Warning! Spoilers ahead for Detective Comics #1041!
Batman has donned his classic blue and gray costume for the first time in many years. Over the decades, Batman has worn many iterations of his suit. Recently, the most common choice has been to costume Batman in his more brooding gray and black get-up. The more noir-like costuming style of late is a big contrast from the vibrancy of Batman's previous outfits. For instance, the yellow emblem suit is iconic, but is barely used.
In recent issues of Detective Comics, the infamous Bruce Wayne is being hunted by Roland Worth, a revenge-seeking criminal patriarch. Worth blames both Bruce Wayne and Batman for the death of his daughter. He has managed to destroy almost everything that Batman owns, taking out half of his necessary equipment. The final nail in the coffin occurs at the beginning of Detective Comics #1041 by Mariko Tamaki, Dan Mora, Jordie Bellaire and Aditya Bidikar as Batman visits one of his mini caves in the sewers, which has also been obliterated by Worth.
With Batman nearly out of resources he calls for Oracle's assistance in getting some gear. Oracle notifies the Caped Crusader of an old container that contains a stash of Batman's old possessions. The key item in the cargo box is Batman's suit, which turns out to be his classic blue and gray Batsuit . It's great to see this amazing costume being showcased again as it's been decades since it was Batman's main costume. The blue and gray version of the suit with the yellow emblem on the chest was mainly seen between the 1980s up until the 1990s.
This isn't the first time that Batman's blue and gray costume has returned in recent issues of Detective Comics. In the issue prior, a flashback of Batman fighting Joker showed the Dark Knight in his classic Batsuit. Perhaps Batman, who is known for being dark, was fed up with his old suit's bright color scheme. Seeing how dark he has become, it's natural that his suit changed to evoke his usual gloomy mood. Additionally, even Batman's villains, the Jury, acknowledge his suit change in this issue.
Ultimately, it's exciting to see Batman donning his classic blue and gray costume, paying homage in the best, most natural way. Batman literally has no choice but to wear whatever remaining Batsuit he can find, and it just so happened to be this fan-favorite outfit. Obviously, Batman's classic suit returning is a big deal. The creators behind Detective Comics knew that this, out of any other past Batman costume, would be the perfect homage for fans and have expertly intertwined it into the story. Detective Comics #1031 is available now in comic book stores and on digital platforms.