The readers who were shocked by the wickedness of the Batman Who Laughs may be surprised to learn of an even more warped version of the Caped Crusader—a variant based on Charles Manson! The creation of the Dark Multiverse presented hopeless worlds with tragic ends for alternate versions of the heroes of the DC Universe. And one corrupted version of Batman goes to the extreme by likening him to one of the most notorious cult leaders in history.
Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, the Dark Multiverse is the twisted reflection of the main Multiverse and was central to the plots of the event comics Metal and its follow-up Dark Knights: Death Metal. The Dark Multiverse was notable for its grim, alternate versions of Batman known as the Dark Knights, each rooted in a personal fear of Bruce Wayne's. As ghastly as the Batman Who Laughs is, another version of Batman briefly appeared elsewhere that has even worse implications for Bruce Wayne and the rest of the Bat-Family.
Green Lantern: Blackstars by Grant Morrison and Xermanico was an interquel title between the two seasons of Morrison and Liam Sharpe's Green Lantern. Building off the finale of season one, the universe has been remade by Controller Mu via the Miracle Machine. Instead of the Green Lantern Corps, the Blackstars are the dominant peacekeeping force, with Hal Jordan as a high-ranking member. One issue sees Superman discuss the state of the world with Jordan, the conversation containing several not-so-subtle references to real-life changes and storytelling decisions of various DC writers. But nothing is as direct a reference as the new "Depressoverse" Jordan is informed of. In Green Lantern: Blackstars #2, readers meet "Batmanson"—a dark mirror of Charles Manson.
Gotham is once again invaded by a twisted Batman from a dark world, only this time he identifies himself as "Batmanson." The reference to Charles Manson is made even more clear by having him travel with infected followers in a perverse version of Bruce's Bat-Family. While it seems to come off as a glib reference to the overt evil of the Dark Multiverse, the likening of Batman and his sidekicks to possibly the most infamous cult leader makes Batmanson more than a simple parody. Just as the other Dark Knights were all based on Batman's anxieties, this variant speaks to the unease that Bruce's operation preys on vulnerable youth. It also questions the morality of involving minors in Bruce's personal war on crime.
Batmanson may not be an official Dark Knight, but he serves the same role in personifying the internal dread Bruce Wayne processes in his mission. Even created as an exaggerated parody, this copy of Batman serves as a critique of the relationship Bruce has with the people he convinces to follow him. Coming face-to-face with a Charles Manson inspired version himself should give Batman a reason to pause and reflect, no matter what universe.