The most powerful Bat-family member explains the heartbreaking reason he left Bruce behind

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #28!Years after the most powerful member of the Bat family left behind, Batman Has finally explained why. Bat-Mite, the Dark Knight’s biggest fan and an all-powerful Imp has been given the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to work with his favorite hero once again.

Bat-Mite, along with Superman’s greatest pest Mr. McKizptlc, have come to the third dimension to prevent an invasion by Dom-Mite, an even more cunning imp from the sixth dimension who wants to challenge the world’s greatest hero. But before Batman goes after Doom-Mate, the Caped Crusader has a heart-to-heart and reveals what Bat-Mate has left by the way of history.

Batman admits the DC Universe has changed too much for Batman

in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #28 By Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Travis Mercer, Tamra Bonvillain and Steve Wands, Doom-Mite has proclaimed Jimmy Olsen to be Earth’s Mightiest Hero. Thank you, Mr. Mkizftzlkl comes in with a guard and transfers his fifth magic to Olsen, giving him all the powers of an imp. Unfortunately, even with fifth-dimensional magic at his disposal, Doom-Mite is too powerful to defeat. Worse, bAtman and Superman can’t help because they’re still stuck in the sixth dimension with daughter-in-law.

Bat-Mite is the duo’s only way out of this strange realm and he is also busy looking into temporal echoes, showing him glimpses of Batman and Superman’s past and future selves. Batman’s patience wears thin and he demands that Bat-Mite get them back to the third dimension. Bat-Mite begins to tear through the dimensional planes down to Bat-Mite’s home, the fifth dimension and then down to the fourth dimension: time. The trio reaches the third dimension, but they cannot stop their descent, so Bat-mate, Batman and Superman all wind up to the lowest realm, the first dimension.

Batman raises Bat-Mite, who apologizes for screwing up. The Dark Knight softens and finally talks things out with Bat-Mate, empathizing with the Imp, and bringing up the adventures he used to have with Batman and Robin. Batman tells the Imp that the world has simply changed too much for a colorful and stupid being like Bat-Mite and emphasizes that for his sake and the sake of innocent life, Batman can’t indulge in Bat-Mite’s games anymore. However, Batman acknowledges that he needs Bat-Mite’s help one last time to defeat Dom-Mite.

Batman’s current adventure with Bat-Mate was the last straw

Once upon a time, Batman and Robin were often visited by Bat-Mite an Imp who loved popping in and admiring the World’s Greatest Detective as much as McKizptlk loved tormenting Superman. He was a frequent nuisance who often got on Batman’s bad side thanks to his bumbling and all-powerful nature. But While Bat-Mite was a common sight during the Silver Age of comic books, he was largely phased out during the Bronze Age Before he was more or less removed from DC’s post-Crisis continuity.

Batman/Superman World’s Finest is a book set at an unidentified point in the past, but probably somewhere between the Silver and Bronze Ages. As such, Bat-Mite is still a frequent bother to Batman. However, his latest visit to the third dimension was not all fun and games. The fifth dimension was attacked by an unknown figure, later revealed to be Doom-Mite, Who attacked Bat-Meite and Mr. Macy’s friend before they went to Earth? To challenge the heroes of the earth with an army of evil imps.

Batman and Superman got help from Batman and Superman. But while Maxizktlc was more concerned with stopping Doom-Mite, Bat-Mite was far too hung up on singing Batman’s praises to anyone who would listen. Things only got worse when the heroes tried to stop the imp invasion and Bat-Mite could barely keep his focus long enough to help. His only real success was helping Batman and Superman access Doom-Mate’s home, the sixth dimension, and that was because Bat-Mite saved the duo from the second dimension, still infuriating Batman.

Batman has to send Bat-Mate away to keep everyone safe

This arc is not subtly communicating how Batman feels about Bat-mate. At best Bruce thinks the imp is a nuisance who can’t pay attention long enough to help. At worst, he sees him as a legitimate risk to the safety and well-being of others. Given how much Chaos improves in general, Batman isn’t wrong. But the conversation is still interesting because it takes place in the past, before the Bat-Mite was ever stopped, that is The reason Bat-Mite left is because Batman asked him to.

Batman makes a point of saying how the world is changing which, as anyone familiar with the transition to the Bronze Age knows, is absolutely true. Sure, Bat-Mite was always there to help out, but it wasn’t just that the world got darker, Batman got darker too. He knew Bat-Mite was the biggest Batman fan around, but Bruce didn’t want or need fans at this point in his life. He had to make sure, Above all, that people were safe, even Bat-Mite.

Batman means the world to Batman and there is nothing he wouldn’t do for his hero. Was it a harsh dose of reality for Bat-Mate? Undoubtedly. But Bat-Mite knows that to be the best hero around, Batman has to make tough decisions, even if it means sending away his biggest and most powerful fan. Superman unfortunately can’t keep Mcizptlk away no matter what. But because An honest conversation about what Batman’s world needs is done to Bat-Mite And convinced the imp to leave for good.

Bat-Mite still respects Batman’s wish

Sure, Bat-Mite makes the occasional cameo here and there in modern times. But he is largely removed from the Bat-family these days. It just goes to show that when it comes to fanboy dedication, no one takes their commitment as seriously as bat-mates. Sure, it means never seeing your girlfriend again. But nothing in the world could ever make him break a promise to Batman.

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #28 is available now from DC Comics.

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #28 (2024)
	Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Dan Mora and Travis Mercer Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain Writer: Steve Wands Cover artist: Dan Mora