Before the Batman: An Original Movie Novel

by David Lewman

Women liked him. He liked them, too, but he never stayed in one place long enough to form a lasting relationship. He wasn’t sure he wanted one.

I’ll take on the city’s criminals alone so I won’t put anyone else at risk. I’ll need a disguise. I’ll have to hide my face to keep people from recognizing me. A mask? And I’ll need protection, like a bulletproof vest that covers my whole body. Made out of strong material—something highly durable. But it’ll have to be flexible, so I can fight while I’m wearing it. Wayne Industries?

Notes & Observations (Gotham Project) Year Two A second year of nights has turned me into a nocturnal animal. My senses are heightened now. I can almost smell them.

As Bruce would write later that night, “A signal now, for when I’m needed. But when the light hits the sky, it’s not just a call. It’s a warning. To them.” A masked figure dressed in black stepped into the dim light of Gotham City. “I am the shadows. I am vengeance. I am…” The Batman.