Written by Chip Zdarsky.
Art by Mike Hawthorne; Miguel Mendoça; Belén Ortega; Jorge Jimenez; Mikel Janín; Jorge Corona; Adriano Di Benedetto; Tomeu Morey; Roman Stevens; Romulo Fajardo Jr.; Ivan Plasecenia; & Clayton Cowles.
Collection Cover Art by Jorge Jiménez.
SUMMARY:
Released in 2023 by DC Comics, this 240-page hardcover compiles 2023’s Batman # 131-136. A seemingly fatal shot by the Failsafe robot using Toyman’s high-tech blaster had made Batman vanish before a horrified Tim Drake’s eyes. Immediately robbed of his utility belt, a battered and semi-conscious Dark Knight now finds himself stranded in an alternate-reality Gotham City.
Initially haunted by a ghostly Commissioner Gordon, Bruce Wayne discovers that this bleak reality had no Batman, as its own Bruce Wayne met a grim fate. Batman’s probe also confirms countless others from Gotham City and beyond have been abducted as test subjects for ghastly experiments conducted beneath Arkham Asylum. Donning a makeshift uniform, Batman soon suspects the insidious research is linked to this Gotham’s reclusive billionaire philanthropist: Darwin Halliday.
With help from his new young friend, Jewel, Batman senses that he must thwart this world’s Joker counterpart: the Crimson Mask. More so, with such limited resources, Batman’s presence as an anomaly from another universe is a dire predicament he can’t resolve alone. He must then take a chance that this world’s Alfred Pennyworth and mercenary Selina Kyle will become his allies rather than enemies.
Shocking twists unfold, as a depleted Batman must later pursue the Crimson Mask out into DC’s multiverse. In each different Bat-reality he encounters, the Dark Knight seeks a final showdown with his elusive adversary, who is chaotically bringing Joker variants to life.
Upon finally returning home, Bruce Wayne acclimates to the changes that occurred in his absence, including Selina’s escape from prison. Reuniting with Tim, Selina, and others in the Bat-Family, the Dark Knight resumes his relentless nocturnal mission. The Failsafe crisis has seemingly ended for now. Reeling from multiple surprise revelations, Bruce’s increasingly fractured psyche, however, is taking a bizarre turn for the worst.
The four-part back-up arc is “The Toybox.” After consulting Jon Kent’s Superman and Nightwing, Tim Drake’s Robin goes on a solo multiversal quest to find the missing Batman. Utilizing Mr. Terrific’s technological wizardry, Tim pursues a supposedly dead Toyman into another reality. Tim believes this villain may be the only answer to saving Batman. After rescuing innocent civilians the Toyman abducted, Tim can’t resist chancing a reunion with his mother from a parallel world. It’s conveyed that, off-screen, Tim’s multi-dimensional journey has him encountering as many different Batmen as his mentor has.
With Alfred alive, the storyline concludes with an eight-page, back-up tale entitled “The Plans Below.” Seeking inspiration to better concentrate, Batman wearily descends from the Batcave into a private chamber. Awaiting him is a reinvigorating workout versus his Failsafe robot and an opportunity to update the machine’s programming.
Note: This title is also available digitally. Its paperback release is presumably in the works.
REVIEW:
Deeming writer Chip Zdarsky’s “The Bat-Man of Gotham” a glorified (and overstuffed) Elseworlds epic is a fair assessment. The concept of Batman, Robin, Mr. Terrific, Toyman, and Crimson Mask all vaguely dabbling in multiversal energy residue, detectors, retracting coils, etc. comes off as outlandish nonsense. Had Zdarsky instead been writing Mr. Spock, such scientific miracles might be plausible … for the 23rd Century. In this century, however, Zdarsky pushes far too many multiverse-driven contrivances trying to pass his Bat-Man of Gotham off as a compelling read.
If Zdarsky had simplified his premise (i.e. challenging Batman to escape from an Elseworlds alternate reality) and incorporated a less-bonkers take on science fiction (i.e. the supposedly true purpose for Batman’s existence), a more efficient storyline should have clicked. From a reader’s perspective, the plot’s credibility suffers a significant hit when only Tim Drake is openly worried about Batman’s apparent death. With others (i.e. Nightwing) presumptive that the Dark Knight will resurface on his own like he always does, it seems peculiar that the Justice League isn’t bothering to investigate Batman’s disappearance.
Hence, why shouldn’t readers conclude the same outcome and recognize that Zdarsky’s storyline is backing itself into a corner? Tim Drake’s valiant search inevitably impacts the climax, but it ironically also mutes the imminent suspense — i.e. how does one think Batman will escape? The Bat-Man arc’s resolution, therefore, is telegraphed by the events of “The Toybox.”
Zdarsky also pitches a seemingly shocking injury, which merely duplicates the same device used for Luke Skywalker and Aquaman. Such dramatic impact would have been sufficient for an Elseworlds Batman, but Zdarsky’s gambit of disfiguring DC’s primary Batman is an unnecessary eyeroll. Undoubtedly, DC will ensure that Batman’s ‘irreversible’ loss is reversed in a matter of time – sooner than later.
As for the pop culture parade of familiar Batmen (i.e. Michael Keaton’s Batman ’89), the ‘wow’ factor is obvious. The one iconic Batman oddly excluded is his Golden Age incarnation (from DC’s original Earth-Two). Though this creative team’s Bat-homages dangle fun fan-bait, it doesn’t take long for one to realize how superficial the gimmick really is. These guest spots don’t sidestep an exceedingly convoluted storyline beyond a series of wink-wink optics.
The artwork, otherwise, treads a consistent B-range resembling most Elseworlds Bat-projects – that is, until Issue # 136. That installment’s artwork is hampered by some glaring visual discrepancies. For instance, in the previous four issues, Bruce Wayne/Batman is exceptionally well-toned. Issue # 136 oddly depicts his physique as now nearly Hulk-sized (resembling his appearance in The Dark Knight Returns).
Hence, Batman is shown towering over a far smaller Selina – as if she’s a foot shorter (which doesn’t make sense, given their established heights). An ultra-petite Selina Kyle is also drawn as if she’s barely twenty years old, let alone dresses as such. Either way, this issue makes for a wonky transition into the next arc reviving Zur-En-Arrh.
Batman, Volume 2: The Bat-Man of Gotham packs several intriguing moments; its excesses, however, translate into a merely okay read given its hefty page count. Over-reliance on DC’s multiverse and a horde of ridiculous plot elements, ultimately, does Batman no favors. Frankly, the most practical option is finding this Bat-title at the library.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Preceding each story is Jorge Jiménez’s full-page cover and then Stanley “Artgerm” Lau’s own full-page variant. In the cover gallery, one can explore a ridiculous glut of full-page variants:
- Issue # 131’s second printing: artist – Jiménez.
2nd variant: artists – Joe Quesada & Richard Isanove.
3rd variant: artists: Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson.
4th variant: artist David Nakayama.
- Issues # 132 – 134 2nd variant: artists – Quesada, Kevin Nowlan, & Isanove.
Issue # 132 3rd variant: artist Derrick Chew.
4th variant: artist – Mike Hawthorne.
5th variant: artist – Nathan Szerdy.
6th variant: artist – Szerdy.
Issue # 133 3rd variant: artist – Chew.
Issue # 134 3rd variant: artist – Clayton Crain.
4th variant: artists – Frank Cho & Sabine Rich.
5th variant: artist – Tom King
- Issue # 135 (two-page spread): artists – Quesada, Nowlan, & Isanove.
3rd variant: artist – Gabrielle Dell’Otto.
4th variant: artist – Karl Ngu
5th variant: artists – Jim Cheung & Jay David Ramos.
6th variant: artist – Lee Bermejo.
7th variant: artist – Neal Adams.
- Issue # 136: artists – Quesada, Nowlan, & Isanove.
3rd variant: artist – Dell’Otto.
4th variant: artist – Stjepan Šejić.
5th variant: artist – Bermejo.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
