Gotham Knights builds its premise off of Batman being dead, but fans are understandably skeptical, wondering if Batman will truly be as dead as the game claims. After all, Batman as a character is by far DC's biggest draw, one always guaranteed to bring in an audience, so fans were inevitably going to be suspicious with WB Games Montréal starting off their new Batman IP with the title character being dead. However, from all appearances, the game really does mean it when it says Batman is no more at the start of the game.
The premise of Gotham Knights begins with Bruce Wayne being dead and his Bat Family needing to pick up the slack left in his wake. Despite its similarities with the ending of Batman: Arkham Knight, Gotham Knights isn't within the Batman: Arkham universe. Which, of course, only makes some fans scratch their heads even more at WB Games Montréal's choice to begin its new Batman universe sans Batman.
It certainly helps set WB Games Montréal's Batman universe apart from the rest, if nothing else. However, fans remain skeptical that the game will actually commit to this narrative choice, and there's also a bit of evidence already in place to reinforce that, even above and beyond what, to some, seems like common sense.
Including The Court Of Owls Casts Doubt On Batman Being Dead
The Court Of Owls were introduced as the big headline new villain in the pages of Scott Snyder's critically acclaimed Batman run in 2011. The Court is an aristocratic cult, said to be older than Gotham City itself. They do all of their dirty work through The Talons, a group of chemically enhanced warriors kept alive in a substance known as dionesium. The court, alongside other villains like Mister Freeze, threatens to oversaturate Gotham Knights with a villain problem. However, what if the court is there for a very specific reason?
In the original comics, the Wayne family was deeply tied up with the court. While none of them were Talons, the family and the court did have a long and complicated history, like any rich person that lived within Gotham City's limits. This will be the first time this relatively recent Batman villain will be appearing in a Batman game, but it might not just be for variety. It's possible that the court may try to bring Batman back as one of their Talons.
It may not happen, but it would certainly add onto the themes of the Bat family needing to step up and be better than Batman now that he's gone. Putting the cowl on a new Batman can't get more effective than by having the new Batman beat up the old one. Whichever way the game does it, one thing seems to be certain: Batman in Gotham Knights is likely starting the game off dead.