WRITER.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

537 pages

Graphic Novels, Crime

Spoiler-Free section

This one was a Hoopla Bonus Borrow, an extra borrow that did not count toward my monthly limit. I honestly wasn’t sure at all whether I would like it because I had read and watched almost nothing in the Batman universe.

And the premise is weird.

There is an magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Gotham, followed by other disasters, and afterwards the crime ran so rampant that the United States declared Gotham to be quarantined and to be no longer part of the country. Much of the city was evacuated before the bridges to the island city were blown up and mines placed in the water.

“..and after the Earth shattered and the buildings crumbled, the nation abandoned Gotham City. Then only the valiant, the venal and the insane remained in the place they called No Man’s Land.”

This seems like an incredibly unlikely thing for the United States to do, even if Gotham is a cesspool of villains. What’s also weird is that Batman doesn’t show up for a good portion of the book, and a new Batgirl who sometimes goes by “The Bat” takes over where he left off.

Honestly, with the sheer amount of crime in Gotham, an evacuation might have been ideal even if there hadn’t been an earthquake. But then again, where would the innocents go?

Regardless, Gotham become a place where apples are auctioned off for diamonds and graffiti becomes the language of the land. There are no functioning prisons anymore so the punishment for crime becomes more severe. One criminal has to give up most of what he owns or else he will have his hands cut off for stealing.

Things like backpacks and shopping carts became invaluable because people need to carry their belongings everywhere. Mechanics and people who can sew have become popular, while social workers are not deemed as useful.

My favorite part of the book was when villains were introduced. And so many were in there! Scarecrow using his psychological manipulation to convince a congregation to turn to violence. Scarface and the Ventriloquist playing benevolent protector. The Joker trying to get Batman’s attention and causing victims to sport a rictus grin. The Death Dancer ridding people of their pain and liberating them from this world with a surgical knife. The Penguin wrapping the black market around his little finger. Two-Face and his coin flipping.

One of the coolest things about the book is its episodic nature. It zooms in on the stories of ordinary people and heroes to demonstrate how much of a disaster Gotham is. The little vignettes include a mother looking for her daughter Mitzi, Superman showing up and trying to bring power back to a darkened city, a man who has to choose between feeding his daughter and feeding his father, and many more.

Spoiler time!

So I am unfamiliar enough with the Batman universe that I didn’t recognize the redhead called the Oracle was the former Batgirl and is also known as Barbara Gordon until much later in the book. She has managed to build a network of informers even though she is “a high-tech girl in a low-tech town.” She does an impressive job despite how little she has to work with.

“She [Barbara Gordon] made me realize how dependent I too had become on technology. I’d gotten so used to databases and quick answers that it took me a moment to remember that my finest, most reliable computer was right here with me. My brain.”

Batman

The Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) has resorted to gang tactics in an attempt to keep the peace. They also do things that are quite clever, such as turning rivaling gangs against each other. Commissioner Gordon is convinced Batman has abandoned them, and there is some tension there.

It was also my first introduction to Azrael, a hero who butts heads with Nick Scratch, a cult leader. Father Christian, a purer religious leader, welcomes all to his Ark Project Refugee Center, including Scarecrow. A hero named Huntress tries to convince the priest that Scarecrow is dangerous, but he accepts everyone regardless of their background. His biggest mistake is storing weapons beneath his church for one of the villains.

Mikey, a former False Facer, is redeemed in this storyline, and though he gets shot for his involvement with the church, he is a sign of hope in the troubled city. Batman races him to a doctor and saves his life. Scarecrow was hoping that Mikey’s fate would drive the congregation apart but it has actually brought them together. He is ultimately defeated when the congregation is no longer mad or afraid of him, but instead treats him as a lost soul.

One last thing – I loved the part of the book where Bruce is questioning himself about the right thing to do. Two women are claiming to be the mother of a baby, and when even Solomon’s trick doesn’t work, he take the baby away himself. Then Alfred tells him a story about Bruce’s father, how he had a dying patient in the middle of the night and had to break into a closed pharmacy to try to get a medicine that would help. The boy died anyway and though Mr. Wayne paid for the damages, the owner of the pharmacy continued to blackmail him. Mr. Wayne eventually goes to the police himself and lies, saying that the pharmacy owner forged a note in order to blackmail him. He sleeps easy that night. Batman then goes to the two women and tells them they should take care of the baby together, one foraging for the food while the other watches the baby. This is an acceptable compromise to the women and to Batman’s conscience.

If you’re still not sure if you want to read this book, let me encourage you to at least read a few of the stories in it. It’s a long book, but since it is a graphic novel, it’s a little less daunting.