How the Dark Knight's New Persona Connects to Matt Reeves' The Batman

The following contains spoilers for the story "I Am A Gun: Part 2" from Batman #129, now on sale from DC Comics

The overarching battle between Batman and his allies against the robotic Failsafe has revealed more about the Dark Knight's various contingencies and backups in case even he is corrupted. This includes the return of the Batman of Zur-en-Arrh. Originally an alien character in the Silver Age, the concept was reimagined in the modern day during Grant Morrison's run as a ruthless emergency personality hidden within Batman's subconscious.

It also turns out the Batman of Zur-en-Arrh has broken loose before -- with the story "I Am A Gun: Part Two" from Batman #129 (by Chip Zdarsky, Leonardo Romero, Jordie Bellaire, and VC's Clayton Cowles) revealing it once took over and tried to kill the Joker. This gives the dark alternate identity of Batman a clear connection to not just an underrated classic from Darwyn Cooke but also ties the story into Matt Reeves' The Batman.

The Origin of Batman's Zur-En-Arrh Persona

The story "I Am A Gun" has been focused on the origins of the modern take on the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh as a deranged and unrestrained backup personality designed by Batman as a final psychological layer of defense. After dealing with a mental attack carried out by Doctor Milo that came close to breaking his mind, Batman worked to design the countermeasure, only for the rumors of Milo's efforts to find the Joker. Incensed that anyone could break the Caped Crusader besides him, Joker quickly goes on a rampage that kills numerous people.

Surrounded by the bodies of the most recently dead innocents, Batman's memories of his father keep bleeding through and are eventually taken over by the Batman of Zur-en-Arrh who speaks directly to Bruce Wayne. He demands Bruce turn over control of their body to the backup personality, taking charge and keeping Bruce's hands "clean" of whatever acts the more brutal version of Batman deems necessary. By the next page, the Joker quickly realizes something is wrong, immediately spotting the change in Batman's demeanor and voice. It looks like the prospect of finally killing the Joker was the true reason the Batman of Zur-en-Arrh first broke loose, which gives it a deeper connection to the history of the Dark Knight.

Batman: Ego Inspired Multiple Examinations of the Dark Knight's Moral Code

This isn't the first time Batman's internal struggles over his moral code have been so vividly personified. This formed the central conceit of Batman: Ego. Darwyn Cooke's one-shot short story focused on Batman dealing with the guilt of sparing the Joker each and every encounter, resulting in more death as the result of his moral code. As a result, Bruce is confronted by a massive representation of Batman; a massive god-like entity that tries to force Batman to embrace death and deliver a final justice. Similar to the Batman of Zur-en-Arrh, the force glimpsed in Batman: Ego focuses on a version of the Dark Knight who is tempted to break his code but knows he can't, regardless of what his darkest impulses have to save.

Batman: Ego was noted by The Batman director Matt Reeves as one of the direct inspirations for his take on the Caped Crusader. In this way, the Batman of Zur-eh-Arrh is referring to the same central conflict at the heart of the character. Batman's moral code is often suggested to be one of the few things capable of keeping him from going overboard. This extends even to the Joker because if Batman is going to matter and his mission is going to become a true code, then it has to apply to everyone. But it's fascinating to see the same quandary that fuels the Dark Knight's dark side be used in such drastically different ways, helping flesh out the latest cinematic Batman while also fueling his most unstable comics' incarnation.