Line #31 Comicbook/BatmanDigitalJustice


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batman-digital-justice_9878.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:Batman brings justice to Website/{{Facebook}}.]]
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4	''Batman: Digital Justice'' is a graphic novel written by Pepe Moreno, published in 1990 by DC Comics, which follows the attempts of LegacyCharacter James Gordon (the Commissioner's grandson) to become the new Franchise/{{Batman}} for a new era.
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6	The story takes place "sometime into the next century" in a CyberPunk Gotham City which is being overrun once again by crime, aided by several high-ranking officials. The police force's robotic lapdogs, the so-called "servo enforcers", are going berserk and killing random citizens, ostensibly in the course of duty; but Jim Gordon becomes suspicious when he is unable to verify their internal memory logs nor even to positively identify any of the victims, and suspects that someone with [[EverythingIsOnline high-level computer access]] is using the servos as private assassins. [[ReassignedToAntarctica In an attempt to get him off the case]], his [[DirtyCop superiors]] put him on bodyguard duty for arrogant superstar Gata, but Gordon will not be distracted. However, as the investigation continues, Gordon's partner Lena is murdered, and Gordon himself narrowly escapes a similar fate.
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8	Gordon, skirting the DespairEventHorizon, happens upon a crumbling statue -- of Gotham's 20th Century hero Batman. He subsequently finds an old costume among his grandfather's personal effects... and the Batman is reborn. Unfortunately, one of his oldest and most deadly foes has also resurfaced, and will stop at nothing short of the utter and complete destruction of Batman.
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10	''Batman: Digital Justice'' is also particularly noteworthy for being written and illustrated '''entirely''' using computer-generated images, à la the movie ''Film/{{Tron}}''. While not the first all-digital comic (that honor goes to the 1985 series ''Shatter''), ''Digital Justice'' was a radical departure from the dot-matrix look of its predecessor, utilizing then-advanced graphics and even 3-D modelling techniques to create a pseudo-photorealistic look.
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13	!!''Batman: Digital Justice'' provides examples of:
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15	* AIIsACrapshoot: The servo-enforcers. Subverted in that [[spoiler:they're being controlled by the Joker virus]].
16	* AlternateContinuity: One where The Joker designs an A.I. that turns Gotham into a cyberpunk dystopia.
17	* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: In the end of their struggle, both [[spoiler:Batcom and the Joker Virus]] somehow come together into an [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil harmonious fusion of good and evil]] that transcends reality, leaving the future Gotham free from the phantoms of its past.
18	* AttentionWhore: Gata. In fact, she's so jealous of the media attention being given to Batman that she sets herself up as his adversary Catwoman specifically to capitalize.
19	* BatDeduction: Oddly enough, not from Batman himself but from the kid who eventually becomes Robin: "What's the matter, you think we don't know you're the Batman?" This one is actually plausible, since Gordon is sporting nasty bruises the morning after one of Batman's exploits.
20	* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: As soon as the Law Man, an eldery cyborg bound to a life support machine, is found by Batman, he seemingly kills himself to keep from being arrested. His last words [[GracefulLoser are of encouragement]] for Batman to hold on to his dreams.
21	* BigBad: The Joker Virus rules over Gotham City and is the main antagonist of the story.
22	* BigGood: After attempting to uphold Batman's legend, Gordon is saved and assisted by Batcom, an A.I. designed by Bruce Wayne.
23	* {{Bookends}}: The story begins and ends on a shot of a cybernetic cityscape and a videogame screen reading "Game Over". A possible interpretation is that [[AllJustADream the story was a videogame the whole time]].
24	* CleavageWindow:
25	** Gata usually wears a latex bodysuit which exposes her nether regions, these being covered by '''very''' small pieces of colored tape.
26	** A lot of women tend to go quasi-topless, in fact.
27	* ComputersSpeakBinary: Turns up in conversation a couple of times, if not in trope-form itself.
28	-->'''Batman:''' You get him?\
29	'''Robin:''' Can a CPU add one and zero?
30	* CoolShip: The Batcraft lets Batman and Robin operate while avoiding the Joker's surveillance.
31	* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: Downplayed; the Mayor of Gotham is shown to have "bio-cybernetic" implants, but these don't figure into the actual plot.
32	* CyberPunk: The story takes place in a futuristic but dystopic Gotham where Gordon must defeat a conspiracy made between politicians, criminal organizations, the media and corrupt law enforcement.
33	* CyberPunkIsTechno: You can practically hear that thudding techno beat whenever Gata appears on the page.
34	* DaChief: Captain Grover is Gordon's superior at the police department and makes him Gata's bodyguard to keep him from getting involved in the rampaging servos incident.
35	* DatingCatwoman: Atypically for this trope, Gordon never gets any closer to her (romantically speaking) than "There's something about her..." or "I am your friend" while doing a ShutUpKiss. Of course, putting Batman and Catwoman together '''without''' invoking this trope would be... wrong.
36	* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler:The Mayor]] makes amends to Gata with her dying gasp, revealing she was a mother figure to her all along.
37	* DespairEventHorizon: Lena's death sends Gordon nearly over the edge until he happens upon a statue of Batman and learns of the hero's ties to his grandfather. Although EverythingIsOnline and protected by rigid security access, he could ''still'' use his experience as a cop to wage a one-man war on crime in disguise without getting caught in short order.
38	* DigitalAvatar: The Joker created a virus in his image who took over society in the years following his death. Batman then designed his own A.I. as a countermeasure.
39	* DirtyCop: Captain Grover turns a blind eye to the corruption in Gotham [[spoiler:and is swiftly executed when he attempts to make amends]].
40	* DisconnectedByDeath: [[spoiler:Captain Grover]] is shocked to death by a phone trapped by The Joker when he attempts to warn Gordon about the incoming squad of killer servos.
41	* EverythingIsOnline: Everything in the setting is online and under constant corrupt surveillance. Except for one small computer in [[spoiler:the Batcave]].
42	* EvilGloating: As the Joker Virus gloats about how he can reshape the world, the Batcom remarks he has been sabotaging all of Joker's utility programs at the same time.
43	* FlyingCar: Flying police cars are shown, as well as the {{Thememobile}} Batcraft.
44	* {{Foreshadowing}}: The identity of the virus that plagues Gotham is made obvious by a familiar disembodied smile appearing on multiple screens to taunt Gordon.
45	* FutureSlang: "Batteries running low... really need that day off."
46	* {{Gorn}}: There are scenes of brutal violence early in the story, but this is toned down afterwards.
47	* LegacyCharacter: Batman, Robin and Catwoman all become this.
48	* LightningLash Catwoman uses a whip, just like her predecessor and it's electrified for good measure.
49	* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:Gata]] is a clone of [[spoiler:the Mayor]].
50	* MeaningfulName: "Gata" is Spanish for "female cat"[[note]]technically, it's the feminine form of the word "gato" ("cat")[[/note]]. Or, to put it another way, a "cat woman".
51	* NearVillainVictory: The Joker manages to cripple Batcom by deleting the memory of the trauma that defines the hero, but as a last resort Batcom gets Alfred to activate a backup from the only system that the Joker couldn't reach.
52	* NoKillLikeOverkill: There are multiple scenes of the servo-enforcers tearing people to pieces, or even microwaving them into puddles, to make identifying the bodies difficult.
53	* NotEnoughToBury: The servo enforcers' victims. Gordon invokes the trope by name at one point.
54	* NotSoDifferentRemark: The Law Man claims both him and Batman are twisting the law to suit their own needs, to which Batman retorts he cares not for the law but rather only its spirit of Justice.
55	* OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The [[TheSyndicate Mob Lord]], the [[StrawmanNewsMedia Media Man]], the [[AmoralAttorney Law Man]] and [[spoiler:the Mayor]] conspire with the Joker Virus to rule Gotham.
56	* PosthumousCharacter: Both Bruce Wayne and The Joker are long dead by the time of this story, but their influence is felt in the form of the A.I.s they have created.
57	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Captain Grover]] wouldn't stay corrupt, so The Joker killed him for attempting to warn Gordon about the servos sent after him.
58	* RobotMaid: A robot butler named after Alfred exists in the abandoned Wayne mansion and plays a key role in the very end of the story.
59	* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: After realizing how helpless he is as an police officer, Gordon takes the mantle of Batman to try and break the status quo imposed by those in power.
60	* ShadowDictator: The Joker Virus rules over Gotham with the aid of some conspirators, even as it's uncharacteristic of ''The Joker'' to settle for ruling a WretchedHive from the shadows when he could be turning it into a full-fledged WorldOfChaos instead.
61	* ShoutOut:
62	** A full-page spread is devoted to a re-creation of a Time Magazine cover.
63	** Also: "He's gone! ... [[Film/{{Tron}} De-rezzed!]]"
64	** Another one from ''Film/{{Tron}}'': Whenever the city is viewed from high above, it is rendered as a giant circuit board, not unlike ''TRON'''s opening scene.
65	* ShutUpKiss: When Catwoman is manipulated into fighting Gordon to the death, he embraces and kisses her to get her to stop.
66	* SlasherSmile: Even after revealing his full appearance, The Joker frequently manifests as a disembodied smile laughing at people from screens.
67	* SpinOffspring: Jim Gordon is the grandson of Commissioner James Gordon.
68	* TechMarchesOn: 3 1/4" floppy disks are shown to be in common usage. On one occasion it's appropriate, since the computer depicted is supposed to be ancient.
69	* TitleDrop:
70	** Done in the opening narration, about the only hope against the dystopia the story is set in:
71	--->''"A new kind of hero, a program of "clean" code and pure memory, a program written by a legendary Crime Fighter... A Digital Hero, one that can restore digital truth and... '''Digital Justice'''."''
72	** Batcom's boast against the conspirators:
73	--->''"Mark me well. I am the end of all things for you... The face of your judge and jury... The last face you will ever see in this world... The Face of justice! True justice! ''Digital'' Justice!"''
74	* TheVirus: One written by [[ComicBook/TheJoker the madman]] himself is the main villain of the story.
75	* WeWillNotUsePhotoshopInTheFuture: the video variety, and averted at that; we see quite a few instances of the digital media using computer trickery to "edit reality".

Context Comicbook / BatmanDigitalJustice