Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciller: Greg Capullo
Batman #43 takes a different path this month, leading us to a much more interesting destination.
We pick up right where we left off last week, where Gordon is visiting Bruce at the shelter in the Narrows. He needs help with his suit and knows Bruce has always been behind Batman’s tech. As we learn, that was the old Bruce. The new Bruce (post ‘Endgame’) wants to help the city, but in a different way. Clark Kent hitches a ride with Alfred this issue as the faithful butler informs him (and us) what’s been going on with Bruce the past few months. It seems he really did die, but came back a new man, having no interest in donning the cape and cowl to fight the evil in Gotham City. There must always be a Batman, so Gordon suits up again to investigate this Mr. Bloom character who is behind these seeds that are lighting up criminals in the city. The situation heats up, literally, as he finds himself in a hot mess. As for villains? We are introduced to Mr. Bloom as we interrupt his meeting with the Penguin, who wants to buy what Bloom is selling. Except he isn’t selling, and apparently isn’t dying either.
I must say I need to eat my words. Though I never doubted Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo when the announcement of this new Batman came out, I wasn’t really interested either. I figured I’d hang up my cowl for a few months until Bruce suited back up and continue reading. I’m not interested in gimmicks, and this Gordon as Batman story seemed like a gimmick. I was wrong. This is starting to seem like a Bruce Wayne story, which is the soul behind Batman.
I’m not always one for backstory and having everything explained to me, but I really appreciated Alfred’s moment of catching us up on things. It’s starting to make sense now, and I believe Snyder really wants us to care about Bruce more than just him in the suit. He’s doing good in a different way. Something he has always thought about in his 75+ year history, but never really gets to do.
Greg Capullo’s art never changes. It’s great, fantastic, excellent, very detailed and works perfect with Snyder’s writing. I especially liked the layout, coloring and “old school” flashback scene where Alfred was catching us up.
I really dug this issue, and am looking forward to the surprises Snyder and Capullo have in store during the rest of ‘Superheavy’.
