The comic New Super-Man introduced the Justice League of China, with Wang Baixi taking on the mantle of Bat-Man. There have been many, many different takes on Batman ever since he debuted in 1939. Various Elseworld stories have seen him become a vampire, a version of Doomsday dubbed the Devastator and even a literal Bat-Man creature. He’s shown his comedic side on the Adam West Batman TV series from the 1960s, while Kevin Conroy came to define the voice of the character for many fans in Batman: The Animated Series.
There have also been a number of big-screen adaptations, from Michael Keaton’s brooding Caped Crusader to Ben Affleck’s even broodier Dark Knight in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Batman’s source material is so rich that writers, artists, and filmmakers always find unique ways to reinvent the character and his rogue’s gallery of bad guys. This is part of the reason the franchise is still running strong to this day, with upcoming movie projects including Matt Reeves The Batman with Robert Pattinson and the Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoneix.
Batman got another reinvention in the form of the DC Rebirth comic New Super-Man. This series finds a Chinese man named Kenan Kong being granted the powers of Superman, and he’s joined in his adventures by the Justice League of China. The real-name of the Chinese Bat-Man is Wang Baixi, who was recruited by the Chinese Ministry of Self-Reliance, and he’s something of a tech genius, designing his own gadgets, vehicles, in addition to being a skilled fighter of his own.
The Chinese Bat-Man and Wonder-Woman Peng Deilan are called in to subdue Kenan in the first issue of New Super-Man when he goes a little too wild with his new powers, but they soon become allies when they chase after villain Sunbeam and Kong learns of his father’s own superhero activities. Wang Baixi isn’t quite as ripped as Bruce Wayne and is a good deal nerdier, plus he has his own version of Robin - a robot with the apt name of Robinbot. Wang Baixi and Peng Deilan later become romantically involved, which proves tough while they’re going about their superhero duties.
The Chinese Bat-Man Wang Baixi is an endearing, dorkier take on the Dark Knight, and he became a fan favorite from the New Super-Man comic series, which was cancelled in 2018. He’s certainly one of the most interesting alternate versions of Batman, so while the comic may have come to an end, hopefully, he’ll reappear in a future series.
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