Warning: Spoilers for I Am Batman #17The Batman expected to succeed Bruce Wayne, Tim "Jace" Fox, just had his origin story changed in a huge way. Jace was initially introduced in the DC Universe as the son of Tanya and Lucius Fox, Bruce's business manager who also serves as the primary tech supplier to The Dark Knight. In the wake of Batman's apparent death, Jace claimed the mantle for himself upon discovering one of Bruce's old safe houses. Originally a part of the Future State universe, which depicts one of the many potential futures of DC, the former military operative has since been canonized into the main continuity of DC. While Bruce continues to stop crime in Gotham, Jace embarks on his own Batman adventures in New York City.
Lately there, he's been dealing with his latest villain, Ezekiel King, targeting his father and FoxTech. I Am Batman #16 ends on a shocking cliffhanger where King broadcasts live that he has kidnapped and plans to kill Jace's mother. But to Jace's confusion, Tanya is standing next to him the whole time. Tanya and Lucius are forced to reveal a horrible secret that Jace isn't ready to hear: Tanya isn't his biological mother.
Jace Fox's Mother Isn't Lucius Fox's Wife, Tanya.
I Am Batman #17 by John Ridley and Eduardo Pansica picks up right where the previous issue left off. Lucius admits that years prior, when he had first started working at Wayne Enterprises, Batman's number one tech supplier cheated on his wife, Tanya. At a time when he was stressed at work and at home, a lonely Lucius started an affair with his assistant, Elena Aoki. When Elena got pregnant, she wasn't ready to care for a child and abortion was not an option for her. Instead, after admitting and apologizing for his infidelity, Lucius and Tanya agreed to raise the child as their own. That child would grow up to be the next Batman.
How Jace Fox's New Origin Changes His Batman Forever
This is a reveal that exponentially changes both Jace's origin and even Lucius as a character. In previous Batman media and books, Lucius is typically framed as one of the smartest men in Bruce Wayne's camp, without much further exploration of his character beyond what he does for Batman as a finance and tech manager. This is a rare instance where Lucius is explored as a three-dimensional character with flaws and shortcomings.
This is a mistake that drastically alters and expands upon Jace's origin story and, oddly enough, it's a fitting addition to his story. Jace has always been a character who considers himself the black sheep of the Fox household. Having a secret this big that his parents and sister, Tamara, failed to divulge to him only adds to his feelings of isolation and frustration. Those feelings are on full display later in the issue as Jace struggles to fend off King's goons in his attempt to rescue Elena. As Batman, Jace is defeated and apprehended not just because he's outnumbered, but as he put it, "How can I fight for something I don't believe in? I can't. And I don't." It's hard for Jace to be invested in a fight defending a woman he never knew to be his mother his whole life, nor a father who he resents.
Those curious to see how the next Batman handles this newfound weight on his shoulders can stay tuned for I Am Batman #18, which will conclude the series on January 22nd, 2023.
I Am Batman #17 is out now from DC Comics