Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman: Urban Legends #4!
Tim Fox may be the Next Batman in DC’s latest Future State event, yet before his arrival into the Bat-Family, his brother Luke had entered the picture under the guise of Batwing. While Tim Fox has been a good Batman following the apparent death of Bruce Wayne, in Batman: Urban Legends #4 readers see that Luke would have been a much more fitting heir to the cowl.
In the Batman: Urban Legends #4 story "Superman Punch" by Camrus Johnson and Loyiso Mkize, Luke Fox (Batwing) is pursuing the Riddler. During his apprehension of the Riddler, Batwing engages in classic traps and riddles engineered by Nygma, testing his brain power and raw strength as several traps spit out various criminals. Eventually he comes to blows with Killer Croc, who is also a pawn in Riddler’s scheme. During the fight Batwing manages to overpower the reptilian rogue, but not before attempting to talk him down. Eventually, after teaming up with a recently defeated Croc, Luke is able to find and apprehend the Riddler.
Physicality might may be a key aspect of following in the footsteps of a costumed crimefighter like Batman, but intellect is just as important. Batwing displays that he has both in spades, as he is able to solve Nygma’s riddles and progress through the game quickly. Prior to the game itself, Riddler praises his opponent upon recalling a previous encounter with the phrase: “You solved my riddles much faster than the Dark Knight.” Luke is an experienced vigilante after having worked with Batman for years before he eventually stepped back from crimefighting. His brother Tim is a capable detective and well-trained combatant (trained by none other than Katana!), yet Luke’s prior crimefighting experience and acumen shine in Batman: Urban Legends #4.
Batwing also knows when to fight, and when to attempt reason. As he begins squaring off against Killer Croc, Batwing attempts to appeal to the villain’s (limited) sense of reason that they stop fighting and Luke can focus on apprehending Riddler. Batman himself on numerous occasions has successfully reasoned with and, in rare cases, rehabilitated certain villains, such as when Clayface briefly joined Batman’s roster of allies during the Night of the Monster Men arc written by Tom King and Steve Orlando with art from Riley Rossmo. Luke in Batman: Urban Legends #4 attempts to reason with Croc, and eventually succeeds, following Batman’s example that violence is not always the best path to resolving a situation. Readers have yet to see this with Tim Fox’s Next Batman, which further solidifies that Luke was well prepared to take on the role and responsibilities of being Gotham’s Dark Knight.
Luke’s personal and crimefighting experiences allowed him to be a useful ally to the Bat-family, while retaining his own identity and character, which is something Tim is struggling with as he attempts to navigate the awkwardness of attempting to uphold Batman’s legacy while being himself. Tim may be the older sibling, but Luke evidently had a lot more seniority when it came to vigilantism. "Superman Punch" reminds readers that the former Batwing is frankly a better suited candidate to take up the mantle of the Batman.