If there’s one thing that most people know about Batman, it’s that he’s incredibly wealthy. This allows him to fight a private crusade against crime and corruption in Gotham City with a near-infinite supply of gadgets and technology. But, as so many are eager to point out, Batman is also a super-genius, an individual who spent years training with the best and pushed himself to peak physical condition. It’s not a new concept, having Bruce Wanye be a low-tech crime fighter, but the important question to ask is why are we removing the gadgets? In “Batman” #101, James Tynion IV gives the Dark Knight a new direction, allowing him to show his abilities as the world’s greatest detective without all the toys that give him the edge in his crusade against crime.
Written by James Tynion IVCover by Guillem March and Tomeu Morey
Illustrated by Guillem March
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Lettered by Clayton CowlesA new day dawns in Gotham and the horrors of “The Joker War” are just being realized. A bold new direction for Batman begins as Bruce Wayne’s circumstances are forever changed. How did the Joker’s rampage affected the citizens of the city? And why does Cole Cash-a.k.a.-Grifter, now work for Lucius Fox?!
“Batman” #101 finds Bruce Wayne at a crossroads. Gotham is saved but it seems that this particular battle with the Joker has left both the city and its protector broken. The issue begins with Batman remembering the old Gotham, meeting Commissioner Gordan at the Bat-Signal, springing into action with Robin, and getting pushed by Alfred to try and add some routine or normalcy in his life. By no means does the issue suggest that it was a happy life, but he found comfort in the routine, the cycle of it all. But now everything is different. The majority of the issue is Bruce confronting the reality of this new Gotham with two big conversations, each revealing the new situation that Bruce is going to have to deal with. One of the things that makes the issue work is that Tynion emphasizes early what Bruce gets out of this repeated cycle. To most, the endless cycle of fighting crime could become exhausting, it gives Bruce purpose.
The two conversations in “Batman” #101 are with Catwoman and Lucius Fox and both are about Bruce’s ability to continue being Batman or at the very least a Batman with a full rollout of resources. During his last fight with the Joker, Bruce Wayne lost his financial wealth, his ability to fund all of his gadgets and vehicles. Lucius offers Bruce a chance to get the money back, but there’s a catch, Bruce Wayne is now under greater scrutiny from the government. Anything he does with his immense wealth will be observed and inspected. He would no longer be able to be Batman. Without his money, Bruce can continue to fight crime, but with a limited tool kit. He would no longer be able to replace cars on a whim, he would have to fix them, as Lucius says, “no more rocket ships or satellites or sophisticated A.I. drones that know how to punch before you do.” Batman would go back to basics, relying now only on his physical prowess and mind. There have certainly been other stories where Batman is “low tech” but what makes this interesting is the intention. While others strip away Batman’s technology to make a series feel more grounded, it seems that Tynion’s purpose is to explore what’s left when you take away the tools. People are always quick to mention that Batman is more than his resources and gadgets, now we’re given a story to see just how skilled Bruce Wayne is when he doesn’t have the world at his fingertips. Another thing that makes this angle interesting is the fact that there is some temptation there as well. Bruce is not choosing to live alone and work with limited resources, circumstances beyond his control are making this happen, but he now has the choice to go back. While it’s unlikely, it’s not impossible to imagine life as a leaner Batman might prove to be too much.
Continued belowBruce’s lack of financial resources isn’t just impacting his ability to be Batman, it’s impacting his relationships as well. After talking to Lucius, Bruce and Selina have a heart to heart where he admits without funds, he won’t be able to protect her from those chasing her. In the past, he could use his wealth to hide her in plain sight in high society, but now it won’t be that easy. Tynion’s script is good throughout “Batman” #101, but Guillem March’s art highlights the toll that the Joker War has taken on everyone. Batman and Lucius both look older and more tired, with Batman looking especially craggy, even working with some stubble. But it’s the scenes with Catwoman and Batman where his art shines. March can capture Selina’s hope and sadness as she suggests that they could just run away together, take the money and start a new life. She knows it’s futile, but she can hope. While the scene with Lucius shows what Batman has lost, the scene with Selina show’s just how much Bruce is sacrificing as well.
If there was one thing that didn’t quite work in “Batman” #101, it was the brief combat on the roof between Batman and Cash. This was largely a dialogue-heavy issue, making the brief fight feel out of place. It does seem, though, that Tynion is setting up something larger here, with Batman suggesting a larger conspiracy moving forward. There is a moment where Cash slips a gun on Batman, perhaps suggesting that Batman is off his game, but it seems to have been more along the lines of suggesting that Gotham has devolved to a point that even someone with connections like Lucius Fox has taken extra measures to protect himself. In any case, it felt like it was more along the lines of checking off a box instead of adding anything meaningful to the story.
Overall, it’s exciting to see where Tynion goes from here. Batman admits that the city is getting more dangerous, that he needs to develop a new way to simply be Batman. While it’s fun seeing Bruce with his planes, his supercomputer, his self-driving cars, it will be interesting to see what his new path forward is. While Gotham is usually a dark and dreary place, with almost perpetual rain bouncing off of gothic architecture, the scenes with Selina are surprisingly bright thanks to Tomeu Morey’s coloring. While some of the light appears to be coming from the windows of the buildings, it appears that the majority of these scenes are either happening at dawn or dusk, with the sun reflecting off of the buildings of the city center. There’s no way to know for sure but if it’s at sunrise, it’s certainly a new day for Gotham.
Final Verdict: 8.7 “Batman” #101 creates an exciting new direction for Gotham’s Dark Knight thanks to a strong script from James Tynion IV and Guillem March’s expressive art.
