The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh
If you are not familiar with the comics, you are probably wondering why the hell Bruce is dressed up in a purple, red, and yellow Batsuit, and brandishing a baseball bat! In the modern continuity, Dr. Simon Hurt and the Black Glove engaged in a long-term campaign to break Batman physically and mentally. At the endgame, Dr. Hurt had activated post-hypnotic trigger, drugged Bruce, and left him an amnesiac in Gotham City.
However, Batman literally plans ahead for every possible contingency. A separate persona deep in his subconscious, designed in case of severe psychological trauma, activates calling himself the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. This is what happens when Batman goes truly psychotic – or if Batman was pure id & did not have the Bruce Wayne persona to guide him. This Batman is more brave, reckless, and more willing to maim and torture criminals. See exhibit A – the baseball bat. He also sees hallucinations in the form of Bat-Mite who acts as Batman’s moral compass.
Considering how prevalent the motifs of mental trauma, insanity/psychosis, and hallucinations are in Arkham Knight, it would inject a dose of hilarity to have the apparition of Bat-Mite appear beside you as run around Gotham beating up thugs with a baseball bat. Radio transmissions of thugs and the Arkham Knight militia can change to react to the *excuse the term* bat-shit crazy Zur-En-Arrh persona before them.
Quite surprisingly, a YouTube video posted by MrJAG showcases Arkham Knight gameplay footage featuring the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh – although, additional research could not ascertain whether this was a mod or a future skin. In either case, this would truly make for the most terrifying and hilarious alternate Batsuit to date.
Wild West Batman
Morrison consistently pushes the boundaries of the Batman character and mythos to new frontiers. For example, during Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, Batman (after having been blasted by Darkseid’s Omega Sanction) is hurtling through history towards the present. We are then introduced to Batmen of every age including: Caveman Batman, Witch Hunter Batman, Pirate Batman, Wild West Batman, Detective / Noir Batman, and present day Batman. Each incarnation is worthy of being its own skin but Square Enix has taken Wild West Batman to a whole new level.
As part of their DC Comics Variant Play Arts Kai – Timeless edition, Square Enix wanted to experiment with toys adhering to the maxim that: “A Batman will always exist, as the Dark Knight is Timeless.” Thus, they created an updated Gunslinger Batman figurine that will make the mouths of all fans water. The incredible and painstaking detail of this figurine could be done justice with the graphics engine that powers Arkham Knight. And seriously, how awesome would it be to see Batman stylishly holster his grapple gun and chucking tomahawks instead of Batarangs?
Batman (Damian Wayne) – Batman #666
SPOILERS
Remember that mindblowing 100% Knightfall secret ending of Arkham Knight? A prominent theory is that this new Batman is making use of Scarecrow’s fear toxin against Gotham’s criminals – how else would he able to conjure that hellish visage? To be honest, that was not my first conclusion. My brain instantly raced to another Batman from comic book continuity. In Batman #666, the reader is introduced to a dystopian Gotham City where this future’s Batman is none other than Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, grandson to Ra’s Al Ghul.
Featuring a new costume with seemingly occult visual motifs, Damian Wayne is the next Batman after having failed to save his father. As a result, Damian’s Batman is far darker as he is willing to torture and kill criminals. Most notably, he possesses a range of bizarre supernatural powers (such as an accelerated healing factor) and it is implied that Damian made a deal with the Devil to attain immortality and great & terrible powers to fight and save Gotham City.
While I made the case in another feature that Damian Wayne could potentially exist in in the Arkham continuity, in the end it all boils down to mere speculation and not likely to hold up. Nonetheless, it is a fun theory to toy with in imagining the new Batman at the end of Arkham Knight being fueled by the sheer power and terror of Hell itself.
Final Fantasy Batman
Well, we passed the line of no return when it comes to Damian Wayne-Demon-Antichrist Batman. Why stop now? Returning to the incredible work of Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai toy line, the world renowned artist and character designer for Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, Tetsuya Nomura, designed a new Batman the world of comics, video games, or television has never seen before.
Behold, the Play Arts Kai Variant Tetsuya Nomura Batman available for pre-order and to be released sometime this month. He is both nightmarish but awe-inspiring. Where to begin – from his intricately designed armor, to his cape re-imagined as a pair of mechanized wings, right down to the extra pair of pairs ending in razor sharp talons… this Batman is quite possibly the worst Batman you could ever hope to run into. Even scarier than that of the Arkham Knight Knightfall Batman in all honesty.
In adapting this costume into Arkham Knight, certain combat mechanics can be altered – such as enabling the extra pair of appendages to grab, throw, and punch extra enemies, especially those that are farther away or behind Batman. The mechanized wings could provide inspiration for more intense and complicated aerial takedown attacks. Furthermore, considering what we’ve seen of Nomura’s Batsuit, what would his Batmobile look like?
As an honorable mention, Nomura also designed a beautiful and right-out badass adaptation of Catwoman. Sporting a sleek, elegant and dangerous armored suit of gunmetal grey/black and purple, this new rendition is what would happen if Selina Kyle and Raiden from Metal Gear were combined. Just imagine both of Nomura’s creations tag-teaming together in Arkham Knight’s Dual Play mode? Game over, man, game over.
Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) – The Batgirl of Burnside
In less than 2 weeks, Bat-fans will be treated with the release of the Batgirl: A Matter of Family DLC. From the promotion art and in-game art screen captures revealed so far, we are treated to a brand new Batgirl costume that is influenced by the grittier, darker aesthetic of the Arkham franchise.
If the DLC were to include an alternative skin for Barbara Gordon, a must-have costume to adapt is the amazing re-design by Cameron Stewart & Babs Tarr from Batgirl, Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside. At its reveal, Batgirl’s new costume drew immediate hype and acclaim. Following a plot point in which Barbara has to construct a new Batgirl costume, the suit features a chic, functional, DIY vibe constructed from items you can find at a thrift shop or boutique store. For example, instead of tight-fitting spandex, the main body of costume is a converted, leather motorcycle jacket with shoulder clasps to which her cape can easily be donned or removed. Certainly, her purple and yellow color scheme will stand in stark contrast to Batman, as well as the dreary and bleak Gotham City backdrop, to create an interesting foil. This contrast will mirror her characterization considering her age and youthfulness.
Check out the design notes above for an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look on how this alternate Batgirl was envisioned and designed!
Which of these costumes should become a future alternate skin for Batman: Arkham Knight? What other costumes would you like to see? Feel free to comment and share below!
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