How Bruce Wayne can be on a cruise for a year and also visit Gotham

[Rhydaman]

So that he can train Harvey Dent, for instance.

Is this a problem? No, not really. Bruce Wayne is an extremely wealthy man who can afford to buy "plane tickets". He can use these to fly from where his boat docks to Gotham, where he can hang out for a while, before using the "return" portion of the ticket to rejoin the boat.

I'm sure that if anything interesting happens during his year off, and which isn't covered in 52, then Batman or Detective will cover it as a flashback after 52 finishes.

[Joe Acro]

At some point, he returns briefly and continues his role as Batman. This was seen in the Spectre limited series recently. Either there was a continuity glitch or this will be explained. I'm leaning toward the first one.

[skally19]

um. do you know why he left? it's not to stay on some dumb boat. he left to redo all of his training. so the boat was used to "go somewhere"

[Choppa]

Does anyone know if we're even going to see Gotham's reaction to Batman's absense?

[Joe Acro]

I think their reaction to his absence was handled pretty well one year later.

[Jkid099]

The Spectre thing was a glitch, just like Superman showing up in the first issues of Shadowpact which took place toward the beginning of the "Missing Year" and after Infinite Crisis when Superman was supposed to not have his powers (unless of course their first issue flashback was intended to be at the One Year Later start-point, and they went missing for a whole year afterwards ... which would explain their appearances in 52 ... oh, whatever, going to give myself a headache) ...

Batman trained and worked with Harvey during the first month after Infinite Crisis, then departed. This doesn't fully work with the end of IC itself which makes it seem like Bats and company depart soon after, but could be feasible as Nightwing was seen in the first week or so of 52 anyway. *Shrug* Just use slight suspension of disbelief with the shifting timelines.

[Choppa]

I think their reaction to his absence was handled pretty well one year later.

I read Face the Face and all I saw was Gotham's reaction to his return. Where did they show people reacting to finding out that he had left?

[Paul Dee]

Has it not been brought up in 52 yet? I'm only on week 11 and all there's really been was Montoya's comment that he didn't leave like people though when she mistakes Batwoman for him. you'd think there'd have been a mention of his absence before this but it doesn't seem to be the case.

[Joe Acro]

I read Face the Face and all I saw was Gotham's reaction to his return. Where did they show people reacting to finding out that he had left?

Before he returns, briefly, I think they show Gordon and a few fellow police officers thoughts on Batman not being around. We clearly see Harvey's reaction to Batman being gone. Of course, neither of these is really a good indication of what the city was feeling... but they're nobodies anyway.

[Rhydaman]

Batman trained and worked with Harvey during the first month after Infinite Crisis, then departed. This doesn't fully work with the end of IC itself which makes it seem like Bats and company depart soon after, but could be feasible as Nightwing was seen in the first week or so of 52 anyway. *Shrug* Just use slight suspension of disbelief with the shifting timelines.

Or just figure that they hopped on a plane for a short visit, then went back. I don't see the problem with that. Not everything needs a story.

[Jack]

Bruce also shows up at some point in the year to give Wonder Woman her new secret identity.

[glennsim]

I thought that too, but then I considered that it might have happened when he got back, and that she might have only recently adopted the Diana Prince identity right before Wonder Woman #1.

Regarding Batman's ability to catch a plane back to Gotham to train Dent, while it's technically possible, it seems odd to say "OK, we're all leaving. Oh, wait, I need to go back and train someone to take my place". The goal of leaving was to hang out with Dick and Tim, something he couldn't very well do if he kept flying back to Gotham.

I prefer to think that they did not leave quite so soon after IC as IC makes it seem.

[Choppa]

Before he returns, briefly, I think they show Gordon and a few fellow police officers thoughts on Batman not being around. We clearly see Harvey's reaction to Batman being gone. Of course, neither of these is really a good indication of what the city was feeling... but they're nobodies anyway.

Yeah but that's well after he's gone. I'm talking about right after he left. I'm assuming that Gordon would be kinda pissed that he left again after he was so mad about him leaving during NML. I'm surprised that this hasn't been brought up more at the start of 52. It's not like there was some worldwide announcement that Batman/WW/Supes were gunna be missing for a year, and I'd like to see people finding this out and reacting to it.

[glennsim]

Yeah but that's well after he's gone. I'm talking about right after he left. I'm assuming that Gordon would be kinda pissed that he left again after he was so mad about him leaving during NML. I'm surprised that this hasn't been brought up more at the start of 52. It's not like there was some worldwide announcement that Batman/WW/Supes were gunna be missing for a year, and I'd like to see people finding this out and reacting to it.

We may still see some of this in flashbacks, but it doesn't seem to be an area DC wants to address to any large degree. Most people just accepted that the Big 3 heroes disappeared, and focused their attention on the heroes that remained.

[Lorendiac]

Does anyone know if we're even going to see Gotham's reaction to Batman's absense?

Seems to me that another way to put it would be: "Gotham's reaction to Bruce Wayne's year-long absence, and the uncanny coincidence that he and Batman both show their faces in Gotham again after being gone for the same year-long period?"