Today, Spencer and (guest writer) Mark are discussing on Batman Eternal 22, originally released September 3rd, 2014.

Spencer: 2014 marks the 75^th Anniversary of Batman, so it’s easy to understand why DC decided to publish a weekly Batman book this year. It’s interesting to me to think about Batman Eternal as a part of the celebration, though, because it’s a series that is decidedly not about Batman; instead, it’s focused on those who Batman has inspired and the city he protects. Issue 22 is the first in a new arc, but it only further emphasizes those themes, welcoming a reluctant new ally into the family and presenting more villains with their own twisted ideas about what Gotham city truly is.

Last week’s issue ended with Alfred being brutally attacked by Hush; this one opens with Alfred in the hospital and Julia desperately trying to get in touch with Bruce. Julia sees the grandfather clock, remembers her father’s cryptic last words, and makes her way to the Batcave just in time to reluctantly assist Batman in taking on a villain known as the Architect, who is attempting to destroy one of Bruce Wayne’s new buildings. Batman stops Architect from completing his plans, and in the process finally realizes that it’s Hush who’s been behind all his recent problems.

I have to admit, ending this issue with the Hush reveal feels a little lazy, expecially considering that Hush’s involvement was already revealed last issue, and not even as the cliffhanger! Obviously there’s story development here — last week the readers found out about Hush, while this week lets Batman in on it — but it’s still a bit of an anticlimax. Hush himself is a controversial villain, but it’s brilliant how clearly the clues have led up to this reveal: using a cadre of villains to do his dirty work is a Hush trademark, and only someone with insider knowledge of Batman and his allies could have masterminded such a plan.

All the villains of Batman Eternal thus far have had some sort of agenda for Gotham City — from Falcone’s fervent belief that the city belonged to him and not the “freaks” to Deacon Blackfire’s angry claims that Batman has been warping the city into his own image even as he tries to do so himself — and while we’re not yet aware of whether Hush follows this pattern, the Architect certainly does; that said, he’s less worried about what Gotham is now than about what it once was. The Architect was introduced in Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins’ Gates of Gotham mini-series back in 2011 (in what is surely not a coincidence, Batman Eternal 22 is Higgins’ first credit on the series) as a character fighting for recognition for his ancestors’ contributions to the city, which was largely overshadowed by the Cobblepot, Wayne, Kane, and Elliott families (yes, Elliott as in Hush, which is probably significant).

I’m probably going off on a tangent here, but the Architect always makes me think of Bill Finger, the Batman co-creator whose contributions have largely been pushed aside or overshadowed by Bob Kane; that said, I certainly can’t imagine Finger approving of the Architect’s violent methods, so that’s where the similarities end.

Regardless, the Architect’s obsession with his family’s legacy certainly seems to strike a chord with Alfred’s daughter, Julia Pennyworth.

Julia has spent much of this series incensed about how her father threw away an exciting life to follow in his father’s footsteps serving the Wayne family, so the idea of the Pennyworth legacy is clearly on her mind when she overhears the Architect’s words in the panel above. Although Julia seems stubbornly opposed to Batman and her father’s work with him throughout the issue (artist Jorge Lucas perfectly portrays her defiant body language, leaving no doubt as to what she’s thinking and feeling), all signs point towards her continuing to work with Batman in the future. I’m curious to see just what makes her embrace her father’s legacy, and what affect her presence will have on the city. Is there something special Julia can provide Batman and his crusade that Alfred could not?

Unusually for this series, Higgins keeps the issue tightly focused on one story — even the separate threads of the Architect’s scheme and Julia’s discovery meet up rather quickly — giving the proceedings more room to breathe. That said, there’s a strange amount of time spent on a Waynetech employee named Andrew who winds up dead by the end of the issue. Story-wise, he serves a practical purpose by giving the Architect somebody to talk to before Batman shows up, but I also like the little bit of characterization he receives.

I don’t know much about Andrew as a person, but the issue presents him as somebody who cares very much about his workers, and it’s a welcome contrast to much of the villainous scum we seen throughout the Batman books. Certainly Batman and his allies are stand-up people, but it’s always nice to be reminded that there are noble civilians in Gotham as well. I also think it’s significant that this is the kind of person whom Bruce Wayne hires and puts into a position of authority.

That said, considering that we’ll never see Andrew again, I could understand if any readers found the focus on him to be a waste of time. I liked this issue and think that it did a fine job setting up the characters and themes for the next few issues, but even keeping in mind how differently a weekly can read, it still feels just a tad insubstantial to me. Mark, was this your experience with the issue as well, or did you get some more out of it that maybe I missed? Also, I’m not too familiar with your comic book experience, so I’ve got to ask, were you familiar with Hush or the Architect before this issue? If not, I can’t imagine it was a very clear introduction to either character.

Mark: Man, Batman Eternal. I’m really enjoying this title, even weaker issues like this one, but it’s hard to deny the whole exercise feels a little sloppy. Hush’s presence is treated like a big reveal again this week, even though it’s not too different from his entrance last week.

From Batman Eternal #21:

And Batman Eternal #22:

Major takeaway? Silence is golden!

Maybe it’s happenstance, or maybe it’s done for the benefit of readers who aren’t picking up Eternal every week, but it has the effect of making each issue feel less essential and exacerbating the feeling that the title is just spinning its wheels for a bit.

Spencer, I guess in general that sense of wheel spinning was my minor annoyance with this issue and its focus on Waynetech employee Andrew and the Architect. It’s fun to see the Architect pop up again (I was on a break from comics when Gates of Gotham was happening, but read it during my Great Comics Catch Up), but like the Deacon Blackfire (what turned out to be a) digression, it all feels a little pointless.

In contrast, New 52 Futures End, though vastly improved from its pretty awful start, is telling a less compelling story, but the writers there have established a much better sense of continuity from one issue to the next.

My expectation going into Batman Eternal was that there would an overarching plot or threat that would build as we follow it over the course of the series. 22 weeks in, and I’m struggling to think what that threat might be. Each villain that’s introduced is quickly dispatched or shown to be a cog in the larger device. With so much time left to go, It seems unlikely to me that Hush is any different. I anticipate that in a few issues Hush will be neutralized or unmasked as just another minion. Based on no information at all, I’ll hazard a guess that everything is building towards the Joker. How could DC launch a Batman title with the word “Eternal” and not include his most iconic villain?

I do appreciate the sense Batman Eternal is creating that all of these events are happening at once. In most Batman stories, Batman deals with one Big Bad at a time. The other villains politely wait their turn, as to not tread on whatever scheme the Mad Hatter (or Clayface, or Bane, etc) has going. But in Eternal, Batman doesn’t have the luxury of time. Whereas a Detective Comics story might have Batman immediately deal with the Alfred situation, here he first has to put a stop to the Architect’s scheme. There are too many fires in Gotham, and Batman is overwhelmed.

It sounds like I’m pretty down on this issue, but I’m really not. Like I mentioned before, I’m genuinely enjoying Batman Eternal. This issue just happens to exemplify my minor frustrations with the title so far. It’s possible that once the entire run is completed we’ll look back and see how it all fits together, but my guess is that reading Eternal every week and just going along for the ride without much concern for the bigger picture is the optimal way to enjoy this weekly.

Lastly, can we speculate for a little bit about when we think “The End” from the first page of Batman Eternal #1 takes place? Originally I assumed it’s a flash forward five years to coincide with New 52 Futures End. But this week the Futures End tie-in issue of Detective Comics basically puts that theory to rest, as we see that things are essentially the same ol’, same ol’ for Bats in five years. So is it the distant future? Or does the burning of Gotham happen soon, with a few years of rebuilding in-between? Maybe it’s just a dream/hallucination? Not really important, but kind of fun to speculate.

For a complete list of what we’re reading, head on over to our Pull List page. Whenever possible, buy your comics from your local mom and pop comic bookstore. If you want to rock digital copies, head on over to DC’s website and download issues there. There’s no need to pirate, right?