Summary
Batman: Arkham Shadowis slated to feature at least two iconic Batman antagonists while having the honor of debuting an established yet previously unseen villain in Otis Flannegan’s Ratcatcher. Based on how Gotham City is depicted inBatman: Arkham Shadow’s promotional cinematics thus far these villains seem meticulously handpicked for such a chaotic and unruly set dressing, where Batman stands against his foes in a sea of fire. It’s unknown how much ofArkham Shadow’s Gothamwill legitimately be blanketed with fire, to be fair, but such a set piece would have been a haven for one aptly themed criminal.
Garfield Lynns’ Firefly would have adored the flame-engulfed city and thrived in its mayhem—‘would have’ being key here because, unfortunately, the franchise’s continuity dictates that Batman didn’t encounter Fireflybetween the events ofArkham OriginsandArkham Knight, meaning he can’t be reprised canonically in the decade-long gap between those games’ events. If Camouflaj features Firefly in any way that has him confrontationally encountering Batman, it would create a tear in the Arkhamverse lore and retcon dialogue from 10 years later inKnight, and that’s a crying shame.
The Arkhamverse’s Firefly is Canonically Restricted to His Lone Appearances in Origins and Knight
In the first of three“Gotham on Fire” Most Wanted side quest encounters inKnight, Firefly’s dialogue explicitly references his confrontation with Batman inOriginsand determines it is the only time Batman had beaten him:
“You beat me once. But that was a long time ago.”
[…]
“This is revenge, for leaving me on that bridge, Batman.”
In particular, Firefly saying Batman only beat him “once” is enough evidence that they only had one actual fight throughout the entireArkhamverse canon beforeKnight, which seems absurd for Rocksteady to have quantified that since it is incredibly inhibitory and renders the antagonist unusable in the decade-long gap betweenOriginsandKnight. This is doubled down on further when speaking to a rescued Firefighter Richardson, who succinctly confirms the span of time separating both games as well as the last time Firefly made a move on the city: “That freak! He hasn’t hit Gotham for what? Ten years? I tell ya, someone needs to reopen the Asylum.”
Batman: Arkham Shadow is Restrained by the Lore It’s Embed Itself into
However, shelving Gotham City’s resident pyromaniac with two appearances to his name in the Arkhamverse isn’t all that underwhelming relative to how one-note he is as an antagonist. Firefly isn’t varied at all between his two appearances and is content to relish in his love for pyrotechnics with poetic theatricality. That’s not to say Camouflaj couldn’t introduce him with a poignant backstory related to his history of poverty, and yet it’d also presumably be difficult to adapt him in a boss fight exclusively through the perspective of theMeta Quest 3’s mixed reality functionality.
It’s debatable how much more could be done with the character aside fromOrigins’ elaborate set-piece boss fight andKnight’s Batmobile pursuits, but it’s a tough pill to swallow that Firefly shouldn’t appear as an antagonist inShadowwhen Camouflaj’s representation of Gotham, at least in cinematics, looks like the perfect canvas of tinder for him to enkindle.
Either way, committing to the established canon of Firefly’s absence betweenOriginsandKnightwould be for the best soShadowdoesn’t create any glaring continuity errors that can be plucked at when looking at the Arkhamverse’s lore and timeline as a whole.Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguehasn’t made an effort to fashion much connective tissue between it and theArkhamgamesthat precede it, butShadow, likeOrigins,can be the glue that holds the Arkhamverse together and give it a promising future.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Become Batman in this official new entry into the Arkham franchise.It’s the Fourth of July, and Gotham City is under attack by a new threat: the mysterious Rat King and his cultish devotees. As widespread rioting engulfs the city, Batman races to prevent this so-called “Day of Wrath” before it all goes wrong.Experience the World of Batman Like Never Before:Immerse yourself in all the grit of Gotham City with the power of VR, and take down its most notorious criminals.Hard-Hitting Arkham CombatRealized exclusively for VR—choose from fan favorite gadgets and bold fighting styles reimagined from the beloved Arkham franchise.Friends, Foes and Other Familiar Faces:Meet Dr.’s Quinzel and Crane before they became Harley Quinn and Scarecrow, as well as other iconic characters including Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, and Ratcatcher.
