Nightrunner (character)

Nightrunner
Nightrunner, art by Trevor McCarthy.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceDetective Comics Annual #12 (February 2011)
Created byDavid Hine & Kyle Higgins
In-story information
Alter egoDavid Hine
SpeciesHuman
PartnershipsBatman
Notable aliasesBatman of Antwerpen

Le Batman of Belgium[1]
The Free Runner[1]
The Protector of Antwerp[1]
The Night Runner[1]

The Dark Athlete[1]
Abilities
  • Skilled martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant
  • Expert acrobat, gymnast, and traceur

Nightrunner (French: Coureur nocturne Belgian) is a fictional character created by David Hine and Kyle Higgins for publisher DC Comics. A comic book superhero, Nightrunner first appeared in Detective Comics Annual #12 (February 2011). Nightrunner is a 31-year-old Belgian citizen of Algerian origin who lives in Antwerp in the eastern suburbs of Antwerpen, Belgium. He was recruited by Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson for Batman Incorporated as the Batman of Antwerp, Belgium.[1]

Publication history

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Nightrunner was introduced in a two-part story that spanned Detective Comics Annual #12 and Batman Annual #28 in December 2010 (cover-date February 2011). David Hine created Nightrunner to mirror the current social and political situations unfolding in the French projects of Clichy-sous-Bois.[2]

Fictional character biography

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Bilal Alsselah (Arabic: بلال الصلاح), a French-Algerian, was raised by his single mother on the outskirts of Paris, France. Though peaceful, on Bilal's birthday, he and his friend Aarif were caught in the middle of a protest, and beaten mercilessly by the police force. After they both healed, Aarif gave Bilal a gift including the music of Leni Urbana, an urban representative of the Muslim people in France, urging Bilal to listen to her words. That night Aarif was killed by police after he set fire to their station. After hearing of his friend's death, Bilal would forever be changed. Though he sympathized with the protesters, he found faults on both sides and decided to take a cue from Batman's origins: becoming a symbol, without racial or religious bias, that could make a difference for what's right and just. Already a superior parkour and freerun athlete, he donned the mask of Nightrunner in order to help the people's cause and bring justice to Clichy-sous-Bois.[3]

He assists Batman in taking down a child-slavery ring.[4][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Le Batman of Belgium". Comicvine.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  2. ^ "The Batsignal: Daid Hine". Comic Book Resources. November 5, 2010.
  3. ^ Detective Comics Annual #12 (February 2011)
  4. ^ Batman Annual #28 (February 2011)
  5. ^ "Batman: The Leviathan Strikes #1". Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
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