Justice League #36 Introduces a Chain-Smoking Batman Imitator

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Justice League #36 by Christopher Priest, Pete Woods and Willie Schu, on sale now.

The DC Universe currently has a Batman epidemic on its hands. The Dark Knight has never been shy about appearing across multiple monthly titles, but things have gotten out of hand with alternate and future versions staking a claim to the mantle.

But what happens when someone dresses like the Bat to commit violent crimes on the general public? The world already sees Batman more as a vigilante than a superhero, so a pretender to the cowl wouldn't have to do much to build distrust. Further, what if this Bad Batman picked up an unhealthy addiction along the way? Christopher Priest, Pete Woods and Willie Schu begin to tackle these questions in Justice League #36.

The Committee vs. The Justice League

We begin the issue in a courtroom, as Congresswoman Hasgrove summarizes the events of Justice League #34, which included Batman and Wonder Woman failing to save the life of a hostage. Many valid questions are brought up regarding the League, and in most superhero teams in general, questions regarding their surveillance techniques, civil rights violations, use of a weaponized private satellite, and teleportation technology. Normally, a person or group would submit official paperwork to government officials asking permission before implementing these protocols. Superheroes, however, don't operate that way.

Hasgrove also raises the point that there's no way to determine whether the masked avenger seen yesterday is the same person wearing the mask today. This sets up the next unfortunate sequence where "Batman" attacks her car on a rainy night, ending her life with a Batarang between the eyes, before teleporting away.

Of course, we all know this isn't the real Batman, but to the people taking pictures on the scene and those watching news reports from their homes, he looks like and has the moves of the world-famous. Whoever this imposter is, he's got pretty good aim with a Batarang as well.

Justice League: Super-Dictators?

There may be a rogue Batman running amok, but Bruce Wayne doesn't seem too concerned with his name being dragged through the mud. Besides, the Justice League has larger concerns; primarily, is the team staying true to its charter? The debate between Leaguers comes about when Aquaman discovers a submarine armed with nuclear warheads lying on the ocean floor near the Shandong Peninsula.

Just as Aquaman begins formulating a plan to disarm and move the submarine, Batman cuts him off. If the submarine were in international waters, the Justice League could step in and get involved. However, the sub was spying on the Chinese, making it their call on what actions should be taken. Aquaman, being the head of a sovereign nation, disagrees with these checks and balances. Wonder Woman isn't too crazy about them either, and lets her thoughts be known to Batman.

The topic of Batman's copycat comes back up, with Wonder Woman reminding Bruce that this outlaw is attacking people who question their methods and goals. Could the Bad Batman agree with the Justice League operating without any jurisdiction? And in his deranged mind, is he doing all he can to make sure this continues, even to the detriment of the League?

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Meet%20The%20Chain-Smoking%20Batman%20Imitator']

Once the issue with the submarine is settled, Cyborg gets a hit on the location of the Batman copycat. Bruce elects to go after him alone, to the objection of his teammates. Or does he? We see a disguised Bruce Wayne head to a bar in East St. Louis, where he meets a sultry blonde who begins to make out with him in a restroom.

The duo is interrupted by Black Canary's ultrasonic song, which leaves Bruce incapacitated and open to a neural inhibitor -- revealing his true identity to be Simon Baz. Apparently, Batman's "going it alone" speech was all an act to lure his imposter out into the open, with the Green Lantern sent in his place. The issue's final page reveals our first good look at the Batman imitator, who fancies himself a cigarette while attacking superheroes in seedy bars.

Our Chain-Smoking Batman may have the general look of the Dark Knight down pat, but there is a small difference in his costume and the real deal. Batman's current chest symbol is solid black with a yellow outline, whereas our copycat is donning an older version with the yellow background and black chest emblem.

Right now it's a mystery as to why the imitator chose Batman to copy and not another member of the Justice League. Being one of two Leaguers to wear a mask definitely helps, since it allows him to hide his identity. Also, as we mentioned earlier, Batman's status as a vigilante allows the copycat to play off of people's fears regarding who is really under the mask. With Batman now framed as a murderer, and the Justice League questioning his leadership, things aren't looking good as "The People vs. Justice League" continues in Justice League #37.