Warning! Spoilers ahead for Future State: Dark Detective #1 from Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora

The future for Bruce Wayne does not look bright in DC's Future State event. Gotham has fallen under the oppression of the Magistrate, who has turned the city into a police state where all vigilantism and those wearing masks are shot on sight by its drones and "peacekeeping" forces. Not only that, but Bruce Wayne and the Batman are both believed to have been killed. While a new Batman has risen to take on the mantle of the cape and cowl, Bruce Wayne is actually still alive and has taken on a new identity: The Dark Detective.

Future State: Dark Detective #1 comes from writer Mariko Tamkai with art by Dan Mora, seeing Bruce Wayne grappling to find a new purpose in a city he hardly recognizes anymore. With the reports of his death being greatly exaggerated, Bruce wonders if he should fade into obscurity, or choose to fight the terror that has overtaken his city. If he does choose to fight, who will he be fighting as? With no resources beyond a few simple gadgets and his own two fists, will he really fight the Magistrate as a shadow or, rather, a ghost of the Batman he once was?

Related: Batman: Who Are The Magistrate, Future State’s Evil Army?

Becoming a ghost is exactly what Bruce Wayne chooses to do. As Batman, he never gave up or bowed down the dark forces that plagued Gotham, and he's not going start now, regardless of his reported death. However, it does motivate him to take on a new title and persona, becoming the Dark Detective, to reflect that idea of being a ghost not just of the Batman, but Bruce Wayne as well: "Aren't there some ghosts who don't know they're dead?"

In Bruce's mind it was his actions, company, and technology that led to the Magistrate's rise in Gotham, which means that he's the best suited to break it all down and rid Gotham of the oppressive regime. While the new vigilante certainly has his work cut out for him with all the impressive tech and forces at the Magistrate's disposal, the Dark Detective looks extremely determined to get the job done using whatever he can get his hands on. While he may have his cowl and utility belt, this is not the polished and prepared Batman from the past. The Dark Detective is truly a reflection and ghost of the Dark Knight, and this point his hammered home by the body armor he wears with a simple spray-painted yellow bat symbol on the chest.

As this Future State series shows, the legacy of the Batman may have moved on to others like Tim Fox, but the work of Bruce Wayne is far from over. The Dark Detective isn't going to stop until his cleans up the mess he brought to Gotham, and it looks as though he'll do whatever it takes to succeed as the issues continue from DC Comics, even if he had to become a ghost.

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