There is a handful of future Batman’s that have become popular characters over time. Most famously, Batman Beyond is the future Caped Crusader who’s drawn the most attention. However, one version of Batman from the 853rd Century deserves some credit as standing out as one of the weirdest, strangest looking ever to grace the comic pages.
Batman’s no stranger to sporting unique Batsuits. He’s worn everything from a Zebra-inspired Batsuit, to a rainbow-colored Batsuit, to a medieval armor Batsuit and a multi-colored alien inspired Batsuit - to name a few. If there was a way to make Batman’s Batsuit more bizarre, it’s likely been done over the character’s 80-year history. However, in the late ’90s, a new take in Batman introduced us to a look that hasn’t been seen before.
A version of Batman from the 853rd Century appeared in DC’s One Million crossover series by Grant Morrison and Val Semeiks and it’s one of the more unique takes on the character. This Batman isn’t from Gotham but he retains an incredibly tragic backstory. He lived on Pluto, which had become a prison for the most dangerous people in the galaxy. His parents - who worked as guards - were rounded up and killed as thousands of their children watched. Inspired by the Batman from centuries ago, this Batman became a superpowered crimefighter. Batman would join the Justice Legion Alpha and even had a toy version of Robin (aka the Toy Wonder) as his sidekick.
From an aesthetic standpoint, this future Batman looked strange but cool. His Batsuit looked somewhat similar to the original Batman, but he’s got a long metal bat that connects his cape and mask. It’s very long, reaching shoulder to shoulder, and isn’t the most dynamic design. Speaking of his mask, this Batman doesn’t have an open mouth design. Instead, he’s got a more triangular shape to his head that’s fully covered, making his white eyes look more pronounced. It’s Batman meets Black Panther. All-in-all, it’s a fresh take that retains the best aspects of Batman’s iconic look.
Where the suit differs is from a tech standpoint. It’s the 853rd Century, so technology has clearly evolved over time. His suit can absorb energy, it can camouflage, it features a wireless Bat-Computer that’s much, much stronger than previous iterations, it’s super strong with a fireproof cape and has numerous upgrades throughout. That’s without mentioning the fact he’s telepathic (which has become the norm in his future) and is a genius tech inventor.
This future version of Batman is very Grant Morrison - he’s strange but retains the core humanity that made the original Batman so heroic. The Batsuit is appropriate for the character, even if it’s somewhat bizarre and not the most tactile design. This future’s Batman’s look is a lot of fun.
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