There are many iconicBatmanstories, and a lot of them get the love they deserve. It’s hard to talk to anyone about classic Batman stories without them bringing upThe Dark Knight ReturnsorBatman: Hush, but people rarely ever bring up this one fantastic yet underrated Dark Knight tale.
Every one of Batman’s most iconic stories has left a lasting impact, but Batman: The Black Mirror is a glaring exception.
Few stories in Batman’s rich history are as brilliant—and as underappreciated—asBatman: The Black Mirrorby Scott Snyder and Jock. It’s perplexing that such a standout narrative has received so little fanfare over the years. Dark, haunting, and deeply unsettling, The Black Mirror boasts some of the best art ever seen in comics.
The story delves into the trauma of the Gordon family, shaped by the Joker’s madness and the constant threat of Gotham. At the same time, it follows Dick Grayson, now Batman, as he unravels a deadly mystery.This story also introduces one of Barbara Gordon’s most formidable villains, making it a must-read for any Batman fan.
James Gordon Jr: Gotham’s Perfect Antagonist inBatman: The Black Mirror
Batman: The Black Mirrorby Scott Snyder, Jock, Francesco Francavilla, David Baron, Jared K. Fletcher, and Sal Cipriano
The main antagonist ofBatman: The Black Mirroris revealed to be none other than James Gordon Jr, the younger brother of Barbara Gordon.James is a remorseless serial killer and a complete monster, void of all emotion. The fantastic part ofBlack Mirroris the fact that James Jr is truly written as a psychopath, which he is also diagnosed as in the comic. He is completely remorseless and emotionless, just going through the motions of his horrible crimes, making him a brilliant adversary to his empathetic sister. This story cemented him as her perfect antagonist.
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Not only that, but the story goes a step further and uses James to explore why there are so manyviolent criminals in Gotham City.It’s revealed that James reverse-engineered his anti-psychotic pills, altering them to increase the effects and symptoms of psychopathy. He then dumps this new formula into the vats of baby formula all around Gotham City. By the time Batman and Gordon realize what James has done, the vats have already been cleared out, and the formula has been put on shelves, implying James gave birth to a generation of psychopaths.
James Gordon Jr.: A Villain with Untapped Potential in DC Comics
While James Gordon Jr was a fantastic villain, he really doesn’t have any other good stories under his belt. Scott Snyder was able to masterfully use him inBlack Mirror, but after that,DC seemingly had no idea what to do with the characterand rarely brought him up. He appeared in a few other stories, such as aSuicide Squadstoryline where he bizarrely insisted on calling Amanda Waller “mommy,“as well as tormenting Babara Gordon when she returned to the role of Batgirl. But beyond that, the character has largely disappeared from DC’s current continuity.
Beyond the introduction of James Gordon Jr as a villain, the artwork inBlack Mirroris some of the best that DC has ever done. The entire story has this unbelievable sense of dread hanging over it thanks to the incredibly warm and deep colors by Francesco Francavilla. A lot of Batman comics have good artwork, butBlack Mirroris one of the only Batman stories that isinstantlyrecognizable fromanypanel, even the ones without Batman in them. The hauntingly warm palette perfectly amplifies the unsettling atmosphere, making the comic’s tone unmistakable and unforgettable.
Batman: The Black Mirror– The Iconic Story That Deserved More
Why DC’s Failure to Follow Up on The Black Mirror Left a Void in Batman’s Mythos
Every one of Batman’s most iconic stories has left a lasting impact, butBatman: The Black Mirroris a glaring exception.The Dark Knight Returnsforever changed how Batman was portrayed in the media, spawning numerous sequels.Batman: Hushwas one of the first to feature nearly the entire rogues gallery,withHush 2on the horizon. EvenBatman: The Long Halloweenreceived multiple sequels. YetBlack Mirrorhas remained largely ignored, and this is largely due to DC’s failure to build upon its powerful narrative. James Gordon Jr. quickly fell out of favor, and Dick Grayson moved on from his stint as Batman, eliminating two key elements that made the story work.
Most of Batman’s greatest tales received sequels because they fundamentally altered his mythos, butBlack Mirrordidn’t shift the status quo in any significant way. It introduced a new villain, but the story didn’t redefine anything major. Furthermore, with Dick Grayson taking on the mantle of Batman, the story is somewhat dated within the comics timeline. These factors likely explain why DC never followed up, which is a real shame—Black Mirrorremains one ofBatman’sfinest stories and deserves far more recognition than it has received.
