I Am Batman star Jace Fox decides to tell his truth with a new look for his Batman persona.
As of the fifth issue, Jace has eschewed the bottom part of his mask at the behest of his father, Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox. Writer John Ridley describes it as “a very powerful moment of identity when Lucius tells Jace to never put his faceplate back on, represent, and never think of himself as a lesser [Batman. He] admits that his son has a lot to learn before he is Batman, but he reinforces it that he is not a lesser person by any means.”
Ridley further specifies that while he takes it as a compliment when his friends say he is doing “Black Batman,” “[It] is not Black Batman, but rather Jace Fox as Batman, who happens to be black. This family has to struggle with money, with representation, and with just being out in the world, and you will see much much more of that going forward as Jace and his family make the move [to New York City.]” This would mark the first time that any Batman in general has protected the Big Apple since 1941, before Gotham City was established as the Caped Crusader’s stomping ground.
“I Am Batman”: Who is Jace Fox And Where Is He Headed?
Jace Fox was initially introduced in the Future State line of titles before becoming a prominent figure during the Fear State Batman crossover event. Once the estranged son of Lucius, Jace was driven to don the cape and cowl as a reaction to the Magistrate security force’s attempt to take over Gotham. Since that time, he had operated apart from the Bat-Family. It is in I Am Batman #5 that saw an adversary knock his faceplate off during a fight, and Jace’s father, recognizing him underneath, encouraged him to leave it off, thus reconciling with his child and pledging support.
“I’m incredibly excited about charting this new direction for the Fox family, ” Ridley conceded. “This new setting is great opportunity to do some really creative world-building and give Jace his own allies, adversaries and challenges that will continue to shape and define him as his own character under the cape and cowl.”
Official Source – DC’s New Batman Finally Has a Costume Showing He’s a Black Superhero (cbr.com)
