scans_daily

There's this scene from Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive that I have been wanting to post for a small eternity now, but couldn't find even though I searched through my collection of the issues. So you can imagine my surprise and delight today, as I was looking for another scene from the crossover, when I stumbled across the scene in question and found out that the reason I couldn't find it before was because I thought it belonged to another part of the crossover. So anyway, finally I am able to share this scene of Bruce Wayne showing why he is the personification of badassitude in the DCU. And as always, this scene might not be for everyone's taste, so be forewarned.

The scene requires very little knowledge of BW: M/F, although as a huge fan of that crossover I would recommend it to anyone interested. The basic idea is that after Bruce Wayne was framed for a murder so well even members of the Batclan started doubting it, Batman decided the civilian identity was taking too much attention and time, and decided to ditch it, cutting ties to the clan along it. It's a great story that examines Bruce Wayne's importance and role in the Bat-mythos as a separate entity of Batman. Anyhow, during that period of time Batman became aware of a drug smuggling operation in Gotham involving a goverment agency, Checkmate to be precise, as it hadn't gone international at that point. So in Gotham Knights 31, written by Devin Grayson and illustrated by the magnificent Roger Robinson, we follow Batman as he tracks down the agent responsible for the operation, one agent Amherst. While we see this, we follow the narration of the said agent.

The thing is that Amherst doesn't believe in Batman, he's been in the game so long that he realizes the importance of myths, so he just thinks it's an operative of another goverment agency using that alias to go after the operation. Even though his supreiors tell him that they aren't aware of such an operative, he still continues to be convinced of it. Now, the goverment had sent a top secret commando unit to help Amherst to clean up any traces, as their operation nonetheless has been compromised, with the team completely emptying the offices of the dummy corporation that Amherst had set up. Unfortunately for them, they are up against the world's greatest detective, who we see following clues and locating the team while Amhearst makes guesses about his identity in the narration. Which leads us to the following scene.

A valid criticism might be made of the commando team standing around with the combat gear on, but they had the heads up that someone is on the move and, more importantly, it just makes the scene that much cooler so I don't really care. By the way, notice how when confronting an elite team of black ops soldiers, Batman decides to make his entrance through the door. Seriously. He walked in to the room and allowed them to look at him, because that's how hard he is going to own them.

Again, notice how Batman gave them an opportunity to attack after taking two of them out. Secondly, notice the chair breaking and Batman not even caring. The art, by the way, just sublime.

I have to skip the next page for the posting limits sake, although it is seriously awesome, as we the smoke clearing and only two persons remaining standing. Batman and the leader of the team wearing a gas mask. Yeah, Batman doesn't even wear a breather. We see the two measuring each other up.

So, so far we have seen Batman take out an elite army team without breaking sweat. So of course Batman decided to increase the level of badassitude. After the leader notes that Batman had no reason to show his fighting prowess either to impress or intimidate them, he tells Batman that let them pretend that it worked and ask what he wants. The answer is of course Amherst and after Batman rejects the leaders claims that he doesn't know who Amherst even is, we get this.

As said, I simply love this scene for portraying Batman as the ultimate badass. Of course it might be seen questionable for the leader to give Amherst up for that threat, but the threat itself is so awesome that I'm also wiling to overlook that.

Suggested tags: creator: Devin Grayson, creator: Roger Robinson, char: Batman/Bruce Wayne