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scans_dailyOutside himself, he's being pursued by the Orgham family and Gotham police - inside his head, he's being pursued by one of the Orghams' Azmers.
The end of #1074 had him alighting into Crime Alley - #1075 had him there physically and mentally.
Physically, he was alone - mentally, he was with " [his] darkness " Barbatos (who'd popped in briefly at the start of this run, #1062) and a younger him.
" Does it get better? " younger Bruce asked the older. " Does it go away?
" Every time you win? Every time you save lives? "
" No. " answered Batman.
Barbatos took younger Bruce back into the depths of Batman's mind.
Batman left Crime Alley, his police pursuers on his tail:
Fielding drew the conclusion that'd dawned on him at the end of #1074:
" Well.. we're about to find out. "
Batman was indeed at their destination - on the grounds of Wayne Manor, kneeling by the graves.
Fielding and his partner Nash found the Batman when they arrived at Wayne Manor.
" Something's wrong. " observed Nash of the grave-hugging Batman. " He doesn't look good. "
Fielding went in to check - and Nash shot him.
(For every one Gotham cop who's only a Gotham cop, there's one in someone else's pocket.)
Shahvod Erhad, Orgham retainer, arrived to take the Batman in.
She paid Nash off - and then instructed him, via her power over minds (demonstrated in issue #1073):
Shavhod's master, Arzen Orgham, arrived shortly after.
" Leave him with me. " he said to Shavhod, of Batman.
" But - "
Arzen bent down to the man he'd fought.
(The friendship was genuine, kindled by Arzen in #1067.
The stabbing's Arzen's dad getting killed by his brother-in-some-way Ra's al Ghul, as detailed in #1071.)
(The line about legacy's from #1070.
The burning tree is a sacrifice Arzen himself made in his past, detailed in #1071-#1072's two-part backup story.)
The backup for this issue is the " saving " of younger Bruce, on the night of Thomas and Martha Wayne's murder.
It's two reaching out to him - Alfred out of concern, and Barbatos out of interest.
The story places them both in sequence, one page from Alfred's POV and the next from Barbatos'. It's subtle about doing so - the POV dialogue and the blocking of the characters in each panel suggest contrasts with the corresponding page without telegraphing them.
Alfred and Barbatos offer their hands to Bruce, in his home and his mind, and he takes them both.
(The field of view in that last panel does make one wonder " Why's Alfred craning his head? ", but that's justified by the " open doors/Bat-head " effect.)
(Pagecount from the main story's just under 7 of 22.
Writing's Ram V - art and colors're Francesco Francavilla, and letters're Ariana Maher.
Pagecount from the backup's 2 of 8 - writing's Dan Watters, art's Aaron Campbell, letters're Steve Wands, and colors're Patricio Delpeche.
Issue #1075 came out in October 2023 - issues #1076 and #1077've come out since, as Detective Comics is going bi-monthly for the rest of the year.
Publisher's DC.)
The end of #1074 had him alighting into Crime Alley - #1075 had him there physically and mentally.
Physically, he was alone - mentally, he was with " [his] darkness " Barbatos (who'd popped in briefly at the start of this run, #1062) and a younger him.
" Does it get better? " younger Bruce asked the older. " Does it go away?
" Every time you win? Every time you save lives? "
" No. " answered Batman.
Barbatos took younger Bruce back into the depths of Batman's mind.
Batman left Crime Alley, his police pursuers on his tail:
Fielding drew the conclusion that'd dawned on him at the end of #1074:
" Well.. we're about to find out. "
Batman was indeed at their destination - on the grounds of Wayne Manor, kneeling by the graves.
Fielding and his partner Nash found the Batman when they arrived at Wayne Manor.
" Something's wrong. " observed Nash of the grave-hugging Batman. " He doesn't look good. "
Fielding went in to check - and Nash shot him.
(For every one Gotham cop who's only a Gotham cop, there's one in someone else's pocket.)
Shahvod Erhad, Orgham retainer, arrived to take the Batman in.
She paid Nash off - and then instructed him, via her power over minds (demonstrated in issue #1073):
Shavhod's master, Arzen Orgham, arrived shortly after.
" Leave him with me. " he said to Shavhod, of Batman.
" But - "
Arzen bent down to the man he'd fought.
(The friendship was genuine, kindled by Arzen in #1067.
The stabbing's Arzen's dad getting killed by his brother-in-some-way Ra's al Ghul, as detailed in #1071.)
(The line about legacy's from #1070.
The burning tree is a sacrifice Arzen himself made in his past, detailed in #1071-#1072's two-part backup story.)
The backup for this issue is the " saving " of younger Bruce, on the night of Thomas and Martha Wayne's murder.
It's two reaching out to him - Alfred out of concern, and Barbatos out of interest.
The story places them both in sequence, one page from Alfred's POV and the next from Barbatos'. It's subtle about doing so - the POV dialogue and the blocking of the characters in each panel suggest contrasts with the corresponding page without telegraphing them.
Alfred and Barbatos offer their hands to Bruce, in his home and his mind, and he takes them both.
(The field of view in that last panel does make one wonder " Why's Alfred craning his head? ", but that's justified by the " open doors/Bat-head " effect.)
(Pagecount from the main story's just under 7 of 22.
Writing's Ram V - art and colors're Francesco Francavilla, and letters're Ariana Maher.
Pagecount from the backup's 2 of 8 - writing's Dan Watters, art's Aaron Campbell, letters're Steve Wands, and colors're Patricio Delpeche.
Issue #1075 came out in October 2023 - issues #1076 and #1077've come out since, as Detective Comics is going bi-monthly for the rest of the year.
Publisher's DC.)
