Originally published on Patreon
So, this is something of a different issue to the previous one. Last time on Batman we got a new writer, who came in and changed things up slightly for Batman by getting him framed for the murder of the Penguin, had Tim Drake shot in the neck, and had a gala infiltration. There was a lot going on. In contrast, issue 126 movies incredibly fast, but is so, so good.
The issue sees the almost Batman looking robot, seemingly called Failsafe, coming after Bruce. and it absolutely kicks his ass. Bruce gets beaten, thrown around, and smashed through things as this terminator like thing just keeps going for him. Luckily, his allies come to help him, but even with the help of Signal, Nightwing, the Batgirls, and Robin, this thing is too much for them, and all they can do is buy a wounded Bruce an opportunity to get out of there.
The thing is, this machine feels familiar to him, it drags up some vague memories. But Batman remembers everything, so if something is a vague memory that's not a good sign at all. It seems Bruce knows that there's something very wrong happening here, and so decides to head back to the original cave, to an old chest he's got hidden there. And the issue ends with Bruce rejoining Tim with the contents of that box. Wearing the contents of that box. Dressed as the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh.
Boy is this a wild, confusing, but awesomely cool issue. I don't know what it all means, and I feel like there's not much to talk about about it because its a huge fight, running away, then the final page reveal, and whilst it doesn't sound like much it's so well done, so shocking and cool. I've not been excited over a single issue of Batman like this since the Grant Morrison run, since we had the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. I love that Chip Zdarsky seems to be drawing from that part of the Batman history, that we're getting big action and mystery all thrown in together. If this is going to be the quality of the title going forward it's hugely exiting.
In the back-up feature we continue the story of the Penguin's estate, and Catwoman trying to track down the Cobblepot children. We get some more pieces of the puzzle here, and what appears to be a culprit for the killings. At this point it could end up being a pretty clearly telegraphed reveal of the villain, or it could be a fake-out; but there's no way to tell yet. As it is, it's a pretty enjoyable story, though it perhaps is let down by the fact that it's simply very good in the same book as the main story which was amazing, and as such can't really compete.
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