Welcome, friends to another installment of “The 3cap,” our weekly recap of DC’s three weekly titles: “Batman Eternal,” “Earth 2: World’s End,” and “New 52: Futures End.” Each week, we will take a look at the each issue released, while recapping the action and asking the burning questions. If you spot something we missed, make sure to leave a note in the comments!
Batman Eternal #42
Written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Kyle Higgins
Illustrated by Jed Dougherty, Goran Sudzuka, and Roger Robinson
Reviewed by Vince Ostrowski
News, notes, and debuts:
– Harper Row’s first foray as Bluebird is well-executed as far as these “coming of age” cape stories usually go. One of the most satisfying successes of “Batman Eternal” has been the reclamation and reformation of the extended Bat Family. Tim Drake has been made a part of the family again, Red Hood (kind of) has a reason to be around again, and Stephanie Brown is back. And now we have Harper Row, who has received some scorn from the vocal minority for being a “pet” character of Scott Snyder (a notion I find ridiculous, seeing as DC Comics has had a long history of overstuffed extended character families and a return to that tradition has been making for better comics). As Bluebird, she eases her way right into the family dynamic as an outsider – her scenes with Tim being the standout. She also adds to the tech savvy of the team – a role that some other character could have potentially served, sure, but one that has been developed and suits her better than any other.
– Speaking of Stephanie Brown, she’s a major focus of this issue. As a Steph fan, I’d like to take a moment to discuss her inclusion in the New 52 so far. It’s easy (and understandable) to still be sore about the way the New 52 tossed her out of the Batgirl cowl and onto the bench, but I find complaints about the way she’s being depicted here a little tough to swallow. It’s true, her character has been regressed, and doesn’t show the depth of personality that she would show in Bryan Q. Miller’s run with the character, but hopefully it’s because she’s still in the origin phase of her character. Up to this point, the writers have stayed true to a condensed version of her basic origin from her original iteration. One of the most exciting things about “Batman Eternal” is that we have this character again, and it doesn’t look like she’s been spoiled (high five) or changed in any significant way. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her next. A Spoiler solo series? A featured spot in Gotham-centric title?
– Jed Dougherty and Goran Sudzuka get the art duties on this one, and while I’m a fan of theirs, it only finally struck me with this issue how much of a good approximation of Dustin Nguyen’s art shows up in his art. They live in stylistically similar worlds, though I think Dustin Nguyen has carved an indelible spot in the modern Batman catalogue. But once the issue hit the final page reveal of Catwoman coming for Stephanie Brown, the comparison really made perfect sense to me. They all made some terrific artistic choices in the bridge from “Batman” #28 to this issue.
Three Eternal Questions:
1. Was Steph’s mom involved in the plot to kill her?
It was heavily implied that Stephanie Brown’s mother was fully on-board with her father’s plans to take Stephanie out of the picture, lest she spoil (high five) his villainous plans. Here, we see her take Stephanie in, claiming that she would keep her daughter safe. But claiming that she “had no idea” how far her husband would take his supervillain exploits is still a pretty lame deflection of the fact that, well, she was married to a supervillain. The creators set the scene to feel very suspicious and ominous, so when Catwoman swings in at the end to take Stephanie away, I felt like the reader was supposed to feel like Steph was actually safer in Selina’s captivity than anywhere else.
Continued below2. But how is Stephanie Brown the “key” to saving Gotham?
So Catwoman has Stephanie Brown in her captivity and she will eventually proclaim her the key to stopping all of this, but how and why? Because Stephanie has only one true link to anything that’s been going on at this point: her father being the Cluemaster, I can only assume that that is the key. If Batman and co. can’t get anyone else to talk or reveal the identity of the master manipulator, maybe Stephanie Brown can, through her father? It’s time for Steph to become the Spoiler in earnest, and to infiltrate a Supervillain hideout, methinks.
3. And for the millionth time: just who is the true big bad?
Cluemaster is small time, but no doubt he’s received the same invitation that all of these other Batman rogues have. With Jervis Tetch involved, it doesn’t seem to be a very exclusive party (apologies to the Tetch family). Why don’t we run down just who I think are legitimate possibilities, considering who we’ve already seen and who we haven’t?
Two-Face: spoiler alert, but Two-Face killed himself off-panel in Tomasi and Gleason’s run on “Batman and (insert team up here).” That makes him a prime candidate for a dramatic return from the grave. Something that comics just can’t resist. The weight of his character is enough for him to be the big bad, but does the modus operandi make sense? Did he flip heads or tails on simply “bringing Batman’s entire world to the ground”?
Ra’s al Ghul: It seems a little early to return to the al Ghul clan for a major Batman big bad, considering Grant Morrison’s epic run culminated in a battle between Talia and Bruce. Everything in his run led up to that point. But Ra’s al Ghul is getting another media push through The CW’s Arrow, and he’s one of the few characters that knows Bruce’s identity and could also orchestrate something this massive. Still, something tells me that it’s not him.
Hugo Strange: The idea that the big bad could be Hugo Strange is one of the spiciest and most intriguing considerations that I’ve had about “Batman Eternal.” He knows Batman’s identity. In fact, that’s a chief aspect of his character. So is behavioral control and trying to “break” Batman through psychological methods. Still, he seems a little “small-time.” But as far as small time villains goes, he’s one that only needs a push to make his way into the public eye again.
The Court of Owls: But if I had a cool thousand dollars to plunk down in some fictional version of Atlantic City that allows you to gamble on comic book plotlines, I’d put it all on The Court (thanks to a conversation we had in the comments a few weeks back).
It’s a Scott Snyder/James Tynion IV baby, an owl showed up on the “Batman Eternal” Thanksgiving teaser, they know everything there is to know about Gotham, and they almost broke him once. Still, The Court needs a strong face. Is it Lincoln March (aka Thomas Wayne Jr)? I don’t know, but I think that’s the most likely and logical answer. Comics do have a way of zigging when you thought they’d zag though, don’t they?
Earth 2: World’s End #16
Written by Daniel H. Wilson, Marguerite Bennett, and Mike Johnson
Illustrated by Scott McDaniel, Tyler Kirkham, Eduardo Pansica, and Robson Rocha
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
News, Notes, and Debuts:
Not much in terms of big news from this issue, but a few plot points move forward:
– The Red Avatar is freed, and starts to kick ass almost immediately.
– The bombers of Apokolips made it out alive, but their plan did not go as planned.
– Rest assured, Jimmy Olsen has a plan:
– The crew that was underground gets out and joins the fight against the Furies
– Kara and Val bury Clark near a tree
I know this seems like I’m shitting over the book by being so brief about the events of the book, but this issue was really a “move things forward without too much development” issue – the biggest things that happened will be dealt with below.
Continued belowThree Worldly Questions:
1. Is it really this easy to stop someone from being a Fury?
The power level of the Avatars is something that has really confused me since this series started. Green Lantern, Avatar of the Green, restarted the Earth’s entire eco-system in “Earth 2,” but here he can barely make a dent against Darkseid’s Furies.
But Kara gives Helena and belly to belly suplex, and she’s un-Furied. This is either lazy writing, or a major change in the Avatars’ power.
2. Is the Red Avatar really much more powerful than any other? Is that true on the ‘main’ Earth?
In the battle of the Avatars versus the Furies, the Avatars were, essentially, biting at their ankles and whining. Then, the Red Avatar showed up, along with some superheroes, and all of a sudden the Furies were all taken down. So, that begs the question: is the Red Avatar hands down the strongest? And if so, is that true on the New 52 Earth?
If so, Animal Man (or Maxine) would be, essentially, one of the top 5 most powerful creatures on Earth. Obviously, Maxine’s powers have been talked up a lot, but never to that level.
3. Is this book part of the Superman 2 continuity?
We know that DC has been playing with the idea of the Multiverse more and more, and has been dropping little hints leading up to “Convergence” – could Kara being able to put Kal’s S onto her boob window so snugly suggesting that this takes place in the Superman 2 continuity?
(I jest – but this book is hard to speculate about for a month straight)
The New 52: Futures End #38
Written by Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, and Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Andy McDonald
Reviewed by Zach Wilkerson
News, notes, and debuts:
Picking up directly from last issue, we return to the brawl between so man Batmen. This is, honestly, still a little disappointing. It seems most of the emotional fall out of Bruce reuniting with Tim, meeting his future replacement, and seeing his future self spliced to the Joker is all being back-burnered in favor of good old fashioned fisticuffs.
In what is continuing to be my new favorite part of “Futures End,” we catch up with Fifty Sue. Not only is she not dead, she’s safely in the company of Cole and Lana, who she seems to have teleported out when she made her exit last issue. This awkward, haphazard family dynamic that’s sprung up around these characters is fantastic. Cole’s reluctance is humorously contrasted with Lana’s determination to do right by Sue. The chemistry between these characters is just spot on.
We’ve discussed Dr. Yamakaze’s motivations for attacking the Justice League ad nauseum, and for the most part I have grown tired of his antics. Superman (Shazam) makes the valid point that everyone lost people in the war, so he should get over it. Nevertheless, Firestorm’s unexpected support of Yamakaze’s stance (though not his actions) has me rethinking my point of view. I’ll get into it more below, but it’s great to see the “Futures End” team challenging the righteousness of the League.
Finally, this issue introduces the first new character in some time; the original Dr. Frankenstein, along with his steampunk flying gorilla.
Three Future Questions:
What’s in the vault?
We’ve been told that Faraday’s giant vault contains the DNA of countless super humans from both Earth 0 and Earth 2. At face value that sounds impressive and reasonable, but realistically the size of that vault far exceeds the necessary storage requirement. What could such a massive vault be holding? What does it have to do with Fifty Sue? When will we find out? Too many questions, but I don’t believe it’s something as simple as metahuman genetic material.
2. Is Dr. Polaris right?
When you hear the name “Justice League,” it instantly invokes images of titanic paragons of justice and morality. Of course, we also know that in recent years, the League has been increasing flawed. In many cases their authority, motivations, and intentions have been called into question. While Yamakaze has been portrayed as a bit of a crackpot, his attacks on the League have merit, as Firestorm points out. Once again, the bearing that “Futures End” has on the future of the DCU is extremely nebulous. However, this thread seems like the natural extension of Johns’ work on “Justice League,” and I’d love to see it explored more deeply.
3. Can Frank save Frank?
Does anyone else find it odd that Dr. Frankenstein is still living? Sure, it stands to reason that the man who gave life to living flesh could find a way to extend his own live, but I’m suspecting something a tad more sinister. This is a bit of a leap, but could Dr. Frankenstein in fact be in league with Brother Eye or Brainiac, and therefore be the catalyst that leads to Frankenstein serving Brother Eye in the future?
