When we talk pastiche that has evolved into its own, self-sustaining concept, we generally talk Superman, don't we? From Supreme, to Hyperion, to Gladiator, Mr. Majestic, the Sentry, Apollo, Omni-Man, The High...Superman seems to have inspired characters that appear to be, in many respects, shots across the bough from creators. And that's not even taking into account obvious juxtapositions and analogues WITHIN the DC universe. That is to say, they are statements, saying "Watch as we do what you do, but do it better". Supreme seemed to be that under Liefeld (How much cooler would Superman be if he were BADASS?), and CERTAINLY was that under Alan Moore. And just last week, the next chapter in his ongoing adventure began.

Batman's refracted images are, perhaps, no less in number but they seem to be less lasting, don't they? With the exception of Moonknight - who, admittedly, does have a certain cache - and Midnighter I can't think a lot of Batman analogues that have become stalwarts, either inside or outside of the DCU. And, at least in the case of Midnighter, when solo stories WERE (briefly) tried, there seemed to be less overt reaction to Batman. I can't help but wonder if that's because, by and large, Batman largely HAS been considered successful(ly exploited). Perhaps Batman is 'Batman done right' to regularly for anyone else to get a word in edge wise.

Nevertheless, various knock offs, homages, iterations, inspirations, etc exist. In fact, a central theme of Grant Morrison's run on the title is the adaptability of the concept. It seemed clear that when Grant screamed at us (through the characters), "Batman and Robin will never die!" it's because he was very much going about making Batman immortal, wasn't he? He's talked before about the longevity of these creations, creations that outlast their creators, but I think he was giving Batman a different, slightly more literal grip on eternity. Because it was Melville who said "Immortality is but ubiquity in time". And that's what Morrison was doing, wasn't he? He was making Batman - the idea of Batman - ubiquitous.

What are your favorite versions of the Prismatic Batman? The only rule here is that it can't be actual "Batmen"; no Red Son Bruce Wayne, or Vampire Batman. No Batman 1 Million, or Dick Grayson-as-Batman. However, any of the Batman Incorporated Crew - distinct identities - or guys like Nighthawk, Midnighter, Moon Knight, Knight of the Great Society (for those reading Hickman's Avengers) certainly do count.

The question was inspired by my re-reading of Dial H 13 for a little thing I'm putting together, the first part of which (and the story itself) can be found here: http://heshouldreallyknowbetter.blog...te-things.html

It's one of my favorite uses of the whole Batman mythology to make a point. Check it out, and give me your own thoughts on the Bat-Echoes!