What’s Happening At Batsgiving?

All DC’s comics this week feature a two-page ‘Happy Batsgiving’ image, which is actually a teaser image for the weekly Batman Eternal series starting next year. Featuring most of the Batman characters all gathered round for the least friendly meal you could possibly imagine, there’s meant to be all kinds of secrets and hints hidden in here. Let’s take a look at Jason Fabok’s image, and see if we can find any clues….

Carmine Falcone is alive! The mobster who was offed way back when by Jeph Loeb stands with a group of three. The other two appear to be Roadrunner and Tiger Shark, last notably seen in The Black Mirror – by Batman Eternal head Scott Snyder.

Batwoman is with Maggie Sawyer, and has her engagement ring on, still – it’s the glint on her right hand. The ring finger may be on the left hand, but there is a movement wherein LGBT couples sometimes wear the ring on their other hand, to protest their inability to get married in every state. It looks like Maggie Sawyer is inviting her across to the others – perhaps indicating that her segregated status from the rest of the line may be at an end.

James Gordon is handcuffed, and looks penitent – what’s he done? Harvey Bullock stands next to him, looking testy.

Above them sits an Owl – a reminder of The Court of Owls, most likely, who’ll probably have a presence in this series. James Tynion IV, who writes Talon – a series which heavily features The Court – is one of the writers on Batman Eternal. And speaking of? Talon is there, in the main group, sat next to Tim Drake.

In that group are Talon, Tim Drake, Harper Row (who has been suggested by some to be a contender to be the next Robin) and Spoiler. All four characters are sat behind Batman, indicating that they may be the candidates lining up to become Batman’s next sidekick. Harper is holding a bowl of what looks like birdseeds – so are they trying to decide who amongst them is the next Robin?

Batman himself? He’s sat cross-legged, looking at the turkey as though he’s detecting something about it. Alfred passes it across, wearing what looks like a Arkham Asylum jumpsuit?

Behind them, you can see an island which has been coated in ice. So, Mr Freeze is involved here somehow!

Batwing takes the foreground here, the most distinct and strong character on the image. He seems to be taking charge whilst Batman is distracted. His girlfriend, I believe, is sat at the table next to him – speaking to a woman at the table. Now, this is a stretch, but I THINK this may be one of the characters introduced by Marguerite Bennett in the Batman Annual. I think this characters works at Arkham Asylum…?

Batgirl and Red Hood stand behind them, Batgirl paying close attention but Red Hood with his mind wandering elsewhere. Smoke billows behind them, and nobody is paying attention to it.

Lots of animals here! Titus the Bat-Hound is stood up, with a robin sat on his back. Titus is Damian’s pet, suggesting we might see Batman’s son return? Meanwhile, Alfred the cat is curled up, asleep.

Joker’s Daughter sits under the table – mirroring her current status living in the Gotham Sewers.

The table seems to be mainly occupied by untrustworthy sorts – Catwoman walks alongside it, because she’s JUST on the trustworthy side. But Penguin and Professor Pyg are leaning on it, and must have some sort of scheme in the works. Meanwhile, the head of the table is empty. With Joker gone, Batman doesn’t CURRENTLY have a main nemesis. Will a new one be decided during the storyline, perhaps?

Two more suggestions round out the image. One shows Ivy growing up in the background, a reference to Poison Ivy. The second though… are the bones a reference to Snyder’s run on Swamp Thing? Could we see The Rot appear in this storyline, perhaps?

You know who isn’t in this image, though? Nightwing…

I love teaser images like this. You can speculate wildly and get absolutely nowhere. What do you all think you can see?

 

@stevewmorris