Batman #147: The Wheel Keeps on Turnin’

The rule of three is a vital pattern that occurs all across storytelling, used as an effective heightening tool. Comedy thrives when the rule is deployed, as it subverts expectations and lets a punchline build and build. On the flip side, dramatic storytelling can also take the rule and run when crafting a sense of tension, action, or challenges. There’s a reason that guardian figures like the Sphinx offer their riddles in three. For each effective use of the rule of three, a multitude of fruitless attempts are also associated. Instead of directed repetition, a series of action sequences or failed romance attempts can come off as wheel-spinning or narrative inertia. 

Batman #147 – written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Jorge Jiménez, colors by Tomeu Morey, and lettering from Clayton Cowles – resumes as Zur-En-Arrh in Failsafe’s upgraded body continues to masquerade under the Batman/Bruce Wayne mantle. Damien Wayne/Robin is still under the assumption this is his father as they leap across Gotham and work on their accelerated war against crime. The duo is operating without any hindrances, as the Justice League and Batfamily suspiciously agree this is just a Bruce who’s hit a natural escalation. They start the next stage of the crusade by targeting the new commissioner, Vandal Savage. 

As a result of Bruce’s breakout from the last issue, Vandal Savage escaped the prison and (off-panel) resumed his machinations to take control of Gotham. The storyline was set up in both the previous crossover, Gotham War, and a series of backup stories from the title. With legitimate power in the city, Savage is ready to become a sovereign ruler of the city. Zursafe makes an appearance to try and stop a Catwoman henchman from shooting the prehistoric villain, facing both him and the mayor down. Zursafe leaves as Amanda Waller indicates her tracking of the vigilante, striking an understanding that builds on the recent Absolute Power Free Comic Book Day issue. 

That inclusion of Waller and the set-up for Absolute Power is an organic transition that amounts to little fanfare, as the issue already spoiled the path forward for the characters. It’s clear due to the nature of event comics and shared continuity that Bruce is still not going to defeat Zursafe in this arc. That knowledge works to sour the reading experience as the sense of stagnating in the status quo continues. It’s the double-edged sword of continuity, in that the service to the wider universe ultimately hinders the unfolding narrative. 

Meanwhile, in a more effective use of the wider universe, Bruce runs yet again, first to Happy Harbor, the first base of the Justice League, and then to a secluded cabin that Thomas Wayne built. Bruce recalls a set of memories, the first focused on Barry Allen’s help and the second detailing a moment of training with a younger Tim Drake. The former/currentish Robin makes his appearances and helps Bruce with the preparations for the next fight with Zursafe. The reuniting of the dynamic duo is echoed in the issue as Damien Wayne catches on to Zursafe’s true identity and is transformed into the Robin of Zur-En-Arrh, also established in a previous backup story from earlier in the run. 

The scripting for this issue is a walking contradiction, offering dense mythology building from across the run and wider DC Universe while still feeling empty in the page-to-page reading experience. Batman as a title has felt like a wheel spinning for the last few arcs, working to establish needed elements that do little to make for an exciting or enjoyable read. Zdarsky’s level of craft is evident and on paper, everything described in the issue sounds like a great addition to the ongoing story. The execution, however, leaves a lot to be desired due to a glacial momentum and repetitive sense of dramatic tension. Batman already failed to defeat Zur-En-Arrh twice and has gone on the run multiple times before the start of this story. The use of a third is a vital set-up in joke telling but makes for rote structure in the continuing drama. 

Not even Jiminez’s excellent art can elevate the sense of sameness in the storytelling beats. The Zursafe robot’s appearance was a fun novelty in the last issue, but nothing about it feels fresh or visually interesting. Instead, it plays off as a relic of the time already, all smooth surfaces and aerodynamic edges. Unlike previous arcs of the story, Jiménez is given nothing interesting to work with, instead settling to repeat elements previously seen. The closest the issue comes to something original or innovative is in the flashback with the Flash. Jiménez excels at depicting anatomy in motion, especially for the hyperkinetic and stylized movement of speedsters. Including the moment between Barry and Bruce makes for a compelling bit of exposition, heightening a lackluster scene into a character and emotion-driven beat. 

Much of that elevation comes thanks to Morey’s coloring, which takes the opportunity of the signature reds of a Flash costume to introduce new elements to the palette. The red and gold of the speedster make for a compelling figure on the page and serve as a nice foreshadowing of the newly engineered smoke pellets. Those tools also get a mustard-twinged yellow that feels adjacent to the sometimes Batman aesthetic while delivering something unique. It’s an encapsulation of what makes the book sing in its better moments, taking the familiar tropes and visuals of Batman and remixing them into something fresh and compelling.