WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Batman: Overdrive by Shea Fontana, Marcelo Di Chiara, Hilary Sycamore and Corey Breen, on sale now.
There have been many versions of Batman's origin story. In most of them -- whether in movies or comics -- one thing stays relatively the same: Bruce Wayne becomes Batman alone. Sure, he has some help, usually from Alfred Pennyworth and Lucius Fox, who provide both moral and technical support, but Bruce's transition into the Caped Crusader is mostly a solo affair. However, that isn't the case in Shea Fontana and Marcelo Di Chiara's Batman: Overdrive.
The original graphic novel is published under the DC Zoom imprint and it presents yet another take on Bruce's transformation into Batman. This time, however, the origin story is more modern and it takes place at a younger age for Bruce, who is nearing his 16th birthday in the comic. As the young orphan slowly begins his crime-fighting career, he quickly makes a friend -- one who ends up becoming a new addition to the Bat-family.
Meet Mateo Diaz.
In Batman: Overdrive, Bruce Wayne makes it his mission to rebuild his father's Crusader, an old muscle car he plans on driving when he turns 16 and finally gets his driver's license. The car is in bad shape and Bruce has no choice but to hit the scrapyard in order to find spare parts to fix the vehicle. While he's there, he meets a kid named Mateo Diaz. Mateo is originally from Central City, but his father is serving a prison sentence so he is staying with his uncle, who owns the scrapyard. While Bruce prides himself on being a loner, he and Mateo hit things off.
Soon, Mateo is invited to Wayne Manor, where he helps Bruce fix his father's car. As it turns out, Mateo is a bit of a genius when it comes to fixing things, so he also starts making modern additions to the car -- additions that help Bruce in his quest to track down a group of thieves tied to Carmine Falcone. Soon, it becomes clear Mateo is meant to be Bruce's first sidekick/partner -- one who is there from the start. Mateo knows all about Bruce's secret life and he helps in any way he can. He's even the one who comes up with the term Batmobile and the codename Batman.
What's more, Mateo even gets his own costume and alter-ego: As Doc, Mateo wears a white vest, utility belt and square goggles to hide his identity. There's almost a Doctor Mid-Nite quality to his look and his codename might even reflect that, but there doesn't seem to be any official connection between the two characters. As Batman: Overdrive comes to a close, young Bruce has officially become Batman and Doc (as well as Catwoman) are his allies.
For the time being, Mateo has only appeared in Batman: Overdrive, which takes place outside of DC continuity. However, the character is such an important and original presence in the book that he could always make the jump to the main DC Universe. The Bat-family counts many members among its ranks: Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, Red Robin, Batwoman, Orphan, Red Hood, Batwing, the Signal... there's definitely room for one more.