The Dark Multiverse has been home to some of the most twisted characters in DC history. From alternative takes on fan favorites to brand new characters designs, this universe has given a whole new meaning to the term power creep. In Tales From the Dark Multiverse: Batman Hush, another Batman-inspired character has been introduced, and it may be the creepiest one yet.
The series introduces an alternative storyline for young Bruce Wayne. After witnessing the murder of Bruce's parents, the Elliot family takes in the orphaned child, who spends his childhood growing up alongside Thomas Elliot. Rather than using his trauma to become the Batman readers know and love, Bruce descends into madness. While the murders of Martha and Thomas Wayne have always acted as a catalyst to Bruce's transformation into the Dark Knight, things get a little twisted in this telling of the story.
Readers are first introduced to the existence of a Bat-like character through Jervis Tetch (aka Mad Hatter). Though imprisoned, he seems jovial as ever, singing a nursery rhyme alone in his cell. The lines describe a demonic bat that runs rampant through Gotham. The song tells the story of "Arkham's Devil," a rumored villain prowling the city and out for blood. Tetch's song continues, going into further details about the bat as he slips into a diabolic laughter.
Tectch's macabre singing leads readers into a room in which the body of now dead Bruce Wayne resides. As the experimentation that took place earlier on Bruce's body is being detailed, the lights cut out (which, if horror movies are any indication of what's to come, cannot be a good sign). Out of the darkness appears an evil-looking version of Batman, covered in what looks to be bandages and blood. Sure enough, Tetch's song accompanies the entrance, ending with a classic lullaby phrase, "go to sleep."
While the artistic depiction of "Arkham's Devil" did an incredible job drawing readers into the dark and twisted world of The Dark Multiverse, Tetch's theme song that accompanies the demonic Batman pushes it to the next level. His origins are not quite clear, but he doesn't seem too happy with the Gotham this book is set in. The unpredictable nature of his character fits perfectly well with the elements of horror that surround him. Though it may seem cliché to utilize a lullaby to add horror, writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson's use of original lyrics that both suit Jervis Tetch's character and introduce this killer Batman sets the tone for the Gotham underworld this storyline stems from.
"Batman the Silenced," as he is referred to in Batman Hush, might just top the list when it comes to the creepiest versions of Batman throughout DC history. It certainly finds itself in strong competition with the recent villain The Batman Who Laughs. This Batman spawned a whole crew of dark villains in his wake as he took on some of DC's most powerful heroes. He could also be closely compared to the vampiric Red Rain Batman from the Batman and Dracula trilogy. In an alternate universe, the three could make quite a team.
But, in the end, it may just be Batman the Silenced that takes the title of creepiest plot twist ever. While The Batman Who Laughs has insane power, and Red Rain Batman has strong intimidation, Batman the Silenced gives this new character the most horrific portrayal of the character before he even made an appearance. The introduction of this new Batman to DC's collective shows just how effective the smallest of details can be.
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