There have been absolutely no shortage of Batman stories within in the pages of DC Comics, particularly with recent adventures that have chronicled various aspects of his story. Even then, there have been some chapters of Bruce Wayne’s history that have yet to be fleshed out, particularly in his evolution from a young child into the caped crusader of early books like Batman: Year One. The new twelve-issue maxiseries Batman: The Knight has been taken that ethos to new heights, diving into some previously-unseen aspects of Bruce’s young adulthood — including the person who would become his first mentor in vigilantism. Spoilers for Batman: The Knight #2 from Chip Zdarsky, Carmine di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia, and Pat Brosseau below! Only look if you want to know!
The issue follows a young Bruce Wayne trying to make it on his own in France, after having left Gotham City. Eager to find the best possible teacher — and annoyed that he’s already bested a number of them in their respective fields — Bruce traverses the rooftops and eventually discovers an older French woman in a grey catsuit named “The Gray Shadow”, who was attempting to burgle a place.
After the woman, whose real name is Lucie, escapes, she finds Bruce at a cafe the next day, and questions him about his newfound crusade. He argues that he will only be able to succeed if he can stop criminals like her, and she decides to help him with that fact and train him, if only because he might capture her competition, which would eventually benefit her. Over a series of days, Lucie meets Bruce on a rooftop and tests his skills with traversing around rooftops, breaking into safes, and avoiding detection in general. Lucie then tests his skills by having them both break into a fancy chateau owned by an oil baron. Lucie gets Bruce to steal the house’s $4 million jewelry box, just as the authorities begin to show up. The pair make their way out of the mansion, but Bruce is shot in the leg by a cop, and Lucie has to get him to safety.
The two regroup, and Bruce admits that Lucie’s teachings have made him worry about the emotional darkness he could possibly experience with this mission. He then kisses her, which she affectionally dismisses, arguing that he’s too young for her. The issue then ends with Lucie being held at gunpoint by a private investigator, who suspects them of being responsible for a string of recent murders.
The story uncovered in Batman: The Knight works on multiple levels, including explaining just how Bruce is able to stay steps ahead of so many of the criminals that he fights as an adult. The dynamic with Lucie definitely showcases her teaching him some of the nuggets of who he would eventually become, and it also serves as a unique precursor to his later romantic relationships with the likes of Catwoman and Talia al Ghul. While it’s unclear where we will see Lucie after this issue of Batman: The Knight (outside of dealing with that wallop of a cliffhanger), it’s clear she is a welcome and interesting wrinkle in Batman’s history.
Batman: The Knight #2 is now available wherever comics are sold.
