Sebastian Magnani’s Daily Bat – Bitter Sweet (2022, C-Print) pushes his signature blending of fantasy and the mundane into a futuristic realm. In this surreal scene, Batman sits alone in a red diner booth, his dark figure partially illuminated by neon light, as a humanoid service robot approaches with a single apple placed delicately on its tray. The encounter feels both absurd and unsettling—a collision of comic-book mythology, domestic ritual, and technological speculation.

Magnani’s composition thrives on its juxtapositions: the armored hero, usually defined by grit and violence, appears almost vulnerable in this sterile, futuristic setting; the robot, sleek and faceless, becomes a stand-in for modern convenience and automation; and the apple, rich in symbolic resonance, injects layers of temptation, innocence, and irony into the otherwise clinical atmosphere.

Part of the Daily Bat series, Bitter Sweet exemplifies Magnani’s ability to strip away the familiar contexts of superheroes and insert them into everyday or speculative environments. By doing so, he exposes the absurdity of modern life, questions the role of technology in human experience, and reveals the fragility hidden beneath cultural icons. The result is at once humorous, eerie, and deeply reflective—an image that lingers as both parody and allegory.