We learned recently that we will be seeing the character Batwing in the CW Batwoman series. Actor Camrus Johnson has been cast in the role (or rather to expand his role as Luke Fox), and we’ll actually see the character quite soon. Reportedly, the transformation of Fox into Batwing will occur before season two wraps up this summer.
This will be exciting for a lot of hardcore DC fans, as well as to those keeping track of the slow-but-sure emergence of more Black heroes in comics and superhero content. It’s fair to assume, in fact, that there may even be a significant number of new viewers who tune in on the CW specifically to check the new Batwing character out. As much as this may be the case though, the introduction of Batwing will likely fly under the radar for, shall we say, the more casual comic or superhero fan.
The simple fact is that for those who aren’t honed in on DC or tracking Black heroes, Batwing is still a little-known name. The character is quite new by comic standards and has yet to make a major pop culture appearance away from the page (until now, that is). For these simple reasons, DC would do well to take steps to prop Batwing up — perhaps following season two and in advance of season three. And the easiest way for them to do it would be through gaming.
There are numerous games, forums, and categories through which DC could pursue this idea….
The Injustice Series
The first option that comes to mind is the Injustice series — a collection of fighting games designed for both consoles and mobile devices, and a favorite among DC fans. One reason these games excel is that they have large casts of playable heroes and villains. Yet a list of characters on IGN makes clear that though the group ranges from Batman and Superman to Red Hood and Sub-Zero, it does not include Batwing. The easiest way then for DC to introduce the character in gaming would likely be by building him into these existing games (or into Injustice 3 when it’s out).
An Original Mobile Game
Another straightforward option would be for DC to work with a mobile game developer to produce an original experience built around Batwing — possibly even in conjunction with the Batwoman show. There have been successful solo superhero games released for mobile play over the years, such as the Batman series from Telltale Games, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Man Of Steel, and more. An original Batwing game, be it an action game, a comic-based puzzle, or virtually anything else, would bring much-needed attention to the character.
An Original Casino Game
Online casino games actually get a great deal of exposure as well, and there’s strong precedent for solo superhero titles in this space (even more so than in apps). Once upon a time, several of the most prominent Marvel heroes had their own slot games, and even now that Disney has had those games pulled, Foxy Bingo’s games show some of the current titles that are clearly inspired by their biggest characters. There is a game about Thor as a Norse god rather than a specific comic hero, for instance, and there’s also a slot reel that’s plainly based on the Fantastic Four. DC, meanwhile, still has a few heroes here and there on slot platforms, with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman games standing out in particular. A Batwing game would fit right in, and would presumably be a quicker project than a mobile game or even an Injustice addition.
Fortnite
The other option that seems easy enough should DC really want to make an effort to promote Batwing would be to get the character injected into Fortnite. This game is basically a free-for-all of promotional content for games, film, TV, and comics. It’s even featured the Batwing (an occasional Batman vehicle) already! Giving players a playable Batwing skin in Fortnite would certainly help to drum up some attention and excitement.
These may seem like relatively small ideas, but the introduction of Batwing to a popular TV series is a big deal, and it would be appropriate for DC to boost the event as much as possible — particularly if the rumors that there will also be a Batwing movie (as We Got This Covered alluded to) turn out to be true.