Batman Eternal #1-#4 Review

World’s a changing.

This is an ambitious project, for sure. So many things go wrong with weekly series. 52 was an exception in its success.

Multiple writers, multiple artists – there are recipes for disaster hidden around every corner.

Thankfully, Batman Eternal is off to a strong start as things don’t feel rushed through there is a sense of over-crowding going on.

SPOILERS FOLLOW……………

We are first treated to an image far into the future near the end of Batman Eternal as Gotham is in flames, Bruce is strapped to the Bat Signal and an unseen figure taunts him for his failure.

In the present, Jason Bard a newbie enters Gotham and his voice-over comes across a little forced and false, through it is about to become the theme of the story.

Things pick up as Gordon faces off against Pyg. While Batman in the OwlBuster (from Court of the Owls) takes on a demented Pyg, one of his henchmen Grady separates and Gordon chases him to the rail station.

What follows is sudden. Gordon shots an armed Grady and it passes through him and hits the switch-box, creating a chaotic situation which ends in the death of a lot of train passengers.

Batman’s statement that Grady was unarmed and Jim’s that the switch-box had nothing to do with the rail service create more confusion.

One of the corrupt cops, Forbes, latches on to Gordon’s confession to Batman about shooting and Bard’s first job in Gotham is to cuff the man he looked up to.

Elsewhere, in City Hall, Mayor Hady is facing a PR nightmare when someone familiar arrives.

Vicki Vale is given the unpleasant duty of reporting the accident, as she and a fellow journalist harbor misgivings about condemning Gordon.

This follows a montage of the reactions of the various Bat family members (Hong Kong plays news of an American accident so quickly and just as Jason sits down to drink? sigh) while Bruce visits Gordon in the cell.

Jim himself isn’t sure of whether he was drugged or actually losing it, veering towards the latter. Taking a blood sample, Bruce leaves telling Gordon to stop feeling guilty for something he didn’t do.

On the roof of City Hall, Hady and the shadowy man talk, giving hints of a pre-Batman era of Gotham. At the accident site, the Spectre aka Jim Corrigan pays a visit, sensing something supernatural in the air.

Meanwhile, Dr Phosporus rants in his cell at Arkham Asylum, and we see the reason why as an emerald apparition arrives and forces Phosporus to call out ‘Blackfire’.

Phosphorus seemingly self-combusts.

At the Gotham MTA Building, Batman traces Grady back to one person he never thought he would see again. Catwoman joins him as we finally see who the mastermind may be – Carmine ‘The Roman’ Falcone.

Falcone is revealed to be the shadowy figure talking with Hady and he claims he's going to restore Gotham to it's past glory before the 'freaks' took over. The get-up through is really looks awkward (what is that? A jacket over a t-shirt?)

Stephanie Brown returns home, taking a shortcut that reveals an unpleasant sight – her father is a villain called Cluemaster and a conference is going on.

The participants are mostly unknown C grade villains. A shadowy member knocks her down but before Cluemaster can kill her, somehow she escapes.

At the GCPD headquarters, Forbes is made Police Commissioner and forces the station to focus their attention on capturing Batman. The board just before Forbes wipes it contains some hints to the other Batman related stories that have taken place (so don't look at the board if you don't want spoilers! He does draw a great Bat Symbol though).

Jason Bard meanwhile pays a visit to Jim Gordon to reassure him he’s still on his side, even though the latter now believes he deserves the punishment.

And now, where does Batman go to get info on the underworld? Why, Penguin offcourse! Oswald fails to give any info but the misgivings on Falcone returning seem to not be exclusive to Batman.

A coordinated strike goes off, hitting Penguin’s sites at the same time. It seems Penguin was one of the first to turn on Falcone five years ago and made the most of all to usurp Falcone's position as head of Gotham's underworld. Seething, Cobblepot declares war on Falcone.

Stephanie calls her mother, but her luck is out as we see the latter is in contact with Cluemaster and knows of her husband's villainous side. Worse, Stephanie has told her where she is.

Barbara Gordon meanwhile decides to take out the anger of seeing her father denied bail by beating the living hell out of anyone that crosses her path. After managing to stop her from doing anymore damage, Batman pays Falcone a visit.

This time Falcone is better dressed.

Returning back with no answers, he finds Barbara religiously studying the train station camera footage. Taking note of a suspicious person, she marches out while her father is introduced to the tough town at Blackgate Prison.

Jason Bard, Carmine Falcone and Stephanie Brown are the notable New 52 debutants. Jason was a ex-cop turned private eye who worked for Bruce, and is now a new Gotham cop coming in at a tenuous time. Falcone remains mostly the same, and from his behaviour, one major facial aspect seems to have remained in canon. Stephanie Brown was handled excellently though. Her father being a villain and her resourcefulness were both shown well without being forced. It is sad her pre-New 52 history has been discarded, but I hope there are good things to come from her.

SPOILERS END…………….

It’s a large ensemble cast that’s going to be the focus here. With multiple small arcs included, the tendency to get lost in the mire is high, but Snyder manages to navigate it relatively seamlessly except for one or two places.

Fabok is excellent in the first three issues, but Nyugen’s artwork falters. It’s a striking difference certainly and given Nyugen is the regular artist now, things aren’t looking too rosy.

So, I give it 8.0 out of 10.

+Excellent premise

+Very good artwork from Fabok

+Juggles multiple threads well

+Introduces a fan favorite character very well

-Nyugen’s art falters

-One or two times, the ensemble cast is a bother