Originally published on Patreon
Batman #125 has been touted as the start of a new era for the character, and it does feel like things have changed quite a bit since the last issue. This latest issue sees the new writer Chip Zdarsky taking over the reigns of the series, and he begins his tenure on the book by taking Batman in a bold direction.
The issue begins with Batman trying to stop a series of killings around Gotham that are targeting the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, Batman arrives too late to save the latest victims, and two of his friends are killed. It turns out that the killings have been orchestrated by the Penguin, who is targeting anyone in the city with a fortune of $5 million or more unless they give their money away.
With a swanky gala still going on despite the danger to those attending, Bruce decides to infiltrate the ball, whilst Tim sneaks in as Robin. Working together, the two of them manage to stop the Penguin's plan of killing everyone there; but Tim is shot in the process and almost killed.
Batman eventually manages to track down Penguin, and finds him dying in a hospital room. Penguin hits the call nurse button as he swallows a poison capsule, leading to the staff entering the room to find Batman trying to get the pill out of the dead Penguin's mouth. So now it looks to the world like Batman has murdered one of his foes.
Meanwhile, something activates deep inside the Batcave, and a strange robot rises out of the ground.
Whilst I enjoyed the previous issues of this series, this new start really does feel like a good breath of fresh air. The title feels like its got a lot of nuance, and a lot of heart to it, as we get some lovely quiet moments between Bruce and Tim, and see how great their relationship is. Yet there's also a lot of action and grit here too, and in a lot of ways it feels like one of the more grounded and realistic Batman stories in a while too; even if it does feature Clayface.
And I think this is what I liked about this issue, it felt more real. This isn't dealing with a floating fortress and hordes of robots taking over Gotham, it's not got cyborgs and virtual reality gangs, and it's not seeing Batman jet around the world to take down super powered killers. It seems a more basic, back to formula approach. And whilst Zdarsky isn't the first writer to make Batman feel more realistic, but after a few years of the series taking a more sci-fi approach this street level style story is a much welcome change.
The issue comes with a nice back-up feature too, where we get to follow Catwoman in the fallout of Penguin's death. With the crime-lord gone there's a power vacuum that needs filling, and everyone is after the Iceberg Lounge. Luckily, Catwoman is there and is able to stop a gang fight from breaking out. Catwoman is approached by the people who are looking to make sure that Penguin's will is fulfilled, and is offered $500,000 if she can find his beneficiaries; his ten children.
This is a really fun back-up, with some good characters introduced too. Sometimes with DC the back-up features can feel quite disconnected from the main story, and it can sometimes seem like they've been included to bulk up the book and charge more. But this Catwoman story feels like a part of the main story, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it tie into the main events in upcoming issues.
This issue feels like a good new start to the series, and makes for a great jumping on point for new readers looking for a place to start reading.
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