Chad
03-13-2008, 04:32 PM
SPOILERS
The story picks up where issue 13 left off. Batman has had his cover blown and is met move for move by the Wrath when he tries to take him down. From the Wrath's internal dialogue we learn...as I said SPOILERS........that this isn't the original Wrath. Although we don't get an explanation as to who is wearing his costume, it seems pretty clear that this was his protege - at one point he credits Nightwing his entire existence implying that just as the Wrath patterned himself after Batman, he acquired a young partner just as Batman did.
The battle continues in the car park and Batman asks him about his mission. Telling him that he'll give him no answers, the Wrath instead suggests that he ask Gordon what he was up to 25 years ago on the night of June 26. At the mention of the date of own his parents murder, Batman goes crazy and attacks his opponent with a fury he hadn't used before. The battle takes to the streets, the Wrath has a good head start, and as he attempts to escape down an alleyway, he is cut off by Nightwing arriving on the scene. The Wrath takes him down and leaves Batman in a position where he has to choose between rescuing Grayson or going after him. He makes the obvious choice.
After turning down Nightwing's offer of assistance Batman encounters Gordon in his office. Telling him that his report for the night of June 26, 25 years ago was missing or never filed, Batman asks Gordon what he's hiding. Gordon hesitates and it's clear that he's unwilling to discuss this matter. Batman grabs him by the collar, demands an answer, and is interupted by the GCPD swat team.
Batman makes his escape and heads back to the Cave where he concludes that the new Wrath likely doesn't know his identity. We cut to the Wrath's hideout and see that he's holding Grayle Hudson captive. He recounts her history with the original Wrath and closes out the issue by telling her that his story began with the Wrath needing to emulate Batman.
END OF RECAP
I said in another post that what I love about the Wrath is the fact that to him, Jim Gordon is his Joe Chill. We find out in this story (although this has been a part of previous Bat-Continuity) that Gordon was a rookie policeman who helped console Bruce Wayne the night his parents were murdered. Of course, on that same night he himself gunned down the criminal father of the Wrath in self-defence. The fact that the Wrath died at the end of Batman Special 1, prevented the interesting placement of Gordon as another man's Joe Chill from being explored as a storyline. I feel that this is where Bedard is really going with his story - Batman questions Gordon as he would any other criminal. I've never seen Batman grab the Commissioner by the collar and demand an answer from him as he would a tight lipped informant and it's a jarring scene, but I feel that this is Bedard`s way of establishing the seriousness of what Gordon did on that night and setting the tone for what will transpire when Batman does discover what else Gordon was up to on June 26.
Anyway, I`m looking forward to seeing where this is going and despite the action so far, I think the author may be being a little coy with regards to what this story is about. It`s not about Batman vs the Wrath, it`s about Gordon and the night of June 26.
The story picks up where issue 13 left off. Batman has had his cover blown and is met move for move by the Wrath when he tries to take him down. From the Wrath's internal dialogue we learn...as I said SPOILERS........that this isn't the original Wrath. Although we don't get an explanation as to who is wearing his costume, it seems pretty clear that this was his protege - at one point he credits Nightwing his entire existence implying that just as the Wrath patterned himself after Batman, he acquired a young partner just as Batman did.
The battle continues in the car park and Batman asks him about his mission. Telling him that he'll give him no answers, the Wrath instead suggests that he ask Gordon what he was up to 25 years ago on the night of June 26. At the mention of the date of own his parents murder, Batman goes crazy and attacks his opponent with a fury he hadn't used before. The battle takes to the streets, the Wrath has a good head start, and as he attempts to escape down an alleyway, he is cut off by Nightwing arriving on the scene. The Wrath takes him down and leaves Batman in a position where he has to choose between rescuing Grayson or going after him. He makes the obvious choice.
After turning down Nightwing's offer of assistance Batman encounters Gordon in his office. Telling him that his report for the night of June 26, 25 years ago was missing or never filed, Batman asks Gordon what he's hiding. Gordon hesitates and it's clear that he's unwilling to discuss this matter. Batman grabs him by the collar, demands an answer, and is interupted by the GCPD swat team.
Batman makes his escape and heads back to the Cave where he concludes that the new Wrath likely doesn't know his identity. We cut to the Wrath's hideout and see that he's holding Grayle Hudson captive. He recounts her history with the original Wrath and closes out the issue by telling her that his story began with the Wrath needing to emulate Batman.
END OF RECAP
I said in another post that what I love about the Wrath is the fact that to him, Jim Gordon is his Joe Chill. We find out in this story (although this has been a part of previous Bat-Continuity) that Gordon was a rookie policeman who helped console Bruce Wayne the night his parents were murdered. Of course, on that same night he himself gunned down the criminal father of the Wrath in self-defence. The fact that the Wrath died at the end of Batman Special 1, prevented the interesting placement of Gordon as another man's Joe Chill from being explored as a storyline. I feel that this is where Bedard is really going with his story - Batman questions Gordon as he would any other criminal. I've never seen Batman grab the Commissioner by the collar and demand an answer from him as he would a tight lipped informant and it's a jarring scene, but I feel that this is Bedard`s way of establishing the seriousness of what Gordon did on that night and setting the tone for what will transpire when Batman does discover what else Gordon was up to on June 26.
Anyway, I`m looking forward to seeing where this is going and despite the action so far, I think the author may be being a little coy with regards to what this story is about. It`s not about Batman vs the Wrath, it`s about Gordon and the night of June 26.