Warning: contains spoilers for Batman vs Bigby: A Wolf In Gotham #4!
In the Fables universe written by the latter's creator, the series sees the vigilante Bruce Wayne working alongside (or so far, mostly against) the Big Bad Wolf, who acts as the enforcer for a hidden society of fairy-tale creatures. When a gang of criminals named for notable authors begin wreaking havoc in Gotham, the two heroes' missions intersect, but Batman is struggling to see a giant wolf as anything but a threat.
The Batman in question isn't the one from DC's main reality, Earth-0. This is a particularly brutal version of Batman more similar to The Dark Knight Returns' grim and gritty Bruce Wayne, famous for going up against Superman in custom armor. This Bruce stays true to that legacy, boasting brutal gadgets and not just one Robin but a veritable child army, deliberately manipulated to crave his approval. Despite all that, Batman remains Gotham's protector, and believing Bigby to be a threat, he reveals his new reactive armor suit, which goes further than most of his other gadgets in not just enhancing his combat, but giving him a brand new (and yet oddly familiar) ability.
In a preview of Bill Willingham, Brian Level, and Jay Leisten's Batman vs Bigby: A Wolf In Gotham #4 shared by take on uber-threats like Darkseid - this reactive armor gives him a full-on superpower - that of DC's Human Bomb. The relatively obscure WWII hero is able to "explode" without causing any damage to his physical body. The blast is enough to send Bigby flying, but it's unlikely he's out of the fight.
As Fables progressed, it was revealed that Bigby isn't just a giant wolf, but the son of Boreas Frostheart, aka the North Wind, and godlike in power. While he's a rough-and-tumble fighter, human technology has a poor track record of slowing him down, and it's likely Batman will need even bigger guns to take out the Big Bad Wolf. Of course, while the two heroes fight, the villainous gang's plans continue unopposed, but it will be difficult for fans to root against the battle continuing, if only to see what other tricks this hyper-prepared Batman has against an impossible opponent.
Many modern Batman comics concern themselves with exploring Bruce Wayne as a complex man whose trauma and hope are equally expressed in his war on crime. While Batman vs Bigby: A Wolf In Gotham doesn't strip Bruce of recognizable characterization, it does laser-focus on his stubborness and commitment to his mission - qualities which also define Bigby Wolf, and make the two as likely to tear each other to pieces as emerge from this miniseries as allies. Fans can see if the reactive armor suit is enough to stun a demi-god when Batman vs Bigby: A Wolf In Gotham #4 hits physical and digital retailers December 21.
Source: AIPT
