Written By: Daniel Roberts of Films of Fury
A few months back I was relaxing at home, enjoying my Lego and Netflix time when a bing sounded on my iPhone with a Twitter notification from DC Comics and Jim Lee.
With the films being released by Warner Brothers from DCEU I expected it to be a photo by Zack Snyder teasing Superman in Justice League or a Wonder Woman promotional poster; to my surprise, joy and sheer fanboy jubilation, it was the teaser art for issue 21 of Batman featuring The Dark Knight holding the iconic bloody Smiley Face Button of The Comedian from Watchmen. and although it has been teased since the beginning of Rebirth with the discovery of the Button in the Batcave, to see this cover made my inner child scream.
It would be insulting of me to preach to you just how pivotal Watchmen was to the world of comics, I’m assuming that if you’re reading this article then you’re fully aware of just how Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons changed the public perception of just what a comic story could be.
Now without giving a History of Comics dissertation I’d like to begin the review:
After the events of “I Am Bane” and the brutal exchange in issue 20, I figured Batman would have a bit of a break from getting into knock down drag out fights, NOPE!
The issue is pretty much a slugfest between The World’s Greatest Detective and Reverse Flash as the two get into a grizzly exchange in the Batcave.
While sitting in front of the Batcomputer working on The Button, Batman is visited by an unlikely guest…Flashpoint Batman.
That’s right, Thomas Wayne comes to Bruce and as quickly as he arrives he disappears. As Batman attempts to make sense of the events that just transpired, he deduces that the Button is radiating The Speed Force and requests that The Flash join him immediately at the cave. But before Barry can make it, the Reverse Flash who has been dead for quite some time breaks into the Batcave via The Speed Force caused by The Button and beats the bricks off of Batman.
After debilitating the Dark Knight, Reverse Flash picks up the Comedian’s Button and drew him into another universe and returned him, mutilated and writhing in pain. Just before he falls dead on the floor of the Batcave, Reverse Flash whispers “I…saw…God”.
The best part of this fight is the way it’s done: part of the appeal of Watchmen was it’s use of panels. As you can see by the panels below, Jason Fabok went above and beyond to recreate the investigation of The Comedian’s death and the introduction of Rorschach through the use of Batman and his cave.
The story continues as The Flash discovers Batman, bloodied and battered along with the corpse of Reverse Flash. One aspect of The Flash that I feel has been forgot in comics and with the television series is that Barry Allen is one of the best forensic pathologists in the world. To a certain extent, he’s as comparable in this field as Batman is. To see Flash set up a crime scene and look for evidence much the same as Barry Allen would made my investment in the story skyrocket.
One of the key moments to me was a moment of solace where Barry speaks to his mother, acknowledging that her killer is finally dead. Barry is concerned with the level of Speed Force detected in the cave and fears that he as Future Flash is the actual killer of Reverse Flash.
With Batman patched up and ready to continue on with the Case of The Button, he and Flash embark on a trip to the Watchtower’s Lost and Found and use the Cosmic Treadmill to break through the alternate realities of the DCU to finally end in the Batcave.
However this isn’t Bruce’s Batcave. This fact becomes apparent when Bruce sees the gun that killed his parents under glass as a trophy. His shock continues as standing in front of he and Flash is Thomas Wayne Batman, who for the first time since his son’s death on Park Row looks his son in the eyes.
This scene sent chills down my spine, as a fan of Flashpoint Paradox and the moment between father and son through realities via the letter it was something I hoped we would see down the road.
But how has the Flashpoint Universe survived?
Did Doctor Manhattan somehow keep the universe intact following Flash’s departure?
Or are we all being played and this is a plan being orchestrated by Ozymandias?
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