Everyone knows that Batman is also billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. But what most people outside of Batman comics fans don’t know is that Batman has another alter ego: two-bit mobster Matches Malone, an identity Batman uses to infiltrate the mob. This week, we’re reading three stories where Batman uses the Matches identity: an arc that brings a character in from the Animated Series universe to the main DC Comics canon, a three issue story where one of comics’ most celebrated modern writers takes on Batman, and a story set in the animated series universe that leaves a dangling plot thread we wish had been picked up.
- Lock-Up (Detective Comics V.1 #697-699)
- Close Before Striking (Batman V.1 #588-590)
- Playing With Matches (Batman Adventures V.2 #5-8)
Be sure to check out this week’s BatChat column where we look at Batman #138, Detective Comics #1,074 and Peacemaker Tries Hard #6.
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
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Matt Lazorwitz read his first comic at the age of 5. It was Who's Who in the DC Universe #2, featuring characters whose names begin with B, which explains so much about his Batman obsession. He writes about comics he loves, and co-hosts the podcasts BatChat with Matt & Will and The ComicsXF Interview Podcast.
Will Nevin loves bourbon and AP style and gets paid to teach one of those things. He is on Twitter far too often.
