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Batman is arguably comic books' most iconic - and in 2022 - most popular superhero, and that reflects in how much of the DC's line is devoted to Batman titles. But as 2022 fades into the rearview and 2023 rises on the horizon, it seems DC's editorial reliance on The Dark Knight is expanding to include his famous sidekicks ... and now a legacy character ... more and more.
Over the last few years the publisher has shifted its publication model toward limited series and events with a handful of ongoing titles hitting shelves each month, and, of course, the mainline Batman title is one of those ongoing.
But members of the Bat family also have their names in these lights, so to speak. I Am Batman stars Jace Fox, the oldest son of Wayne Industries vice president Lucius Fox, who took on the Batman mantle after Bruce's apparent death in Future State. Then there's the current Batgirls title, the new Tim Drake: Robin, and Nightwing. Starring in their own series not only allows these characters to shine outside of their relationship with Batman himself but gives creators and readers alike the chance to interact with them in their own spotlight.
Next year, it seems as if we'll see even more of a focus on Bruce's sidekicks and allies.
In January, a new editorial era known as the Dawn of the DCU will launch following the events of the current Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. Nightwing has been a focal character throughout Dark Crisis, and he's featured prominently in the promotional art for Dawn.
Then there's Lazarus Planet, the first DC event of 2023, which spins out of Batman vs. Robin. When Lazarus Volcano explodes, it transforms the powers of heroes all over Earth-0/Prime, and it's all because of Damian Wayne working with his great-grandmother, Mother Soul, and the Devil Nezha.
And last but not least, there's the New Golden Age, which puts Helena Wayne AKA Huntress - Catwoman and Batman's daughter - at the forefront of a conspiracy that spans millennia.
Here's a breakdown of how Batman's protégés and in this case, offspring, will play prominent roles in the DCU in 2023 and beyond.
Nightwing and the Dawn of the DCU
The final panel of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 shows Deathstroke lifting a bloodied Nightwing by the throat, displaying him as a kind of warning sign to the other heroes on Earth-0/Prime - who can once again count the Justice League among their ranks. It's a striking image, especially when compared to the main cover art for Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, seen here.
Nightwing rises in front of what looks like Infinite Earths, looking a lot more powerful and a lot less injured than at the end of issue #6. It's an interesting dichotomy and one that suggests he might experience a "dawn" of his own, alongside the DC Universe.
Dick Grayson is one of DC's oldest and most iconic characters, despite his status as a second-generation legacy character. He started as Batman's teenage sidekick, but he's since grown up and become a leader in his own right, particularly through his guidance of the Titans. After the death of the Justice League, Dick stepped up alongside Jon Kent to lead the heroes of Earth-0/Prime against Pariah, the Great Darkness, Deathstroke, and his Dark Army.
By all rights, he's proven himself to be a hero at the same level as Batman, his mentor, and other Justice Leaguers like Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash.
If he does become a focus character during the Dawn of the DCU, it will have been a long time coming. It's worth noting that the milestone issue Nightwing #100 will debut in January after Dark Crisis wraps in December. Writer Joshua Williamson revealed that Nightwing #100 will take place chronologically after Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, in which Nightwing "does something really big" that only he can do.
This series of events, combined with Dawn's art focus on the character, make it hard not to believe Nightwing will continue to be in the spotlight in 2023 and possibly beyond.
Damian Wayne and Lazarus Planet
Damian Wayne AKA Robin has taken his own stance in the DC Universe - although in Batman vs. Robin, he's coming down more on the "villainous" side than the "heroic." The five-issue limited series concludes in January and will launch DC's first event of 2023: Lazarus Planet.
Writer Mark Waid will be the architect for Lazarus Planet, which sees citizens of Earth-0/Prime either gaining new powers or having their current ones altered in the wake of Lazarus Volcano exploding and spewing transformative chemicals into the atmosphere. Damian can be seen in promotional art leading a charge of other characters - interestingly, including Batman.
And according to the event announcement, Damian puts out a distress call for whatever heroes are left in their original, heroic states to report to the Hall of Justice and help save the world. It seems his brief demonic turn in Batman vs. Robin sees a reversal at some point in the near future, likely when the seemingly corrupt hold the Devil Nezha and Mother Soul have on him is broken.
We don't yet know how that shakes out, but there are some parallels to consider here.
Nightwing put out a similar call for heroes during Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, and now Damian is doing the same during Lazarus Planet. Although he's much less involved in Dark Crisis than Dick, Damian is a driving force in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Dark Army #1. According to the solicit text, he teams up with Red Canary and Dr. Light to steal control of the Dark Army from Pariah.
The special one-shot seems to take place before the Justice League joins the battle in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #6, but Damian steps up to the plate just like his fellow Super Son, Jon, and his Robin predecessor, Dick Grayson.
And his actions in The Dark Army #1 potentially set him up for leading a more large-scale fight in Lazarus Planet. DC hasn't identified a singular character as being in the spotlight during this event, the way Nightwing seems to be in the Dawn of the DCU. But now that Damian's ongoing Robin title has ended (and was replaced with a Tim Drake-Robin title in September) and he's currently embroiled in a battle against his dad, there's a strong possibility he'll play a key role in Lazarus Planet and whatever happens after.
Helena Wayne and The New Golden Age
In Justice Society of America #1, which will be available at the end of November, Helena Wayne AKA Huntress visits the current DC Universe in her search to find the Stranger - AKA the mysterious entity invading the JSA's timeline to destroy the team in every possible iteration.
Writer Geoff Johns is essentially playing with his own possible future timeline, meaning Helena doesn't necessarily exist alongside Dick and Damian as we know them - but her starring role in the New Golden Age certainly puts her at the same echelon as Batman's other "kids."
Helena first appeared in 1977 on Earth-2, and there have since been variations of her including in the Batman/Catwoman series, which takes place in a timeline where Selina and Bruce go through with their wedding and have their daughter.
Helena's starring role as Huntress in the new Justice Society of America ongoing highlights her as a woman destined to become a masked superhero. Her determination to find her father's murderer and unravel the conspiracy wending its way through the JSA's past and future will put her in the spotlight in a new way, as other portions of the DC roster also shift focus from Batman himself to specific members of the Bat family.
It's doubtful DC will ever completely shift its Batman spotlight to the Dark Knight's sidekicks, but 2023 is shaping up to be a year more focused on his various protégés than on the man himself.
Damian Wayne and Dick Grayson are ranked among the most vital members of the Bat family.
