DCEU’s possibilities to compete with Black Panther

Credit: DC Comics

4. Batwing (David Zavimbe)

Batwing is a creation of Grant Morrison for Batman Incorporated. You can say he is the Batman of Africa or… the Democratic Republic of Congo technically. Many will quick to point out some problems such as the great white savior who funds Batwing and the fact his first story takes place in a rather negative and horrible African setting. Basically, it is the opposite of Wakanda. However, the DCEU has made its brand for being rather dark and realistic to some degree. David Zavimbe represents a harsher side for black superheroes.

David Zavimbe is the adopted son of an abusive warlord who lost his parents to HIV/AIDS. His day job is as an officer in the corrupt police force of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Make no bones about it, warlords, poachers and corruption are real issues there. Hence, would it not be nice to see an African man actually do something about it? Everyday he is tempted by bribes and deals with his job just to survive. Yet, he turns it down! It costs him his reputation and makes his life more difficult just to live. Nonetheless, he is courageous and honorable.

Unfortunately, Batwing has been retired by DC Comics. He is gone in both a publication sense and narratively. Therefore, a character with no current run may not be the one for a film. Yes, he does fly in the face of the good that the Black Panther film stands for. Yet, I argue there is the brilliance. Black Panther sets up this closed off, isolated world where he fails to help the rest of the continent. Meanwhile, Batwing is busy trying to save his own country. He is dealing with real issues, where Black Panther is pure escapism. Black Panther in a sense has utopia in comparison to Batwing. Ergo, where is the conflict?