WARNING: Contains potential spoilers for Batman / Superman: the best in the world #34!In the last The best in the world launch, with Batman, Supermanand robin missing, the focus shifts to Batgirl and Jimmy Olsen. However, it wasn't this unlikely duo that caught my attention - it was who from The Bat Family accompanies Barbara Gordon that really caught my attention. This is the Dynamic Duo I never knew I needed, but now that I've tried it, I'm absolutely obsessed.
...if I had to pick any member of the Bat-Family to partner with the Bat-Hound in a miniseries, it would be Jason Todd's Red Hood.
Mark Waid, Fran Galán and Steve Wands' Batman/Superman: the best in the world #34 moves away from the usual heroics of the Dark Knight, Man of Steel and the Original Boy Wonder to highlight a new team - Batgirl Barbara Gordon, Ace the Bat-Hound, Mr. Action Jimmy Olsen and Krypto the Super-Hound.
However, It wasn't the Jimmy and Barbara duo or even the canine duo that caught my eye - it was Batgirl and Ace. With Ace often sidelined or confined to Batman-centric stories, I had never considered how the Bat-Hound could operate alongside another member of the Bat-Family. But after seeing Batgirl and Ace face Gotham's underbelly together, it's clear that they truly are the perfect team.
Batgirl and Ace the Bat-Hound team up in Batman / Superman: the best in the world #34
Ace gets an epic costume inspired by Batman
I admit that as someone who is visually motivated – hence my love of comics – my first impression of Batgirl and Bat-Hound as a team was heavily influenced by their aesthetic. Galán's art drew me in immediately, especially his portrayal of Ace. Bat-Hound sports a sleek mask that covers most of his face, leaving his ears and snout free. Ace also wears the Bat-Family's signature white lenses and a dog backpack that resembles Batman's iconic utility belt. Seeing Ace fully dressed as a real Bat alongside Batgirl in her classic blue, light gray and yellow suit made me instantly love their look.
What really sold me on their partnership, though, was how they operated as a team. In the opening pages Batgirl and Ace defeat a group of low-level thugs functioning almost like a police officer and his K-9 unit. Ace stands alert in front of Batgirl, already locked on his target, and the moment Batgirl gives the command, he moves forward to subdue the criminal. This human-animal partnership is an incredibly unique dynamic within the Bat-Family and is not always highlighted in their narratives. However, I am completely hooked.
The key to a partnership between bat family members and pets: maintain. This. Simple.
Ace the Bat-Hound deserves more page time in DC Comics
For the Bat-Family member and pet dynamic to work in a long-term narrative, it would be most effective in a storyline set in the past - like this issue of The best in the world-or centered on street vigilantism, like Watters' current Nightwing run. My reasoning is that a simpler story would allow the focus to remain on exploring the unique partnership between the Bat-Family member and his animal companion. With such distinct dynamics, overly complex plots – such as off-planet missions or major crises – can dilute the attention they deserve.
Typically, when DC highlights the Bat-Family's animal companions, it's either Batman or Robin (Damian Wayne) paired with them. That's why I'd love to see another hero team up with one of the Bat Family's longtime pets, just like Waid did with Batgirl. While some might argue that Tom Taylor did this to Dick Grayson in NightwingI don't think it counts. Haley rarely fought alongside Dick and, in my opinion, doesn't have the same appeal as a classic Bat-Family pet like Ace. Ultimately, what I would love to see a DC comic that specifically highlights Ace– although there are many other worthy animal candidates.
Red Hood and Ace the Bat-Hound would be an EPIC duo
A partnership with Ace could show a side of Red Hood that we don't always see
While I'd love to see Batgirl and Ace team up, if I had to pick any member of the Bat-Family to partner with the Bat-Hound in a miniseries - or have Ace join the ongoing series - it would be Jason Todd's Red Hood . As the black sheep of the family, Jason's partnership with Ace would create an intriguing and believable dynamic. I can easily imagine the fiercely independent and stubborn Red Hood being more open to working consistently with Ace than with a human partner. Additionally, Ace's partnership could provide a unique opportunity for a character study of Jason, revealing sides of Jason's character. Red Hood which readers rarely see when he is interacting with the rest of the Bat-Family.
Batman/Superman: World's Finest #34 is now available from DC Comics!