Warning: Spoilers for Batman #120!
The new Batman, Jace Fox, is a unique take on DC Comics' Dark Knight of Gotham City and compared to Bruce Wayne, Jace does one thing better with his costume that Bruce should take note of. Leaving the entirety of his lower face open for all to see may not seem like a big deal for the original Batman, but under the right circumstances, it could spell doom for Bruce’s secret identity, and Jace isn’t taking any chances.
Brought up in Batman #120, by Joshua Williamson, Jorge Molina, and Mikel Janin, this issue opens up with Batman recovering after being inexplicably blinded by the new villain named Abyss. Unsure if the blinding effect is temporary or something he may have to contend with for the rest of his life, Batman and his new acquaintance, Detective Cayha, discuss their current predicament to better understand how to handle this unfortunate turn of events.
Needing to examine his eyes in a place where he can safely take off his cowl, Cayha brings Batman back to her apartment so Batman can assess his vision properly. Removing his cowl in the dark, Cayha makes an observation that immediately shows why the new Batman has a better suit design than Bruce — at least where the cowl is concerned.
Saying, “All it’s going to take is one good lip expert out there to get a look at you and you’re busted, but whatever,” Cayha hits the nail on the head in terms of why Bruce’s original cowl design is something that could feasibly be a bad thing. Though she's clearly poking fun at the Dark Knight with this comment, Cayha also inadvertently draws attention to a flaw of Bruce’s costume that the new Batman solved right off the bat.
Wearing a proper bat-suit that he stumbled across while in Gotham, Jace Fox donned the cape and cowl to take back the streets on his terms, covering his entire face to not only hide his identity better — but eventually once he upgrades to his metal faceplate — to protect his head in a way that ensures he won’t be getting busted teeth anytime soon. And although Bruce Wayne’s identity may never actually be outed by a lip expert, the possibility is there no matter how unlikely, and it’d be an oversight for him not to take that chance into account on his nightly adventures.
So while Jace has recently been considering getting rid of his faceplate altogether, his upcoming move to New York City may change his mind after his first night on its tough and hardened streets. Batman is a guy that’s always prepared for any situation, so taking a page out of Jace’s book may be the best thing he can do to keep himself safe in the long run.