Unbeknownst to DC Comics, a new sequel to The Dark Knight Returns is unfolding in the Brazilian city of Taubaté. Police have recruited 50-year-old military retiree and local Batman impersonator André Luiz Pinheiro to patrol crime-ridden neighborhoods.


And unlike other fictional superheroes who have made the jump to the corporeal realm — such as the Washington Deadpool — the gutsy Taubaté Batman will be on the beat in dangerous neighborhoods. According to the Brazilian news site O Vale, Pinheiro will hopefully become an approachable presence in these troubled communities and act as a recognizable beacon for lost children.

The article didn't mention anything about batarangs, grappling hooks, or Fear Gas antitoxin, so it's unclear how deputized Pinheiro is. In the past, Brazilian Batman has demonstrated an unmatched mastery of rhythmic motion (along with his pal Brazilian Thor, at left), so at least he's got that working for him.


Via The Mary Sue. Photo credit: Thiago Leon