Batman 53
Justin Cooper
Recap
Bruce Wayne sits on the Jury to convict Mr. Freeze, but he tries to convince the group that Batman made a mistake. Bruce takes once last chance to change the verdict of the jury and exonerate Mr. Freeze.
Review
The story is a continuation of The Trial of Mr. Freeze for the murder of three young women. Batman beat a confession out of Freeze and convinced him to confess to the Gotham PD as well.
Freeze had a different story to tell though. He told the story of a Batman far more dangerous than normal and filled with Rage and Hatred. He swears that he was a man possessed by something, and was frightening even to a man as frozen to emotion as Freeze.
Bruce tries to convince the Jury with a final emboldened plea. His speech starts off telling the history of his faith in God, and how he lost that faith shortly after his parents were killed.
Bruce recounts how lost he felt, and tells the group that he looked to Batman as a deity. His faith was placed in the Man that would make the city of Gotham safe once again from the Monsters of the night. He begs the question to the Jury, “How many of you are HERE because of him? Without his help, in this city, how many of you would be in your Grave?”
A compelling show of hands and the answer is unanimous.
Bruce continues his argument and likened his story to the Biblical tale of Job. The tale of a man which God took away everything from. His Family, his home, and then when asked by Job why God’s response would be” I created the Mountains and the Miracles. Who are you to question me?”. This is his point about Batman, who are we to question the World’s Greatest Detective?
He continues the story, but it is clear that his argument has won over the room.
His closing statement was ” God blesses your soul with Grace. Batman punches people in the Face.”
In a silent Procession, we can tell by the faces of the other jurors, and the sight of the empty courthouse, that Bruce has convinced the other members that Mr. Freeze was innocent.
Perhaps finding some clarity on recent events in his life, Bruce instructs Alfred to place out his old costume. He cannot bear to wear the one that he wore when he was with Selina.
Batman back in his Original Costume.
Final Thoughts
This was a fitting end to the story. It gave a better understanding of who Bruce Wayne is, and is kind of a surreal out of body experience as well, with Bruce Wayne questioning Batman's methods. The writing was well thought out and plotted. It read just like a Daredevil story (which I enjoyed), but it had what seemed like much lower stakes. I am not sure that Mr. Freeze was the most riveting villain, yet this still works. The Art from Lee Weeks is at times dirty and exudes grittiness. I like it for this arc, but it's not my go-to for a Batman story. I would have rather some more splash pages and less dramatic courtroom drama. A good story, and serviceable art.
Batman #53: In Batman We Trust
- Writing - 8.5/108.5/10
- Storyline - 8.5/108.5/10
- Art - 7.5/107.5/10
- Color - 7/107/10
- Cover Art - 6/106/10
