A Dark Knight rises. The new issues of Batman #41-43, have given us a fresh and vital new storyline to enjoy after Scott Synder’s epic Endgame Batman where we see the Caped Crusader die in a final epic fight against the Joker (we’re pretty sure they both died an underground, subterranean cave collapsed on the… no wait he lived). The Death of Bruce Wayne comes full circle, as the surviving Bruce Wayne has no memory of his previous life as Batman and is left to live the life of Bruce Wayne, no longer plagued by the death of his parents. In some ways this is enjoyable, as we finally get to see who Bruce Wayne is behind the cowl, but with Bruce temporarily out of action, who will take the mantle of the Batman?
Is it Robin, Dick Grayson, or Tim Drake? No, it’s Jim Gordon! Although my inner fanboy is writhing with rage at the choosing of Jim Gordon as the new Batman, Gordon is finally allowed some true character development and he has gone from doughnut munching cop to true crime fighting hero in a remarkable style. Jim Gordon manages to be self-aware (for example he comments that the suit looks more like a bunny than a bat) and this new mechanic allows him to be a hero without the heavy emotional baggage attached to Bruce Wayne over his parents murder. This allows for Gordon to be a wisecracking and co-operative Batman all while fighting the street crime of Gotham. And, the new revelation of Gordon as Batman to his daughter (who is Batgirl) also provides for a new and interesting dynamic, which provides for some nail-biting page-turning moments.
Verdict. Gordon’s Batman is brilliant in every way, and this change in the Caped Crusader allows for a much needed change and facelift to the aging series. He is funny, self-aware, and manages to kick a fair amount of super villain butt all without the heavy and dark feelings of Bruce Wayne (who for the first time, is ACTUALLY living the life of a responsible adult, volunteering at a local youth center and enjoying himself as a Tony Stark like genius minus the suit). One cannot help but miss the blue and yellow clad, barely contained hero that Bruce was as the Batman, and although Bruce Wayne will likely make a return, Gordon serves as a fun and new Batman who is a genuinely entertaining hero.