Ever since the DCU was announced, there’s been a cloud lingering over it. Even with the success of Superman on the big screen last summer and the water-cooler discussion that’s taking over Lanterns, this cloud won’t go away and has fans wondering the same thing: Where’s Batman? James Gunn has already confirmed that a DCU version of the Caped Crusader is in the cards with the announcement of The Brave and the Bold feature film that’s in the works. The character even made his debut, making a brief appearance in the animated series Creature Commandos. That said, no one has been cast as the DCU Batman, and it still remains to be seen when he’ll actually show up.
This week’s episode of Lanterns is one of the most surprising in the entire series, not only because it finally leaps ahead to the present day in the timeline and begins to unravel the mystery of Hal Jordan’s murder, but it also makes more pointed connections to the larger DCU. Fans have been waiting for Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner to finally show up in the series after it was confirmed he would appear, and not only does the series do a good job of seamlessly incorporating him into the show, it does it in a way that actually allows for a shocking moment: a Batman tease from Hal Jordan himself.
Lanterns Tease the DCU Batman With Pointed Reference
Based on how Batman was already characterized in Creature Commandos, fans know that he’s already out in the world and active in the DCU’s Gotham City. Though he’s not mentioned by name in Superman, a tease of Bruce Wayne’s hometown can be seen on a sign. In case it wasn’t clear that he was out there, though, and behaving in the way fans expect, Lanterns confirms it outright.
In a brief moment early in the episode, John Stewart returns to Rushville to begrudgingly reunite with Hal Jordan. While there, Kyle Chandler’s version of the DC hero updates John on how his life has been going since the big debacle before, confirming that he’s been sitting in federal prison after “taking the fall” for what happened in pursuit of the Manhunter. He then teases a new addition to Rushville, confirming that “the gym teacher,” his derogatory nickname for Guy Gardner, has installed a signal in town, specifically saying:
“(He) ripped off that Bat-guy over in Gotham too, put a beacon right in the middle of the fucking town here, so people can summon him.”
Though a line of dialogue that breezes by quickly, it’s one that carries some weight and offers plenty of clues to Batman’s status in the DCU. Based on this line alone, the implication is that Batman has been around long enough that Hal Jordan, even while in prison, knows not only who Batman is but how he operates. To that end, we can surmise that Batman and the Bat-signal in Gotham City are firmly established, and the idea that it’s used to light up the sky and make it clear that a specific hero is needed is well known.
All of these little clues, stemming from just a quick line of dialogue, make the wait for the upcoming The Brave and the Bold movie even more agonizing. Director Andy Muschietti has been attached to direct for some time, with Christina Hodson working on the screenplay, but updates are few and far between for the film, with work on The Batman Part II seemingly delaying plans for the movie somewhat.
This week’s Lanterns raises an important question, though: How much longer can DC fans be satisfied with vague teases of this universe’s Batman before we even know who it is or see him outright? Patience runs thin with superhero fans, and the DCU is approaching treacherous waters.
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