Warning! Spoilers for Batman #119
Superman’s greatest enemy Lex Luthor is claiming Batman INC. as his own super team. As the businessman crosses paths with the Dark Knight, it turns out that the villain has gotten in on the bat vigilante corporation.
As Batman investigates a new mystery following Joker War and Fear State, he finds himself in a new circumstance. Without the wealth he had relied on, and his partner butler Alfred, he remembers a time when things were different. Now, Bruce Wayne is being pushed into a new adventure with unfamiliar territory in the second entry of “Abyss.” In the midst of such changes, Batman Incorporated returns in Batman #119, written by Joshua Williamson with art by Jorge Molina, Adriano Di Benedetto, and Mikel Janin.
When Batman runs into Lex Luthor, it’s revealed that he has begun to fund Batman INC., turning them into his own super team. While Lex has been known to fund humanitarian efforts in the past, such a scheme begs for him to have a secret agenda. Their conversation regarding finances emphasizes Lex’s disingenuous rivalry with Bruce, as he claims to have saved Batman INC. Since Bruce lost his wealth, Lex took advantage and moved from becoming Metropolis’ savior businessman to becoming Gotham’s new white knight. Lex tells the Dark Knight, “When Bruce Wayne could no longer finance your international experiment, I stepped up.”
During their encounter, Lex even makes a remark that disregards Batman’s detective skills. Surprised that he wouldn’t have known about his new financial initiative, Lex is happy to reveal his alleged selfless mission. This is far from the first time that he has claimed to turn a new leaf, delving further into philanthropy and heroics after his criminal reputation. This appears to only be the beginning of Luthor’s journey toward vigilantism with the bat persona, as he is set to become a Batman himself, according to the cover of Batman #121.
At this point, Lex is practically becoming Bruce’s antithesis, as he has maintained his financial status and is on track to become his own caped crusader. Siding with the authorities and turning them on the original Dark Knight, Lex smirks while they take fire. For now, Luthor is just another complication following the events of Fear State. Just when Bruce had thought Gotham City returned to some sense of normalcy, Superman’s archenemy is becoming his own enemy. Batman #119 releases on Tuesday, January 2022.