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scans_dailyThe main story continues from issue #1084 - Batman's return to Gotham and fight against the Orgham family's Reality Engine-assisted control over the city.
In the course of that, he's reaching out to others - and he's not the only one doing so. Catwoman, remembering what the Orghams had done to Batman - what'd necessitated his leaving Gotham for a bit - was talking to the Joker.
The clown, sat in a warehouse, took the thief's psychology in stride.
" Tell me what's wrong with me! " he pantomimed. " Why can't I laugh at anything anymore? "
(The Joker's appearance here continues this run's " Christopher Nolan!Batman " nods.)
(Yes, that's a " whisker " joke.)
" Hit our operations at the docks. Taken down patrols and squads in the Narrows and in Alleytown. "
The Orghams considered the work of Batman (and also that of the Question, Renee Montoya, while he'd been away recovering) against them, and began making their next moves.
Elsewhere, Jim Gordon came to Batman.
(Batman, keeping an eye on local bat population dynamics to scout out secondary bases.)
" .. but there are always those who will stand against.
" It's time to let Gotham's demons give her strength. "
Batman drove off on the Blackgate leg of his recruitment drive.
He came to Payne Cardine, the Maestro, whom he'd previously consulted in #1063.
(He worked out " these mysterious music boxes are the Orghams' tools of control " somewhere in the range of " his time with Talia " and " coming back to Gotham " - before that, it was hinted at in bits with the still-late Arzen Orgham.)
Batman secured Cardine, taking him out of Blackgate.
From there, he went alone under Gotham - to the dimmest spot on his thermodynamic map of Gotham's tunnels.
He went to Mr. Freeze, whom he'd crossed paths with in #1067.
Freeze'd desired to be left alone then, and hadn't become more willing to maintain connections with others since - his assistance with Catwoman's " save Batman from being publicly executed by the Orghams " plan'd been conditional, ended when he'd got what he wanted.
He met Batman with his ice-gun - Batman overpowered him.
" You said you'd leave me alone. "
" I will.. but they won't. Don't you see? "
" ..
" What do you need from me? "
What Batman needed from Freeze was the thing he'd been able to construct after betraying Catwoman and co.
" When the time comes.. I will need your eternal winter. "
" How will I know? "
" Whatever they're planning..
Dariah Orgham turned.
The backup story's a meeting in a restaurant - Mr. Freeze and a woman he knew, Magda.
She'd helped him out once, in his " Mr. Zero " days:
" .. my wife has some of these. "
They'd bonded over that, enough so that Freeze was coming to her now to get a second opinion on using his " eternal winter " machine.
She'd been helping distribute food in that disaster, to the objection of some False Facers and their profitable monopoly:
Freeze'd saved her.
She explicitly asked something of him.
(It's impressive how the art puts across Magda's state of mind with just her eyes and a couple of lines for facial muscle detail.)
Freeze left, thinking about the preservation of flickering light - of how he always wanted " proof that permanence wasn't the sole preserve of ugliness and flux. "
(It's a cruel death, one underlining the high-handedness in Freeze's regard of others.
Pagecount's 7 and a little more than 1/10th of 22 from the main story of May 2024's Detective Comics #1085 + 2 and a little more than 4/10ths of 8 from the backup.
On the main, writing's Ram V, art's Stefano Raffaele, colors're Lee Loughridge, and letters're Ariana Maher.
On the backup, writing's Alex Paknadel, art's Christopher Mitten, colors're Triona Farrell, and letters're Steve Wands.
Publisher's DC.)
In the course of that, he's reaching out to others - and he's not the only one doing so. Catwoman, remembering what the Orghams had done to Batman - what'd necessitated his leaving Gotham for a bit - was talking to the Joker.
The clown, sat in a warehouse, took the thief's psychology in stride.
" Tell me what's wrong with me! " he pantomimed. " Why can't I laugh at anything anymore? "
(The Joker's appearance here continues this run's " Christopher Nolan!Batman " nods.)
(Yes, that's a " whisker " joke.)
" Hit our operations at the docks. Taken down patrols and squads in the Narrows and in Alleytown. "
The Orghams considered the work of Batman (and also that of the Question, Renee Montoya, while he'd been away recovering) against them, and began making their next moves.
Elsewhere, Jim Gordon came to Batman.
(Batman, keeping an eye on local bat population dynamics to scout out secondary bases.)
" .. but there are always those who will stand against.
" It's time to let Gotham's demons give her strength. "
Batman drove off on the Blackgate leg of his recruitment drive.
He came to Payne Cardine, the Maestro, whom he'd previously consulted in #1063.
(He worked out " these mysterious music boxes are the Orghams' tools of control " somewhere in the range of " his time with Talia " and " coming back to Gotham " - before that, it was hinted at in bits with the still-late Arzen Orgham.)
Batman secured Cardine, taking him out of Blackgate.
From there, he went alone under Gotham - to the dimmest spot on his thermodynamic map of Gotham's tunnels.
He went to Mr. Freeze, whom he'd crossed paths with in #1067.
Freeze'd desired to be left alone then, and hadn't become more willing to maintain connections with others since - his assistance with Catwoman's " save Batman from being publicly executed by the Orghams " plan'd been conditional, ended when he'd got what he wanted.
He met Batman with his ice-gun - Batman overpowered him.
" You said you'd leave me alone. "
" I will.. but they won't. Don't you see? "
" ..
" What do you need from me? "
What Batman needed from Freeze was the thing he'd been able to construct after betraying Catwoman and co.
" When the time comes.. I will need your eternal winter. "
" How will I know? "
" Whatever they're planning..
Dariah Orgham turned.
The backup story's a meeting in a restaurant - Mr. Freeze and a woman he knew, Magda.
She'd helped him out once, in his " Mr. Zero " days:
" .. my wife has some of these. "
They'd bonded over that, enough so that Freeze was coming to her now to get a second opinion on using his " eternal winter " machine.
She'd been helping distribute food in that disaster, to the objection of some False Facers and their profitable monopoly:
Freeze'd saved her.
She explicitly asked something of him.
(It's impressive how the art puts across Magda's state of mind with just her eyes and a couple of lines for facial muscle detail.)
Freeze left, thinking about the preservation of flickering light - of how he always wanted " proof that permanence wasn't the sole preserve of ugliness and flux. "
(It's a cruel death, one underlining the high-handedness in Freeze's regard of others.
Pagecount's 7 and a little more than 1/10th of 22 from the main story of May 2024's Detective Comics #1085 + 2 and a little more than 4/10ths of 8 from the backup.
On the main, writing's Ram V, art's Stefano Raffaele, colors're Lee Loughridge, and letters're Ariana Maher.
On the backup, writing's Alex Paknadel, art's Christopher Mitten, colors're Triona Farrell, and letters're Steve Wands.
Publisher's DC.)
