WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman #106, by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Following the conclusion of 2020's "Joker War," Batman changed everything about his crusade. Now that the Wayne family fortune is in the care of Lucius Fox, Bruce doesn't have unlimited money to fund his superhero persona. Plus, with Alfred gone, Bruce has moved out of his Manor and into a Brownstone in Gotham. Now, Batman operates from within the city, and he no longer has access to an unlimited supply of suits, weapons, gadgets and vehicles. In fact, without Alfred, he has to repair everything he breaks.
Now, after a two-month hiatus that introduced DC's Future State, Batman #106 finally shows the next phase in the Dark Knight's mission to save Gotham. As he rushes out into the streets to take on a new threat, the superhero debuts an all-new Batmobile that perfectly reflects this new beginning.
Prior to the start of the "Joker War," Batman debuted multiple new gadgets and weapons that included the Nightclimber, a vehicle that could transform into a crime-fighting robot, and the Echo, a device that could convert any random car built from components made by Wayne Enterprises into a Batmobile. But now, Bruce doesn't have access to any of that anymore. As he continues his crusade in a Gotham City, Batman speeds into battle with yet another new Batmobile.
In recent years, Batman's vehicles have been likened to tanks. After all, while the Caped Crusader's Batmobiles were incredibly fast, they were also heavily armored and they outfitted with many weapons that allowed them to pack a massive punch. But now that Bruce's mission has gone back to basics, his new Batmobile is something different. This new Batmobile is less of a tank and more of a car.
Batman's new vehicle has all the recognizable traits of a Batmobile, but it's also smaller, less armored and much sleeker. It appears to be a simple sports car that was altered to become a new crime-fighting automobile. Its bat-wings are more discreet, as is the bat-logo on its hood. Bruce has tinkered with the engine to make it faster and more powerful -- but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of previous Batmobiles. For instance, this new vehicle doesn't have a collision-avoidance system, which means that he has to be more careful when he drives it.
Batman's new Batmobile may have a sleek and shiny new look, but it still bears echoes of the past. Going back to a model that is more of a car calls back to Bruce's original Batmobiles, as well as the Batmobile from the Batman '66 live-action series. It's a throwback to the past that also serves as a bold new start for DC's Infinite Frontier era.
This is Batman's Batmobile for the foreseeable future, and there will be no changing it. If he destroys it, there will be no replacing it easily. Unfortunately, he has to be incredibly careful with it. Otherwise, the Dark Knight could find himself without a Batmobile.