ABSTRACT
In focusing on the transnational flows of Batman comics – from American comics to Japanese manga, and then back to US-based comics – this chapter examines one of the most significant tropes of the superhero genre, and Batman in particular: the mask and the question of identity. It examines the trans-jurisdictional flows of manga in general, and Kuwata's Batmanga in particular. The chapter analyses the flow of Batman from West to East in terms of Kuwata's Batmanga, what is also significant is the way in which Batmanga has flowed from East to West. Clayface, one of the most well-known of Kuwata's villains outside of the Batmanga run, uses his ability to change forms to impersonate a range of characters and aid his commitment of crimes. The most significant influence, however, is in the way in which Grant Morrison's run on Batman, and specifically the Batman, Incorporated story-arc, takes up and incorporates Kuwata's material as part of the overall Batman history.
