Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman: Fear State Omega #1
In the final issue of DC Comics' Fear State event, a brutal version of Batman and Robin has come together to rival the classic Dynamic Duo. While the Dark Knight's family is already quite large, it seems as though there's always room for more. As a result, the aftermath of Scarecrow's citywide attack on the city sees Batman recruiting two Gotham newcomers to work on fringes together: Ghost-Maker and Clownhunter.
In the aftermath of the devastating Joker War, an old vigilante friend of Batman's known as Ghost-Maker came to Gotham, believing he could do a better job than the Dark Knight himself. At the same time, the young vigilante known as Clownhunter was born from Joker's devastation, having become disillusioned with Batman's methods and deciding to take matters into his own hands. While the Ghost-Maker initially tried to kill Clownhunter when they first met, Batman managed to stop his old friend convincing the vigilante to help him protect Gotham instead.
However, Batman hasn't had the same kind of success with Bao Pham's Clownhunter whose parents were killed by Joker when he was 12. Five years later when the Joker War began Bao had had enough of Batman's failures, creating his own costume and killing clowns with a baseball bat (with a batarang attached on the end). Now, it looks as though the Dark Knight has come up with a solution. Knowing that Clownhunter would never join the Bat-Family proper, Batman has decided to pair Ghost-Maker and Clownhunter together as a brutal Dynamic Duo in Batman: Fear State Omega #1 from James Tynion IV, Riccardo Federici, Christian Duce, Guillem March, and Ryan Benjamin.
Given Ghost-Maker's brutality, high-functioning psychopathy, and belief that Batman's methods are only half-measures to achieve justice, it certainly seems as though he's a vigilante Clownhunter can get behind more than Batman (though that might not be a good thing). Offering to train Clownhunter to become even more effective as a vigilante, this new Dynamic Duo will most likely feed on each other's aggression and lethal tendencies. As a result, it will likely be hard for these new partners to adhere to Batman's no-killing rule.
While Batman seems to trust Ghost-Maker to honor their agreement, putting Clownhunter under his guidance feels risky. Clearly, the Dark Knight believes it's better than Bao Pham being on his own with no way to channel his rage, and perhaps he's right. However, it's not hard to imagine Ghost-Maker and Clownhunter one day coming to blows with Batman and Robin should this brutal version of the Dynamic Duo go too far.