DC Comics has quite radically restarted all of its comic books from issue one, canceled a stack of them, and, now, they’re adding some diversity. DC has announced that it will feature the first black character to don the cap and cowl in the new comic Batwing #1. Written by Judd Winick (Green Lantern, The Outsiders) and animated by Ben Oliver, Batwing won’t be a black American who travels to the Motherland to fight crime—he will simply be African.
Editor Mike Marts told IGN that this idea isn’t a whimsical one but that
“Batman #1 is a series spun right out of Grant Morrison‘s Batman Incorporated storyline.”
You may look at this new Batwing strip with a skeptical eye, wondering why a black Batman can’t just take over the reigns in Gotham City. But if history has taught us anything about the Dark Knight’s world, it’s that there’s no jurisdiction, no law, nor any enemy that isn’t within his reach. And, if you think about it, is there any continent more in need of a superhero than Africa?
The legendary house of comics also announced that Dick Grayson will be returning as Nightwing, and Barbara Gordon will be returning as Batgirl.