Batman #131: Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged

After the absolutely bonkers previous issue, Batman #131 was bound to be something of a letdown by comparison. I mean, Batman literally survived freefalling to Earth from outer space. And then he… lost against Failsafe. Wait, Batman lost?! Batman doesn’t lose! It’s his schtick! It doesn’t get bigger, more widescreen, more over the top than that.

Chip Zdarsky, though, is wise enough to know that he should pivot instead of try to top himself. And so in chapter one of “The Bat-Man of Gotham” (love the clever Golden Age tip of the hat), Bruce Wayne finds himself in yet another of DC’s myriad multiverse worlds. What distinguishes this one is that he’s crash-landed into a Gotham that never had a Batman, which is a great idea that could go in a plethora of different directions. Really, Zdarsky has opened himself up a buffet of options to play with here.

But instead of going all-in with the crazy, Zdarsky instead keeps things relatively street-level, as Batman puts his detective skills to work and puzzles out where he might be. After “Bat-god” being Bruce’s default mode for a tad too long, it’s refreshing to see him off-balance, out of his element, and having to rely on nothing but himself to remind readers why he’s the world’s greatest detective. No beautiful toys, no gimmicks, no JLA Watchtower or superfriends to help him out. No Robin or Bat-Family. Just the man himself, stripped down to his essence, fighting to not only survive in a world where he doesn’t automatically know every inch of it; but to also fight his way home as well.

Sound a bit familiar? Well, it should, because it’s a variation on the plot to Grant Morrison’s Return of Bruce Wayne miniseries, in which each issue found the Dark Knight Detective flung into a different era of the past, trying to piece together how to get home while also trapped in the various vicissitudes of each era. Zdarsky doesn’t take things that far here; Bruce is still Bruce, but watching him struggle to acclimate to a world not his own, where the usual rules don’t apply, means readers are treated to a Batman they usually aren’t privy to: one that doesn’t automatically have all the answers. It’s a real treat.

Of course, playing around in the multiverse again mere weeks after Dark Crisis beat readers over the head with it might feel a bit played-out to some readers. For others, this brave new world might feel a bit too tame; some still may feel that various supporting characters such as Harvey Dent and Catwoman fulfill their given new roles a bit too easily. Such complaints are valid, but given the certifiable win streak Zdarsky is on with Batman so far, I’d say the man’s more than earned the benefit of the doubt. And with that in mind, the far more grounded backup story featuring Tim Drake and Dick Grayson having a brotherly disagreement over how best to proceed in their father figure’s absence should sweep aside any nagging doubts that Zdarsky knows to always, always keep the characters at the heart of his story, no matter how high the stakes may be. That’s the mark of a confident writer.

Artistically, Batman #131 is in phenomenal hands. I honestly mistook Mike Hawthorne’s pencils for Andy Kubert’s for a hot second; that’s no small compliment. Hawthorne has been flying under the radar for far too long, waiting for a A-list project to boost him to the Majors. With Adriano Di Benedetto’s lush inks, here’s hoping that his work on “Bat-Man of Gotham” gets him the praise and opportunities he deserves. Meanwhile, Tomeu Morey’s darker-hued color palette suits the story’s tone very well indeed, rendering a world that, while not drenched in the shadows we’ve typically come to think of ruling Gotham City, at least creates a sense of foreboding around every corner. Together, the trio really does harken back to the artistic creative team on the aforementioned Return of Bruce Wayne, which was perhaps the intention all along. After all, Zdarsky hasn’t been shy about dipping his toes into Morrison’s pool thus far in this run, so perhaps that deliberation extends to the art team, as well.

As for the back-up story, Miguel Mendonca and colorist Roman Stevens choose an alternate route. Together, the bring a brighter, more Jokeriffic color scheme to “our” Gotham, creating a sense that it’s wilder in general and on the verge of spinning out of control with its protector missing in action. Mendonca draws a great Tim Drake; I’d absolutely kill to see him take over the art duties on Tim’s own book.  Despite their relative closeness in age, Mendonca is able to draw noticeable physical distinctions between Nightwing and Robin, and not just the latter be a smaller mirror image of the former. There’s a sense of hurt in Tim’s movements, a vulnerability that isn’t present in Dick. And that make sense, given that Tim was the last person to see Bruce alive, and possibly witnessed his death. Of course, Tim’s a good enough detective to know that he almost certainly didn’t see what he thinks he did – and that’s a good thing, because there’s a surprise villain from Superman’s rogues gallery (who seems a natural fit in Gotham) waiting in the wings.