Batman’s Batarangs Are More Than Just Shurikens
A flashback to the early days of Batman shows how Bruce Wayne designed his famous batarangs to be far more than just bat-themed throwing stars.
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Warning: spoilers ahead for Batman #98!
Batman has so many different tools, gadgets, vehicles, and weapons that it’s hard to keep track of them all. However, there is one iconic weapon Batman has always had at his disposal, and it’s become an integral part of his crusade for decades: the batarang. The Dark Knight’s batarangs have long been a part of Batman’s arsenal, even since he first donned the cape and cowl. However, James Tynion IV’s Batman #98 confirms that the batarang is more than just a fancy, bat-themed shuriken. Instead, it’s designed to be an improvement on the standard throwing star, made by the Batman himself.
In Batman #98, the Joker War has come to Gotham City in full force. The Clown Prime of Crime has taken all of Batman’s money and assets, including several of the tools and vehicles Bruce Wayne once used to protect Gotham. Now, they’re being used to drag the city down into pure chaos. Joker’s plans extend beyond Gotham, however. Several phases of his plan directly involve tormenting Batman and Bruce Wayne simultaneously. A large part of that has been injecting Batman with a new blend of his Joker toxin, which he plans to use on the rest of the city after having them watch the Zorro film Bruce watched with his parents on the night of their deaths, thereby giving Gotham the same night of trauma Bruce Wayne had.
Thankfully, Harley Quinn was able to save Bruce and get him to one of Poison Ivy’s old secret gardens, giving him a concoction of plants to rapidly flush the toxin out of Batman’s system. However, it’s also rather potent, which leads to Batman having a vision and getting advice from his late butler and friend Alfred. The vision begins with a memory of Batman’s earliest days as the Dark Knight, where he’s putting the finishing touches on his new tool to fight crime: the batarang.
Batman himself confirms that while the initial models might have just been gimmicky bat-shaped shuriken, he can improve upon their utility and effectiveness going forward. Over the years the batarang has been used by Batman with extreme accuracy and precision, while also having the adaptability to be modified for a variety of needs with different upgrades. They can also be thrown by the skilled user to fly from one’s hand and arc back, much like a boomerang, which makes sense given the bat-themed riff of their name. Batarangs have had explosive, electro-shock, and even remote-controlled features in various Batman media, and this scene marks the start of Batman thinking in these new directions.
No matter what Batman might come up with next in his crusade against Gotham’s criminal element, the batarang doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. It’s far too useful and has cemented itself as Batman’s weapon of choice at this point. It’s been assumed by many that Batman will be cutting down on excessive gadgets and resources in the future as a means to prevent Joker’s appropriation of his arsenal happening again, so it’s possible that the batarangs are being highlighted here in advance of Batman pursuing lower-tech, higher-skill solutions. One thing’s for sure – Batman isn’t going to abandon the batarang anytime soon.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/batman-what-are-batarangs/