I am a devoted Batman fan and this is my Batman-themed Commander deck. Batman belongs in the esper colors because in this shard, "purpose and control have triumphed over savagery and chaos." That is Batman's core philosophy. In the list below, I lay out who or what each card in the deck represents and why. My goal is to match the Batman world well while also make a well-functioning commander deck. I hope you enjoy.
-Batman: Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign – Of course, Batman has vigilance and menace, but with the way he glides and repels I think he has earned flying as well. Each of these abilities are found on Yennett, but Yennett's other ability really makes the case. Batman is known for his knack of pulling
ODD items, vehicles, and even allies out of nowhere during combat. Sometimes, he even teams up with his villains to face a threat. Batman, like Yennett, is determined to pull out every tool at his disposal to face a threat.
-Alfred Pennyworth: Geode Golem – Alfred does more than make sandwiches and dust Wayne Manor. In many versions of the character he is a retired combat officer and in every version of the character he is there to help Bruce pick himself up and get back in the fight. Just like Geode Golem does for his commander.
-Nightwing/Dick Grayson: Cavalier of Gales – Nightwing grew up as a trapeze artist so giving him flying makes sense. His ability to help Batman make decisions as well as somersault out of death make the Cavalier of Gales a perfect match.
-Robin: Mulldrifter - Small, but resourceful sidekicks are useful.
-Batgirl: Luminate Primordial - Vigilant characters who remove threats effectively and efficiently.
-Commissioner Gordon: Voidstone Gargoyle - Gordon believes in the rule of law and incarcerates his threats to prevent them from wreaking havoc. Voidstone Gargoyle also prevents threats from wreaking havoc.
-Lucius Fox: Aminatou, the Fateshifter - Lucius is Batman's invaluable ally who develops tools to aid his mission. Aminatou does the same for Yennett.
-Joker: Void Winnower - Chaos. Both the Joker and Void Winnower completely change the face of a battle, bringing chaos and laughter.
-Harley Quinn: Conduit of Ruin - Harley started as a hench-person and was feared for her association with the Joker. Conduit similarly inspires fear of eldrazi.
-Riddler: Enigma Sphinx – Not only is Riddler's real name (most often) Edward Nigma or "Enigma," but he uses his intellect by bringing along all kinds of challenges, similar to Enigma Sphinx's cascading. Riddler also escapes from Arkham Asylum like Enigma Sphinx escapes from the graveyard.
-Catwoman: Silent-Blade Oni - If they can sneak by their opponents' defenses, they will steal from them.
-Ra's al Ghul: Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre - Ra's and Ulamog are difficult to kill and keep killed. Plus they both want to bring annihilation.
-Poison Ivy: Emrakul, the Promised End - Poison Ivy is one of Batman's most powerful villains. One of her main strategies is to take control of her opponents. Remind you of anyone, Emrakul?
-Penguin: Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - The Penguin is a Gotham crime boss, protected by his reputation the same way that Teysa is protected from creatures.
-Scarecrow: Shriekmaw - Fear!
-Two-Face: Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom - Flip'n coins.
-Clayface: Vesuvan Shapeshifter - Vesuvan Shapeshifter perfectly embodies Clayface's ability to transform into other people.
-Bane: Magister Sphinx - When Bane first showed up he broke the Bat, nearly killing him. Magister Sphinx does the same to your opponents' life total.
-Man-Bat: Doom Whisperer - Flying and trample? Check and check.
-Hugo Strange: Ith, High Arcanist - While Hugo Strange's motives are not always clear, Ith High Arcanist can protect your commander or stop a threat.
-Mr. Freeze: Archon of the Triumvirate - They freeze their opponents!
-Clock King: Teferi, Time Raveler – This one is self-explanatory.
-Superman: Iridescent Angel – Superman's strengths of flying and near-invulnerability are well-known, which are abilities he shares with Iridescent Angel.
-Wonder Woman: Blazing Archon - No one wants to attack Wonder Woman.
-Zatanna Zatara: Djinn of Wishes – Zatanna is a magician able to cast powerful spells and the Djinn of Wishes does the same.
-Aquaman: Thassa, God of the Sea - Obviously.
-Ace, the Bat-hound: Kunoros, Hound of Athreos - Good doggies.
-Cape and Cowl: Whispersilk Cloak - These items allow you to protect yourself (like your secret identity) as well as sneak around.
-The Batsuit: Swiftfoot Boots – The Batsuit is bulletproof and enhances Batman's abilities so the Boots are a good fit.
-Bat-Signal: Sol Ring – The signal is a powerful symbol that represents that justice is coming. Sol Ring is a powerful artifact that enables justice to arrive.
-Batcave: Rhystic Study - A classically resourceful card for a classically resourceful location.
-Batmobile: Cultivator's Caravan - They get you moving.
-Batplane: Skysovereign, Consul Flagship - A flying vehicle that can do some damage.
-Bat-Glider: Pilgrim's Eye - A thopter is like a vehicle, right? Well the art is a good match.
-Utility Belt: Land Tax - These are both tool belts that allow you to pull out what you need.
-Batarang: Esper Charm - The Batarang is versatile: disarming, incapacitating, and distracting. Not too different than Esper Charm.
-Grappling Gun: Commander's Sphere - They get you where you need to be.
-Smoke Pellets: Wayfarer's Bauble - Small single-use tools to enable bigger moves.
-Batcomputer: Chromatic Lantern - The pieces that puts the pieces together and makes them work.
-Green Lantern's Lantern: Seer's Lantern: Lantern lantern lantern.
-Mobius Chair: Crystal Ball - Batman uses the Mobius Chair to discovery something shocking about his archenemy. Anyways, its essentially Crystal Ball.
-Classic Comic Book Resurrection Trope: Obzedat's Aid - Dark Knight Returns, Endgame, Final Crisis... and those are just Batman! You can't keep a character dead for long.
-Lazarus Pit: Debtors' Knell - Back from the dead, the Lazarus Pit and Debtor's Knell have a lot in common.
-Dream/The Sandman: Dream Cache - When Batman met Dream, Dream gave Bruce some advice. That's what the cache is.
-Catwoman's M.O.: Blatant Thievery - It looks like Owlman or a Talon in the card art, but this is a total Catwoman move.
-Ace Chemicals: Toxic Deluge - I couldn't leave out Joker's origin.
-Brainstorm/Ponder/Portent: Brainstorm/Ponder/Portent - Hey, planning, strategy, and anticipating threats is kind of Batman's thing.
-World's Greatest Detective: Read the Bones - Because figuring out a crime is a lot like drawing cards.
-Arkham Asylum: Ghostly Prison - A perfect match.
-The mission: Brilliant Ultimatum - Batman puts his mission above all else including his relationships. He's deeply flawed, but he is also the Batman.
-A Typical Day in Gotham City: Extinction Event - Ha, nailed it.
-Wayne Money: Expropriate - Many have joked about Batman's wealth being his superpower, but this spell asks the question would you rather give the Batman immense wealth or time to plan and strategize?
-Inevitable Betrayal: Devastation Tide - Every time Batman teams up with a villain, he is stabbed in the back.
-Batman doesn't kill, but he does capture villains to return them to Arkham or prison, and we need some targeted removal so: Prison Term, Oblivion Ring, Imprisoned in the Moon, Arrest, Cage of Hands, Caught in the Brights, Prison Realm
-For lands, I chose art that reminded me of Gotham City or key DC locations. Some notable lands and their counterparts are: Command Tower/Wayne Tower, Isolated Watchtower/Justice League Watchtower, Arcane Sanctum/5th Dimension, Watery Grave/Gotham sewers, Hallowed Fountain/Wayne Manor, Temple of Enlightenment/Hall of Justice.
