Batman # 2 Jiménez Foil Variant First Printing 2025 BN

Batman #2, published on October 1, 2025, is the second issue of the brand-new volume by the creative team of Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez. Titled "Robin Rides the Black Mariah," the story centers on Tim Drake and explores his evolving partnership with Batman during a tense confrontation with the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). 

Plot and Character Focus 

The issue shifts between a present-day crisis and meaningful flashbacks to Tim Drake's early training. 

• The Main Conflict: While investigating a robbery, Robin (Tim Drake) is shot and captured by the GCPD, which is now under the command of Commissioner Vandal Savage. He is cuffed and placed in a "rough ride" paddy wagon with violent criminals.
• The Rescue: Batman intervenes using "Batspikes" to disable the transport vehicle, but the rescue goes sideways when a corrupt officer, Eddie Vargas, shoots Batman in the head at point-blank range.
• Batman's Vulnerability: Batman survives thanks to his armored cowl but is left severely concussed and unable to drive. This forces an injured Tim Drake to take the wheel of the Batmobile for the first time.
• Flashback Parallel: The story uses flashbacks of Bruce Wayne teaching Tim to drive a manual-transmission pickup truck—to the amusement of Damian Wayne—to mirror Tim's struggle driving the complex, multi-geared Batmobile in the present. 

Themes and World-Building 

Reviewers from Dark Knight News and GeekDad highlight the "long game" storytelling and high-intensity action in this issue. 

• Police Hostility: Under Vandal Savage, the GCPD is officially declared an enemy of the Dynamic Duo, framing them for the shooting of officers to control the public narrative.
• Updated Aesthetic: The series continues to showcase the new blue and grey retro-style costume and a revamped Batmobile with thirteen gears.
• Tone: Critics describe the issue as violent and tense, emphasizing that even Batman is not immune to police brutality or "bad luck" in this new era.