Batman Inc. has been cleared of all charges but it doesn’t look like the end for this international group – they may be getting a new female member.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman #121, on sale now from DC Comics.
The ongoing Batman series recently reintroduced the international Batman Inc. team. This team of global Batmen first appeared in 2011 in Batman and Robin #16 as part of Grant Morrison’s Batman run. Having suddenly become the center of a murder investigation far from Gotham, the Dark Knight sought to clear their name but came up against resistance from Lex Luthor and a new villain known only as Abyss. During his investigation, Batman didn’t just find some help from local law enforcement – he may have found a new Batwoman.
After clearing Batman Inc.’s names, it was time for the Dark Knight to return to Gotham in Batman #121 (by Joshua Williamson, Jorge Molina, Mikel Janín, Tomeu Morey and VC’s Clayton Cowles). His one ally throughout the investigation, Detective Cayha, tried to convince him to stay. Rather than tell her that Gotham needed him more, however, he told her that Badhnisia didn’t need him and rather, that it needed her instead. Although this sounds like the usual superheroic remark of valuing his allies, his parting words were a little more ominous and left the detective a little taken aback.
Batman wants her to contact him “when she’s ready.” Given the adventure that they just went through, which revolved around Batmen of all nations who could do what one Batman couldn’t, it feels like Cayha is being set up as the next member of Batman Inc. The Dark Knight may have said that Badhnisia doesn’t need its own Batman but he never said anything about a Batwoman.
It may be an international organization of Batmen but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any women on the roster. On the contrary, there have been quite a few Batwomen in their ranks. Alongside Gotham’s own Batwoman, there was the Bat of the UK, who was the Squire (the UK Robin) before taking over as the new Knight. Cassandra Cain, currently Batgirl, was also the Bat of China (before the current Batman of China that is) when the team was first founded, taking on the name Black Bat. So there’s plenty of precedent for a Batwoman to lead the charge in one of the many nations on Earth.
However, there is the question of why exactly Cayha might become the next Batwoman. Given what Batman saw of her in Badhnisia, it’s clear. Whilst some members, like Batwing, depend on tech and others, like El Gaucho, depend on their fists, Cayha depends on something the Dark Knight values far more – detective skills. As a detective in the local police, she was able to lend a hand here, and, unlike her new Gotham partner, she isn’t afraid to call on help when she needs it.
Clearly, Batman sees something of himself in her. Something fundamental. Before the gadgets and the car and the cave, he was a detective first and foremost. After all, he made his first appearance in Detective Comics #27. If Cayha does take up Batman’s offer, she’ll be a Batwoman that homages the character’s original crime-solving roots. Plenty of heroes have gotten by on just this skill alone, like the Question, and the current Batwoman, Kate Kane, starred in Detective Comics shortly before getting her own series. Could this be Cayha’s journey now?
It looks like the Dark Knight will be keeping a close eye on his new detective friend and giving her training when the time is right. With Batman Inc. set to return once more in the Batman 2022 Annual #1, it’s possible we could see Badhnisia’s Batwoman sooner than expected.
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