The newest villain in Gotham threatens all of the super heroes.
Although Gotham City is well-known for its profusion of strong criminals, seldom often do they travel beyond of its boundaries—especially not to threaten the Justice League. Batman by himself usually is enough to neutralize Gotham's criminal component. But a freshly surfaced evil has the power to destroy the League whole as well as beat Batman.
The Authority of Hesitancy
Written by Christian Ward and Patric Reynolds, the request for the forthcoming Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18 shows Batman facing a foe with a special and strong power: the capacity to cause doubt in anybody they aim at. Described as a force corrupting optimism into dread, love into anxiety, and strength into weakness, this power can undermine the fundamental basis of heroic commitment.
By making any hero—including Batman and the Justice League—question their goal and efficacy, the villain may essentially nullify any hero by leveraging this weakness. The weight of uncertainty potentially saps their will to fight, rendering them defenseless and defeated without the need of actual warfare.
Batman's Mental Conflict
Superhero stories frequently feature doubt as a reoccurring motif, sometimes resulting in gripping storytelling. For instance, hesitation drove Peter Parker's choice to give up his Spider-Man persona. Batman has also struggled with the pointlessness of his fight against crime in Gotham, wondering whether Arkham Asylum is really a revolving door and whether his efforts really count. Batman would naturally question given the widespread corruption and gloom engulfassing Gotham; he is not the only hero who battles such emotions.
A Universal Deficiency
One universal human experience is doubt; superheroes are not an exception. Even Superman, with great might, struggles with the moral consequences of imposing his ideas of justice upon the planet. Though he often questions the veracity of this decision, he thinks that free will is essential for mankind. Using these inner problems, this new evil can turn the doubts of the heroes against them and therefore make them helpless.
An Accelerator of Development
Although the might of this adversary poses a great threat, it also gives the heroes chances to face their uncertainties squarely and maybe conquer them. The constant status quo of Comics sometimes makes heroes feel as though their efforts have no bearing on things. This can cause one to become disenchanted and wonder about their mission. Batman, in particular, has battled this over his decades of Gotham crime fighting with little outward transformation. The way this new evil manipulates uncertainty will compel these heroes to face their inner problems and discover means of increasing their will.
In essence, conclusion
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18 promises an exciting meeting with an enemy unlike any other, one who wielders the intangible power of doubt. By using their fundamental weaknesses, this special menace may destroy the whole Justice League. But as the heroes confront their uncertainty head-on and seek fresh approaches to get beyond it, this interaction might also spur on development and self-discovery.
