WARNING: The following contains Batman #107 by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey & Clayton Cowles, on sale now
Batman’s war on crime has typically seen him work with some corners of authority, most notably James Gordon whenever he’s the Commissioner of the GCPD. But things have changed recently, and Batman is being forced to operate truly outside of the law in a way he hasn’t been in years. However, Barbara Gordon has the perfect solution for these changing times with some new tactics of her own.
While the classic Bat-Signal is more or less removed from operation in the present-day Gotham City, Oracle may have just found an alternative that actually puts the Bat-Signal of the future into the hands of the people of Gotham in Batman #107.
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Things in Gotham City have been growing more difficult for Batman in the aftermath of “Joker War.” An increasing amount of the city is turning against masked heroes, with the Gotham City Police Department also poised to turn against the heroes on the orders of the new Gotham City Mayor, Chris Nakano. This means that one of Batman’s most iconic pieces of gear, the GCPD-operated the Bat-Signal is likely shelved for the moment. This tracks with revelations from the potential future of Future State, where the Arkham Knights stole it from a GCPD lock-up), suggesting that at least for the present day the traditional Bat-Signal is out of commission.
However, Barabra Gordon has been working on a possible workaround for the problem. Working with her group of Batgirls, Oracle is able to set up 12 small Bat-Signals across Gotham City. Whenever Batman is needed, one of the Bat-Signal will be activated. Batman can arrive and speak with whoever activated it, getting intel on whatever crisis has come to Gotham. Afterward, the signal is turned off and moved, helping ensure that the Bat-Signals remain on the move and no one is caught for aiding and abetting Batman. Oracle specifically mentions it is a great way for Batman to remain in the loop even when his radio is turned off, while also reminding Gotham that Batman continues to fight on even without the approval of the GCPD that he once had.
While there is the potential for the GCPD to turn this against the heroes (potentially by targeting the people who activate them or even constructing their own to use as traps), this could be a possible key way of keeping Batman and his allies in the eyes of Gotham City, while increasing the number of people (and the scope of problems) that could come to Batman for assistance. This tactic could shed new light on the kinds of crises that affect people on a more day-to-day basis, allowing Batman to possibly bring more of an impact to the lives of the people he protects. This has the potential to make anyone in Gotham City the next James Gordon, bringing a problem to Batman and working with him to find the best way to fix it.
However, it may even play into the hands of someone like Scarecrow and Sebastian Saint, who are seeking to use the city’s fear against itself to justify the Magistrate Program. They could target the people who use the signals, and if they reach them before Batman or his allies do then those civilians would be sitting ducks. This could be the start of something revolutionary for Batman and his connection with Gotham City, or it could play right into the hands of his enemies.