective Comics #1029, he elaborates on what he hopes to achieve if he becomes the major of Gotham City.
In a speech at a fundraiser, Nakano argues that masked individuals exacerbate the criminality that plagues Gotham. He then openly describes s his anti-superhero mission, and his words echo The Mirror's diatribe. "Transparency needs to be embraced at all levels," Nakano says. "Otherwise injustice will find a way to take root." After some armed men attack the fundraiser, Nakano's criticism becomes even more heated. "Damn all masks," he declares. Clearly, he is determined to end Gotham's vicious cycle of crime once and for all.
Right now, the similarities between Nakano and The Mirror are just a coincidence. But their two speeches are remarkably similar, which could lead some readers to wonder whether the two anti-mask figures are linked more directly than they appear to be. Regardless, the anti-mask movement in Gotham is quickly spreading. Between The Mirror's recruitment of dissatisfied citizens to Nakano's run for mayor, this development could quickly prove to be disastrous for the Bat-Family.