After ‘Aztec Batman,’ Africa’s Caped Crusader Deserves the Spotlight

It seems like DC has really been going crazy with Batman in recent times. Without missing a step, the animated movies have given us a Caped Crusader in feudal Japan, a Lovecraftian horror spinoff, and one where he faces off against Jack the Ripper in 1850s London. If you haven’t heard, the latest unique Batman story is Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires.

This tale transforms The Dark Knight into a 16th-century Mesoamerican-inspired hero who must not only push back against Spanish invaders, but also face off against this timeline’s version of the Joker — a man driven by the illusions of an Aztec war god. As always, DC’s “what-if” scenarios work wonderfully well as a one-off animated entry. Seeing Batman in a different light, away from the same old origin story, works great. But what if we all took a step back and looked to comics for the next iteration? DC’s next move should be introducing Africa’s own Caped Crusader — Batwing.

Most DC fans might question this choice, since the second iteration of Batwing — young Luke Fox — already appears in various comic-related content, including CW’s Batwoman and two DC animated movies. I’m talking about David Zavimbe, the character who started the Batwing comic back in 2011. While Luke comes from Gotham City and is already immersed in Bruce Wayne lore (as he is Lucius Fox’s son), Zavimbe’s unique Congo-based character arc is prime and ready for an adaptation.

A Batman for Africa

Written by Grant Morrison (who took the mantle after Judd Winick left) and drawn by Chris Burnham, David Zavimbe’s story begins when he was just a child. After both his parents died very early on in his life from HIV/AIDS, he and his brother Isaac were pulled into a general’s war deep within the Congo. Even though they become highly trained and excellent in battle, David turns on General Keita for wanting to assassinate innocent women and children.

With Isaac severely wounded from a near-fatal machete attack, David has to fend for himself and escapes, eventually finding refuge in an orphanage, where he matures. Bruce Wayne — with the Batman Incorporated plan in mind — hears of David’s heroics as a Congolese police officer. After giving him his own batsuit and teaming up with him on a mission, Batwing’s solo stories become darker and more political than you’ve ever known a Batman to be. This is one violent tale.

While this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the new DCAU (think of what transpires in Gunn’s Suicide Squad) is the perfect place for Zavimbe’s story. This is a side of DC that’s rarely given a spotlight. There are warlords, dictators, African crime lords, and worse crime scenes than you’d find in Gotham. War, colonialism, and religious conflicts are the themes here. Numerous heroes and villains make their debut in David’s 19-issue run of Batwing, like Massacre, Blood Tiger, Thunderfall, and an entire team called The Kingdom.

Not only does the gritty, dark art of Nightwing complement the overall tone of the story (which would look great on the small screen), but these characters hold shocking secrets as well. During a vicious battle (where Batwing nearly dies), Massacre turns out to be his long-lost, thought-to-be-dead brother. Not to mention, he literally aims to kill — Massacre’s only weapon is a machete. If that’s not enough, The Kingdom turns out to be the reason behind Massacre’s creation — they left a city just before completely ridding it of rogue military forces.

Considering every other version of Batman is being spotlighted, David Zavimbe should have that opportunity as well. The reason for the character change could be due to Winick leaving and DC not knowing what to do, or the comic book publisher not liking the fact that David’s world was far too removed from the Gotham City vibe. Whatever the case may be, now is the perfect chance to right a wrong and reintroduce this character to the DC fandom. Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires is now available to watch on HBO Max.