Whatever happened to Thomas Wayne? See in the first issue of this new miniseries around the Flashpoint Batman!
Written by Geoff JohnsCover by Dexter Soy and Alex Sinclair
Illustrated by Eduardo Risso
Colored by Trish Mulvihill
Lettered by Rob LeighThe world of Flashpoint returns!
After sacrificing everything to help the Flash put the universe back together and save Bruce Wayne’s life, Thomas Wayne wakes up in a world he thought was no more. Forced to don the cowl once again, Batman prowls the streets of Gotham searching for answers to how this world still exists, but what he starts to uncover will send him hurtling around the globe. The hunt for the Clockwork Killer starts here!
Legendary writer Geoff Johns comes back to the alternate world he created, partnering with prolific artist Eduardo Risso as he returns to the Flashpoint Batman!
From the outset, we should make one thing clear about “Flashpoint Beyond” #0: despite its name, it is not in any way connected to other “Beyond” labels in DC Comics, which tend to derive from adaptations of or continuations on the Batman Beyond animated series.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into the meat of the piece itself. The ‘Flashpoint’ event of 2011 was, to put it mildly, divisive. Nothing was quite the same for years. However, one element that people did tend to enjoy coming out of it was their take on Batman and the Joker, which while wildly different was still memorable and fresh. With “Flashpoint Beyond” #0, Geoff Johns dives back into that seemingly doomed world, continuing off of the likes of “Justice League Incarnate” and “Doomsday Clock,” but does he live up to either his previous work or that of Brian Azzarello’s “Flashpoint: Batman – Knight of Vengeance” with this sequel to the original “Flashpoint?”
If the answer is yes, it is difficult to truly care. This state is not helped in the slightest by the quasi-impermeable storytelling that may detract from the interest of newcomers. Despite giving some basic context on what has happened with Thomas Wayne’s Batman between his original emergence in 2011 and his subsequent actions from 2017 onward, far too much is left in the air to be picked up exclusively by returning fans. From the Atlantis-Themyscira warfare of the Flashpoint timeline to the use of characters from “Doomsday Clock” that are left unexplained within the narrative itself, Johns takes quite a lot of his story for granted, and seems to wish the same of his audience. Furthermore, even if it is good, why should readers care, when there is no evidence that it will have a defined impact on the rest of the comics like the ‘Flashpoint’ event did? The use of both Bruce and Thomas, both apparently in the primary Earth, but also definitely in different timelines, confuses things even more, making it all the more bizarre that any of the story is possible.
Even if we are to take the story beats at face value, as Johns seems to intend, his writing makes it very difficult to come to a definite conclusion one way or the other on its overall quality. As with many of his works, a holistic approach may be necessary, or at least another issue or two of context, before deciding if he is doing a good job. However, that indecision may qualify as a detriment on the whole.
Eduardo Risso is known for his work on the prior Thomas Wayne Batman miniseries, “Flashpoint: Batman – Knight of Vengeance,” and his illustrations in “Flashpoint Beyond” #0 show he has not lost his touch in the slightest. The artwork he provides is gritty and violence, focused on Thomas Wayne and his perspective above all else. Risso makes for quick motions for Thomas, while keeping him mostly outwardly stoic in comparison to other characters, enhancing the impression of him being just a bit off or unstable in comparison to them.
One key element in Risso’s artwork is the use of perspective. Certain panels are intense close-ups on particular body parts or objects, while others are wider or further off, but for the most part, it all revolves around the focus of Thomas Wayne. In this way, Risso keeps readers identifying with Wayne’s point of view, even when he seems crazy or others call for his arrest, helping yo meet a tight focus on spite of being in a massive world. However, this focus does not keep readers from identifying where the extremely violent Batman may be going wrong, keeping a close eye on his failures as much as his tragedy or other negative emotions.
Continued belowTrish Mulvihill’s colors on “Flashpoint Beyond” #0 truly set the tone for the series going forward. While there are bright moments, the vast majority of the hues and tones are dark and dour. While this approach is far from uncommon for Gotham City, it feels more oppressive than usual, snd makes the moments of brighter light come across as shocking or otherwise horrifying. The contrast between different colors on s single subject are rather stark, as if light sources are beating down on their targets, from the moon to a more metaphorical light.
By contrast, there is much more light coloration in the framing sections focused on Bruce Wayne, which are, while still in the cave he calls his base, still relatively calm and not as prone to mood-shifting light changes. This difference indicates that Mulvihill is showing that while the actions undergone by Bruce Wayne are not without conflict, the situation does not appear as dire as that of the alternate timeline version of his father, and the danger is more distant and long-term than Thomas’s imminent distress.
Final Verdict: 6.5– Despite well-approached artwork and colors, the storytelling of “Flashpoint Beyond” #0 leaves much to be desired.
