Batman #155: What Could Be, What Should Be

One of the foundational texts that looms large over Gotham, as a fictional city and space for titles published under the DC banner, is Batman: Year One. So much so that Comic Watch spent an entire week looking at its impact. The Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, and Richmond Lewis four-issue miniseries told the updated origin story of the dark knight after the first Crisis and its universe reboot in 1985. It was more than just a retelling, as it set the modern interpretation of Jim Gordon, Selina Kyle, and criminal proclivities in Gotham. There’s no doubt that its shadow still lingers over Batman comics written and illustrated today, especially in this month’s issue of the flagship title. 

Batman #155 – written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Jorge Fornés, colors from Tomeu Morey, and lettering by Clayton Cowles – resumes the final arc of Zdarsky’s run with an emphasis on Jim Gordon. A bulk of this issue focuses on the former police commissioner’s recent milieu, as a private investigator and bachelor. There’s a festering dissatisfaction with his job investigating insurance fraud claims and adultery (an ironic bit of foreshadowing) that underscores the issue. 

Zdarsky’s writing for Gordon and uncovering the man’s displeasure is the solid firmament to the issue. By designing the character’s interiority to reflect a desire to return to the totemic role of GCPD Commissioner, the author can tap a specific vein of fandom. No matter the feelings or thoughts of the recent stories, it feels almost as though the reader is in Gordon’s shoes, expressing empathy for the one “righteous” man of Gotham. 

Once those expectations are set, Zdarsky then dismantles them just as efficiently. Instead of Gordon being the virtuous cop, he takes on the role of adultery and homewrecker after offering his investigative services. Koyuki Nakano, wife of the recent murder victim Mayor Nakano, hires Gordon a few months previously to investigate her husband’s time away from work and home. She suspects an affair or illicit activities, but as Gordon knows from experience, the only passing gaze Nakano has is for the job. Mayor Nakano is just obsessed with work, an affliction that Gordon understands and tries to relay to Koyuki. 

Over a few weeks, Gordon offers his ear and experiences at first, before a spark ignites between the two. Gordon stops an abduction attempt on Koyuki, shifting quickly the friendly conversations into a full-fledged affair, with Gordon and Koyuki planning to run off together with the Nakano son, far away from Gotham and its corrupting influence. The mayor finds out from Leonid Kull, the man with a clear path to the highest offices of Gotham and the Court of Owls alike. A collision between Nakayo and Gordon becomes inevitable, leading up to the central murder of this arc. Now, this is a Batman comic after all, and some red herrings are swooping with villain tech and spotty memories in play. 

Having Fornés step in as the fill-in artist for Jorge Jiménez is a deliberate, inspired choice for the contents of the issue. Fornés’s linework here evokes the visual language and storytelling of Year One. Channeling the simple, clean linework of David Mazzucchelli, the art offers a (mostly) restrained tale of tragic passion. Everything from the rain-slick Gotham streets to its pockets of beauty feels in conversation with the post-Crisis Batman origin story, none more so than the vigilante’s design. The choice by Fornés to depict the bat-suit’s upper portion with a sweater aesthetic – i.e. the ribbed sleeves under the gloves – speaks to that human, grounded approach to the character. 

Also echoing the conventions of Year One is the split focus on Batman and Gordon. The interesting inverse of Gordon’s role in an affair speaks to the playing with foundational beats while offering a modern twist to them. Also of a different approach is the fact that Gordon does this not as a selfish act, like his affair with Sarah Essen, but in his eyes, as a path to redemption by saving Koyuki and her son. While that perspective layers Gordon’s psychology further, it speaks to his deeper need to be the righteous man in this modern era, instead of the more straightforward honest cop role from Year One. Zdarsky makes the best of both worlds as Gordon is a pawn in the larger game of The Riddler, paralleling his place as a dynamic, disruptive force in the Miller and Mazzucchelli story. 

Splitting the story between Gordon’s unraveling and Bruce’s investigation of Nakano’s murder and a supposed Wayne brother’s sudden appearance is a solid firmament for the detective story. Fornés’s artwork keeps the story grounded and in the realm of an unfolding mystery, with only the smallest hints of Gotham’s more fantastical elements. The end of the issue moves back into a colorful and costumed angle, making for a clean transition to the next issue (and artist). Allowing the shift in artwork to signal this change is the best-case scenario for bringing in a fill-in, playing to the strength of the current artist while indicating a natural progression for the overall series. 

Much of that cohesion and modern tone with a classic style is the result of Morey’s coloring. Instead of playing in the flat, sometimes abstract hues established by Lewis in Year One, Morey continues to utilize popping colors for the grey city. The coloring here is a bit busier, speaking to the modernity of Gotham even as Fornés renders a somewhat timeless city. It makes for a clear distinction this is not a flashback to the nebulous era of Year One for the characters, still cementing it in the modern era associated with the run. Morey’s coloring is also a bit busier than the tones used by Lewis, trading the stark plain backgrounds of Year One for more mixed and focused hues. It’s a smart decision that plays into the establishment of the more complex narrative beats and ambiguous character moments.