10 Most Insane Alternate Universe Batmen
DC Comics' Dark Knight has some seriously incredible alternate forms.
Since his 1939 debut Batman has become many things - a god tier superhero, a media franchise that exceeds even Bruce Wayne’s wealth, and one of the planet’s most famous fictional characters. This owes not just to the iconic character’s inception, but also to the numerous creative teams which have added to the character’s, and Gotham’s, lore.
However, like many of the most enduring fictional characters, tragedy is the one constant in the life of Bruce Wayne - or for that matter anybody who takes up the mantel of Batman. Brooding tragedy even dogs Batmen residing in alternate universes.
The Golden Age Batman of Earth-Two has been hung, drawn, and quartered through the Multiverse by the creative directions of some of comic book’s greatest writers and artists. While the Multiverse, and Dark Multiverse, sometimes require a detective’s Crazy Wall to keep up, the concept has allowed creatives to rip apart and reconstruct the Caped Crusader without fundamentally altering the Bruce Wayne/Batman who has courted fans for over 80 years.
As the popularity of The Batman Who Laughs has proven, there is significant interest in new and unique spins on the classic character. Here are some of the best of all...
10. Grim Reaper Batman
In Dark Nights: Death Metal, the Multiverse has been ravaged by cosmic creator Perpetua and the nefarious Batman Who Laughs. While Wonder Woman is essentially the Queen of Hell, and Superman is forced to continually power the sun to preserve life on Earth, Batman is underground trying to fan the flames of revolution.
Batman is armed with a scythe, aptly the traditional weapon of the Grim Reaper. He is enveloped in black, as close to a shadow without fading, only his blood-stained blade and Punk Rock shoulder studs react to light. This incarnation of Batman somehow manages to look even less approachable than Bruce in his traditional suit, which was seemingly chosen to convey aloofness.
The loudest aspect of this variation of the Caped Crusader is his motorbike. His ride has been pimped with a huge bat skeleton; the front wheel regurgitated from a giant bat skull.
Comparisons were drawn to Lobo, who also uses the roar of a motorbike engine to intimidate foes. However, a more direct combination of these two, The Batman Who Frags, was later introduced to the Dark Multiverse.