Warning: SPOILERS for Justice League #11
Batman has called many of his sidekicks sons and daughters, but his newest ‘child’ is, without a doubt, the weirdest creature to ever call Bruce Wayne their father. In the process, giving Batman his most powerful - and most adorable son yet.
Considering that Batman is the most important Justice League hero DC has, earning the rank of his sidekick, let alone his adopted son or daughter is reserved for the best of the best. And in the pages of Justice League, the comic book version of Batman has apparently bestowed that honor upon an alien psychic. And not just any psychic, either - but a fragment that once belonged to Starro the Conqueror, the very first villain that the League faced alongside Batman. Or, as the creature now calls him, “Dad.”
- This Page: How Starro Became a Hero, Not a Villain Next Page: Batman is ‘Daddy’ To Starro in a Jar
First Off: Starro is a Superhero Now (Was)
As readers can probably already tell, the world of Justice League has gone through some intensely strange changes of circumstance over the last few months. For starters, Brainiac turned out to be a good guy, recruiting the most powerful psychics of Earth and beyond to defend the universe. That included Starro the Conqueror, the aforementioned supervillain who actually united the League against him in his first comic appearance. Fans who had recently seen writer Scott Snyder’s affection for the character weren’t surprised to see him pop back up, joining the team as an unlikely good guy, and quipping about heroism with Martian “Marty” Manhunter.
But when the cosmic threats the team was organized to fight got the upper hand, and only Starro stood a chance of holding the line, he took the assignment, and discovered his true heroism in the process. Sadly, Starro earned a hero’s death, and it seemed his time as part of the Justice League was over as quickly as it began. But soon after, Batman revealed that he had managed to hold on to a small piece of the alien psyshic… which was already growing a mind of its own.
Meet Jarro, The Piece of Starro in a Jar
Even cosmic crises must eventually pass, so the heroes of the Justice League eventually moved on to the next mystery likely part of the reason the DC Universe is dying. But in an uproarious and unexpected concession from Snyder, Justice League #10 revealed that Batman was now relying on a pint-sized psychic to conduct interrogations: its name is “Jarro,” and it was once a piece of Starro. A piece that apparently can grow into its very own independent creature, blessed with the same psychic powers as the original Starro the Conqueror.
For everyone’s safety, Batman apparently decided to keep it living in a jar. Starr, in a jar… “Jarro.” The small, psychic response from Jarro (“What.”) implied it had yet to truly integrate itself into the team, but the latest issues have shown just how far Bruce and Jarro’s relationship has come. As the rest of the team is scattered across the Earth and space as part of the massive Aquaman: Drowned event, leaving only Batman and Jarro behind, it becomes clear that the small alien has assumed the role of Bruce Wayne’s newest child. Seriously.
Page 2 of 2: Batman is ‘Daddy’ To Starro in a Jar
Batman, The Dark Knight, Father of Jarro
The moment is small enough that many fans might miss it completely, especially since it only comes when the Justice League has been decisively beaten by the cosmic villains of the event. But as the final lines of defense between Batman in the Hall of Justice and the threats outside come crashing down, he grabs hold of Jarro’s… jar, and flees for safety. When asking the small psychic if he is able to telepathically reach any of the other heroes, Jarro’s response drops the bomb: “I’m getting nothing, Dad. No one.”
The sudden reveal that Jarro, once a fragment of Starro the Conqueror growing into its own individual creature, has come to view Batman as his father is unexpected, to say the least. Even more surprising is the fact that Bruce doesn’t correct, or even comment on that presumed relationship. Perhaps Batman’s warm reception to the apparent adoption of Jarro as his latest child sidekick has something to do with Bruce recently losing Nightwing as a son. Or, for those who like their Batman stories cold and distant, perhaps he realizes that Jarro’s telepathic abilities make it the most powerful “Robin” he’s ever recruited.
Will Batman’s Son Jarro Survive The Event?
The final pages of Justice League #11 are an emotional roller coaster, dropping the heartwarming revelation of the Batman-Jarro, Father-Son dynamic, and immediately following it up with a devastating defeat. And as Jarro asks his father if they’re going to survive the world-ending disaster, the surprise arrival of a seemingly-victorious Legion of Doom appears to seal their fate. But ťhen, the Legion may not know that a fragment of a cosmic conqueror still breathes, nestled safely under Batman’s wing, both literally and figuratively. And even at his young age, Jarro is a force to be reckoned with.
We will spend the remaining days until the next issue in the story, like so many other DC readers and devoted Bat-fans, hoping that this new bond between Bruce and the alien starfish in a jar he is fine with calling his newest son is built to last. For the record, we’re assuming that Jarro is a “he” like his father, but the vague link between Starro and reconstituted Jarro means Bruce Wayne may just as easily have a new daughter (or gender-less alien addition to his already blended family).
Whichever turns out to be accurate, the stage is set for some serious heartbreak. Whether it’s the Legion of Doom now standing before Batman and Jarro, eager for any leverage to apply, or the proven heroic sacrifices that Starro is prone to, Jarro is in grave danger of not living to see the end of the event. On the one hand, that would seem a waste of Batman’s newest adopted child sidekick. On the other… Jarro IS already prepared inside of a memorial glass tube that Batman is so fond of when it comes to decorating his Batcave. We’ll be crossing our fingers, either way.
Justice League #11 is available now from DC Comics.
