Gotham City’s Dark Knight just proved he doesn’t need a cape or cowl to become Batman.

When a charity event becomes the scene of a particularly violent hostile takeover attempt in the pages of Batman & Robin #14, the eponymous heroes waste no time leaping into action. While Damian Wayne stays behind with the crowd to provide protection if needed, Bruce heads straight for the scene of the gunshots that drew his attention in the first place. And, while he may not have his cape and cowl handy, he does have control over nearly the entire city’s power grid, and the shadows are all he needs to become Batman.

Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON Art by JAVI FERNÁNDEZ Colors by MARCELO MAIOLO Letters by STEVE WANDS Main cover art by JAVI FERNÁNDEZ & DAVE McCAIG Variant covers by SIMONE DI MEO, YANICK PAQUETTE, MARCELO MAIOLO & CHRISTOPHER MITTEN, CHRISTIAN DUCE & LUIS GUERRERO, DANIEL SAMPERE & ALEJ

Batman & Robin #14 marks the eponymous duo’s return to Gotham City after an extended trip to the treacherous jungles of Dinosaur Island. After years of wondering what happened to the hulking Bane, who seemingly lost his life in an attack on Arkham Asylum, Batman and Robin discovered that the villain had somehow escaped to Dinosaur Island to live a life of utter seclusion. Still looking for vengeance for the brutal murder of the Bat Family’s closest confidant, Alfred Pennyworth, the heroes took to Dinosaur Island for themselves to bring Bane in.

After trekking to Dinosaur Island, Batman and Robin find Bane and the villain’s clone/daughter, Vengeance. Despite their own abilities and the help of Damian’s old ally, Maya, the heroes still found themselves outmatched by their old foes. Fortunately, the pair ultimately prevailed over Bane and Vengeance, setting up a long-awaited confrontation between the former villain and Damian, who was there when Alfred was killed.

Alfred’s death in the pages of 2019’s Batman #77 by Tom King, Mikel Janin, and Tony S. Daniel has long haunted Damian and every other member of the Bat Family. However, the shot at taking revenge for the killing was surprisingly passed over when presented to the young Robin. Instead of killing Bane, Damian decided to stay his blade and give the villain a chance at facing non-lethal justice for his crimes. Unfortunately, this opened the door for Robin to be pumped full of Venom, transforming him into a hulking, raging menace unto himself, albeit only temporarily.

Batman & Robin #14 is on sale now from DC Comics.

Source: DC Comics