There have many people who have worn the mantle of the Bat besides Bruce Wayne, but now, Tim “Jace” Fox from I Am Batman has removed the mouth guard from his cowl and the world can see his skin color. Jace is stepping into some big shoes and is making sure that everyone knows he isn’t the same Dark Knight they usually run from.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for I Am Batman #5
Fox has been wearing the Batman cowl for over a year now, however, in I Am Batman #5, he decides that it’s time to change up his suit a little. With a little help from his father Lucius Fox that is. Writer John Ridley said in an interview with CBR, regarding the scene between the estranged Fox’s, that this will be
A very powerful moment of identity when Lucius tells Jace to never put his faceplate back on, represent, and never think of himself as a lesser Batman.
He admits that his son has a lot to learn before he is Batman, but he reinforces that he is not a lesser person by any means. Some people have said that I’m doing Black Batman, and they mean it as a compliment. But I say that it is not Black Batman, but Jace Fox as Batman, who happens to be black.
This family has to struggle with money, with representation, and with just being out in the world, and you will see much much more of that going forward as Jace and his family make the move to New York in I Am Batman.
In I Am Batman #5, the writers change up the typical trope of no one ever recognizing part of a hero’s face for who they actually are. Lucius watches Batman fighting and instantly knows that it’s his son when the faceplate is knocked aside. He then pledges to Jace that he will help him with his crimefighting, just how he helped Bruce Wayne.
Ridley adds:
In comic books and other created narratives, it’s a given that no one can figure out who the hero really is. It’s a conceit, and it works brilliantly. But for me, and I say this partly as a father, you’re always going to recognize your kid. You could be in a crowd of children and still recognize the sound of your child’s voice.
In that moment, I just couldn’t just play that conceit. Jace is black with a goatee, and there is no way that Lucius was not going to recognize his son.
Although the father-son duo has finally found some common ground and respect between themselves, they won’t actually be working together just yet. In November, it was announced that Jace will be moving to New York City. This will be the first time the city has been protected by the Dark Knight since 1941.
Ridley said this about the big move:
I’m incredibly excited about charting this new direction for Jace and the Fox family. This new setting is a great opportunity to do some really creative world-building and give Jace his own allies, adversaries, and challenges that will continue to shape and define him as his own character under the cape and cowl.
I Am Batman #5 is on sale now from DC.
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