(Image Source: DC / Dustin Nguyen)
Gotham City has become a bit more crowded in recent months. Ignoring the existing Bat-Family, Green Arrow just moved in with Black Canary. Now, another DC superhero with connections to the Justice League, Justice Society, and Gotham City has returned home. However, he has apparently done so at the request of Batman.
Written by Matt Fraction, with art by Ryan Sook, Batman #8 continues building the troubles in Gotham City. While Poison Ivy was elected mayor and Vandal Savage is the police commissioner, the two villains have yet to start working together. However, the Dark Knight is not waiting on them to do so and seems to be building his own alliances. This includes veteran superhero Alan Scott, whom he welcomes home after observing the first Green Lantern deal with his would-be muggers.
The main cover and first five pages of Batman #8 may be viewed below.
Green Lantern and Gotham City explained
While the DC Universe is full of many superpowered vigilantes, Gotham City is famed for being more down to Earth. Most of the heroes who work with Batman are highly skilled experts and athletes at the peak of fitness, but do not have superpowers. The few who do, like Black Canary, tend to have low-level powers and favor their training over their abilities. However, the first costumed hero to protect Gotham City historically is also one of the most powerful in all of DC Comics.
(Image Source: DC / Mike Vosburg)
Originally, the first Green Lantern was said to operate in Capitol City. However, 1944’s Green Lantern #14 made reference to him now protecting Gotham City. Despite this, Alan Scott rarely crossed paths with Batman and usually only as part of JSA business. Speaking of the Justice Society, it should be mentioned the JSA of Earth-2 moved their headquarters to Gotham City.
This connection was reconfirmed in JLA: Year One. In that story, the JLA held their first press conference at the building that had been JSA HQ in Gotham City. This 1998 mini-series presented the first history retconning the heroes of Earth-2 as the first generation of superheroes of the new Post-Crisis Earth. More famously, a flashback in Batman: Hush showed a young Bruce Wayne watching the Alan Scott Green Lantern in action.
(Image Source: DC / Jim Lee)
It is unclear if the JSA ever called Gotham City home in the reality of Earth-Prime. It is also unclear just what the Dark Knight wants with the first Green Lantern. However, the Batman #8 preview affirms Alan Scott’s history as a Gotham City native.
Batman #8 arrives in comics shops on April 1, 2026.
