Readers know that Bruce Wayne spent years training his body and mind in preparation for the day he became Green Lantern?
Remarkably, this happened in one of DC’s Elseworlds stories (a series of books similar to Marvel Comics’ What If --? series). One of the stranger Elseworlds stories (which is saying something) Batman: In Darkest Knight offers mash-ups of not only Batman and Green Lantern but amalgamated several of Batman’s rogue’s gallery with Green Lantern’s foes. The results… were weird.
How the Dark Knight Became an Emerald Knight
In this strange new world, on the night Bruce Wayne received the inspiration for the identity he would use as a crimefighter, something beat the bat that would have flown through his window – a message from Green Lantern Abin Sur. Turns out in this universe, Abin Sur crash landed in Gotham City and never met Hal Jordan. Sensing that Bruce’s will is the most powerful one in the vicinity, Abin summons Bruce to his crash site and imbues him with the lantern’s powers.
Taking this as an omen for the man he was meant to become, the new Green Lantern immediately embraces his power and begins patrolling Gotham. Creating a caped and cowled version of the traditional Green Lantern costume (which looks suspiciously like Space Ghost’s outfit) “Bat Lantern” starts by stopping the Red Hood from robbing a chemical plant, and manages to subdue the Hood without letting him fall into a vat of chemicals – unknowingly preventing the birth of the Joker.
When the Guardians of Oa their new recruit, however, Bruce learns a downside to being a Green Lantern – despite the fact that he only wants to stop crime in Gotham City, he’s now responsible for patrolling an entire space sector (2814 to be precise). Summoned to stop the rogue Green Lantern Sinestro, Bruce subdues his enemy using his crime fighting training and his new cosmic level powers.
How Joe Chill Became… Sinestro?
Bruce then returns to Gotham and begins investigating more street-level crimes – specifically, going after illusion of young Bruce Wayne. He then absorbs Chill’s mind and goes insane in the process – cackling like the Joker and developing multiple personalities like Two Face. He then goes after Harvey Dent and Selina Kyle – transforming them into weird Two Face/Eclipso and Catwoman/Star Sapphire amalgamations (yes, really).
To fight his enemies, Bruce begins using his powers in unique, Batman-like ways. He employs his ring like a detective, tracking down the auras of his adversaries, and finds a way to become invisible (possibly by bending light around himself). He even creates spy satellites around the Earth to alert him of trouble spots. However, his obsessive need to focus on Gotham City and not patrol his space sector puts him into conflict with the Guardians who threaten to take his ring away.
When Bruce becomes too uncontrollable, the Guardians not only send a group of Green Lanterns to take back his ring – they recruit a young Superman, Wonder Woman, and Flash as their agents. Despite the power thrown against him, Bruce’s will proves stronger than the others and he just takes the Lanterns’ rings away. During the fight, however, Sinestro and his cronies invade the Bat Cave (Lantern Cave?) and kill Alfred. Furious that Chill/Sinestro has taken his last remaining family member, Bruce leaves Earth in the care of Superman and the others and takes off into space to go after Sinestro.
Where other Elseworlds stories offer tales that could have never happened in the mainstream DC Universe, Batman: In Darkest Knight actually showcases a story similar to Marvel’s What If --? comics by altering only one key event in Bruce Wayne’s history and letting history unfold in a different way. This doesn’t mean In Darkest Knight offers a particularly good story, however, as many of the amalgamated characters feel forced and Bruce’s new identity doesn’t really feel like Batman or Green Lantern. It’s a fun story for fans who like mash-ups, but doesn’t offer anything particularly new or engrossing.
