Warning: this article contains spoilers for Batman #105!
Batman's Bat-family just got an unlikely new member: Ghost-Maker. James Tynion IV's Batman run has rewritten the Dark Knight's history, revealing Bruce Wayne had a friendly rival during the years he traveled the world learning his skills. Ghost-Maker had a very similar agenda, aiming to train to make the world a safer place, but there was one crucial difference: he was willing to kill.
This difference, of course, inevitably led to conflict between Bruce Wayne and Ghost-Maker. The two went their separate ways, with Ghost-Maker promising never to come to Gotham so long as Batman never set foot in a city he was operating in. Ghost-Maker broke his pledge in the aftermath of "Joker War," believing the chaos proved beyond all doubt that Batman had failed. He and Batman soon found themselves coming to blows - and Ghost-Maker emerged triumphant. It looked as though Ghost-Maker was about to remake Gotham in his own image.
After Clownhunter helps to prove Batman's mantra that almost anyone can be saved, this week's Batman #105 turns the story on its head, ending with Batman and Ghost-Maker not only establishing a truce - but also agreeing to work together in Gotham City. Ghost-Maker is officially joining the Bat-Family, working to protect Gotham from the forces of madness. He's even agreed not to kill so long as he's active in Gotham City, a philosophical victory for Batman. "Don't leave Gotham. Stay. Help me make it better," Batman says, "Because I'm getting older, and this city is getting younger. I don't have the resources I used to have, or the allies within law enforcement and city government. I could use the help."
"I'm not going to stop telling you what you're doing wrong," Ghost-Maker replies, "and I'm not going to wear a bat on my chest." The dynamic between Ghost-Maker and Batman promises to be a fun one. The two are old friends; indeed, Ghost-Maker appears to be someone Batman really cares about, and the Dark Knight has clearly regretted their feud for years. The final panels in Batman #105 portray them almost like two teenagers, unable to resist showing off and competing against one another. Batman has always proved himself Ghost-Maker's better in the past, but he clearly considers his fellow vigilante to be the closest thing he has to an equal.
Unfortunately, it remains to be seen whether this truce will last. Ghost-Maker may have promised not to kill, but he is also quite clearly something of a sociopath, having emotionally removed himself from others in a way even Batman considers excessive. That suggests villains like the Joker and Two-Face will find a gleeful new challenge in breaking Ghost-Maker's will, able to torture Batman by pushing Ghost-Maker to the point where he believes killing is the only way to save the day. Batman may well have guaranteed himself a lot of problems when he invited Ghost-Maker to stay in Gotham City, but he also added a powerful new ally to his family.
Batman #105 by James Tynion IV, Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki, Alvaro Martinez, and Christian Duce is on sale now.