DC's Dark New Batman Takes DARK KNIGHT'S Spy Tech to the Extreme with "the Echo"

Summary Zur-En-Arrh's Echo system is a powerful surveillance tool, tracking every phone in Gotham for ultimate control.

Even Tim Drake, Batman's tech-savvy Robin, is being tracked by Zur's system, making it nearly impossible to evade.

Drawing inspiration from The Dark Knight, Zur's sonar tech mirrors Batman's controversial surveillance system in the film.

Warning! Contains spoilers for Batman #147!

Gotham City is completely under the control of Batman's alternate personality, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, and now Zur has revealed the terrifying way he's keeping tabs on any potential threats. Taking a page from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, Zur has revealed the existence of The Echo, a system that taps him into every phone in Gotham.

In Batman #147 by Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey and Clayton Cowles, readers learn the full scope of The Echo, the system that Zur-En-Arrh has been employing to keep track of every criminal or threat in the city. This system is so pervasive that even Tim Drake, the most technologically savvy Robin, has to ditch his phone in order to avoid being tracked.

This system allows Zur to keep watch over everyone in Gotham and transforms it practically into a police state. It will make Zur nearly impossible to sneak up on, and fans of Batman will be familiar with just how powerful such a system is, as Batman utilizes a very similar method in The Dark Knight.

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Tim Drake Reveals Just How Dangerous The Echo Is

Even Tim Drake Is Being Tracked By Zur's System

One of Batman's biggest flaws as a character is seeking control over things. It's part of why he has contingency plans for any possible situation, so he never feels like he's out of control. When he became the God of Knowledge, he immediately began trying to control everything and started doing things like locking people up for crimes they had yet to commit. It was a big overstep of Batman's power, and it's something the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh has no issue repeating. Using his Echo system, Zur is spying on everyone in Gotham City in order to maintain absolute control, and it's not the first time Batman has done this.

In Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, after his first encounter with the Joker, Batman realizes that in order to defeat a man who doesn't care about rules, he can't be restricted by them himself. In order to track down where Joker is in Gotham City, Batman creates a surveillance system that turns every cellphone in Gotham City into a microphone and camera for him. While this does work in allowing Batman to locate the Joker, the ethical concerns of it are so great that Lucius Fox quits working for Batman immediately after. It seems Zur's sonar tech is based off this idea from The Dark Knight.

Zur-En-Arrh's Plan Is Straight Out Of The Movies

Zur Takes Batman's Darkest Plan And Makes It His Own

Defeating Zur-En-Arrh is going to be harder than ever and will require Batman and Robin to be at their absolute best. Tim Drake is one of the smartest and most technologically competent Robins in the Bat-Family, so there should be no problem with him outwitting or figuring out Zur's systems, but even then, it won't be easy. In The Dark Knight, Batman willingly gives up his sonar surveillance system because of the ethical issues using it. But the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh will have no such problems, which makes this version of Batman's sonar system the most dangerous yet.

Batman #147 is on sale now from DC Comics!

Batman #147 (2024) Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Jorge Jimenez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artist: Jorge Jimenez and Tomeu Morey